dec 3, 2022; chicago
by lily r on 2/13/23rks was everything i ever imagined and more. damn they are good performers. they sounded amazing, looked amazing, and ughhhh just so good!!!
Venue
Webster Hall
Venue
Roadrunner-Boston
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Roadrunner-Boston
Venue
Roadrunner-Boston
Venue
Moody Theater - Austin TX
Venue
Moody Theater - Austin TX
Venue
Moody Theater - Austin TX
Venue
Mission Ballroom
Venue
Mission Ballroom
Venue
Mission Ballroom
As if channeling another dimension where genres simply don't exist, Rainbow Kitten Surprise finds harmony in unpredictability - weaving together lyrical poetry, hummable melodies, and a rush of instrumental eccentricities. Now boasting over 2 billion global streams across platforms, the band first began building their devoted fanbase with independent albums SEVEN + MARY (2013) and RKS (2015). The band's breakout full-length debut for Elektra, HOW TO: FRIEND, LOVE, FREEFALL, arrived in April 2018. Produced by GRAMMY Award-winner Jay Joyce (Cage The Elephant, Lainey Wilson), the album featured RIAA-certified Platinum single "It's Called: Freefall," earned widespread praise from Billboard, TIME, Vice, and NPR who described their sound as "...a mix of jam and indie and whatever else you can throw into the soup...very earnest, beautiful, political, loving rock n' roll," and saw the band make several national television appearances, including performances on "CBS Saturday Morning," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and PBS's "Austin City Limits." After gracing the bills of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Osheaga, to name a few, RKS moved 80,000 tickets of their own on the sold-out 2018/2019 Friend, Love, Freefall Tour. That tour was earmarked by a sold-out debut at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and three consecutive gigs in Athens, GA (the latter of which were chronicled on their first official live album, LIVE FROM ATHENS GEORGIA, released in 2021).
The band released a two-track single Mary (B-Sides) in May 2019 - consisting of "Heart" and "No Vacancy." The following year brought the release of standalone single "Our Song" - already a fan favorite in their live rotation prior to release - as well as a livestream concert in July, held for thousands of fans on what would've been the date of another sold-out Red Rocks performance (cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic). In March 2022, the band released the emotionally charged track "Work Out," marking their first new music in nearly two years.
2022 also saw the band set out on their first full headline trek in nearly 3 years, a run that included their long-awaited, sold-out, two-night return to Red Rocks. And in 2022 alone, with the help of partners PLUS1 and Propeller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise raised over $170k for food banks in local tour markets, LGBTQ+ causes, and mental health initiatives.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is: Ela Melo (she/her; lead vocals), Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (he/him; guitar, vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (he/him; lead guitar, vocals), Jess Haney (he/him; drums)
rks was everything i ever imagined and more. damn they are good performers. they sounded amazing, looked amazing, and ughhhh just so good!!!
When we arrived, there was no wait time to get through the doors, so no waiting in the cold! The floor was intimate but spacious enough not to be touching the people next to you. The opener was incredible and so was the main show, with great crowd control and participation from everybody, and the song choices were perfect! Overall incredible experience and you definitely do again in a heartbeat!
Second time I've seen them, and they didn't disappoint. Great energy, sound, and set list all in a beautiful theater venue. These guys are professional musicians who just make it look easy.
10000000/10 performance. Amazing atmosphere and vibe all around from the band and crowd
Great performance. A high energy night. Very happy to see them live and they did not disappoint
RKS puts on an incredible show! Def go see them if you have the chance!
I love RKS and they put on an amazing sounding show! Sadly, I was unable to see the stage at all as everyone got up and stood/jumped/danced in the stairways and exit areas in front of me. I am unable to stand for an entire show, so I was excited that the show would be in a seated theater. But unfortunately I was only able to hear it and could not see the performance in any way. This was incredibly disappointing. The opener Twen is also a wonderful band that puts on a great show, but the sound team failed them as the audience was only able to hear the instruments and not the incredible lead singer. This was thankfully fixed for RKS and we were able to hear them clearly.
Best show I’ve been too in a while. Great venue, great performance, great vibe all together.
awesome. it’s life changing experience. i cant stop thinking about it.
I loveee this band so much. There were not enough food options in my opinion. But I thought that RKS didn’t play long enough. It was under 2 hours. I would’ve preferred them take a break and play later. Either way it was a great experience and good venue.