I was first introduced to the name “Rainbow Kitten Surprise” by a friend. She was wondering if I had heard of them, and with a name like that, I was pretty surprised I hadn’t. I went to look them up on Spotify and was shocked to find out they were not crazy blaring Japanese Dream Pop but rather an indie rock outfit from North Carolina. However, calling them an indie rock outfit doesn’t really do justice to the group. Their music is sometimes Americana, sometimes RnB/soul, sometimes rap and sometimes indie rock. They’re as big a surprise as their name and, when they took the stage at First Avenue, the surprises kept on coming.
Their music has a calmer demeanor. The lead vocalist (Sam Melo) seems like someone that is very suited for passionate Americana music and has a similar voice to the frontman of the Kings of Leon. It was no typical indie rock show. The band never stayed in one place, maybe throwing in the occasional guitar solo and maybe moving around the stage from time to time. What I got was exactly why this band is gaining so much buzz and is selling out shows all across the country.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is currently on tour supporting their 3rd album: How To: Friend, Love, Freefall, which was released earlier this year, supported by singles like “Fever Pitch,” “Holy War” and “Hide.” The Minneapolis show is just another sold-out stop in a tour dominated by them. At the time of this article, only Salt Lake City hadn’t sold out. Come on Mormons! They are a five-piece ensemble out of Camden, North Carolina that is probably one of the most hodgepodge groups imaginable. They have different musical tastes, fashion, and personalities. However, it ends up working perfectly to create a unique show.
This was not some run of this mill show, but one with boundless energy. I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone jump and leap around the stage as much as Sam Melo and Rainbow Kitten Surprise. There were twists, turns, leaps off the drum set platform and intentional falls. The amount of energy was truly amazing; I don’t know a single person that could fly around the stage as much as Rainbow Kitten Surprise. The crowd ate up all that energy too, with screams erupting between every single song and every crowd interaction. The lights, while quite simple in their set up, were perfect to keep the rainbow vibe going without distracting from the actual performance.
Each and every member of the band brought their energy to the performance, with both the guitarist and bassist getting very involved in moving around the stage. There was an energy that simply kept me engaged for the entire show. As much as I wanted to take a break, I just didn’t, because I didn’t want to miss what was going to happen next on stage. Being down in the photographer’s pit was almost overwhelming with all the kicking and flailing going on.
Throughout their performance, Rainbow Kitten Surprised ebbed and flowed between their songs. Some songs got the crowd to jump and scream, others had Sam Melo pirouetting on stage, and some were slow ballads. They also played their big hits like “Cocaine Jesus,” “Devil Like Me” & “First Class.” When their encore happened, the crowd exploded. It was actually so loud, my ears started hurting. It’s been awhile since that has happened.
In the end, the mystery was solved. Why was this show sold out so early? And why were the people that had been to a show raving so much for a band with such a strange name? After what I saw last night, I’m totally sold. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is legit and put on one of the best shows I’ve seen since STRFKR at First Ave. It was an endlessly entertaining show, and they’re totally worth the price of admission and then some.
