When you hear the name Rainbow Kitten Surprise, who might you expect to take the stage under that moniker? You may be imagining something colorful, glittery, saccharine, or uncomplicated. And while RKS actually brings their fair share of color and glitter to the table, they are far from devoid of substance. They are actually a folk-rock quartet born out of the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina. With an extensive discography spanning over a decade, their projects are full of visceral and genre-bending songs exploring themes of change, complexity, and the turbulence of the human mind.
Many years ago, founding members Ela Melo and Darrick Keller had signed up to perform at an open mic night at their college, Appalachian State University. They were in the middle of brainstorming a stage name under which they could perform, as they stopped to visit a friend in the hospital who was battling a serious illness. They bestowed upon him the honor of naming the band, never thinking the name would someday follow them to stardom. Still doped up on morphine, their friend hazily uttered the phrase: rainbow kitten surprise. Ironically enough, their unusual name turned out to be a real head-turner, and the story to be a metaphor for the band’s future. It represents their ability to persevere through difficult battles and still find the light, or rather, the rainbow, at the end of the tunnel.
On Wednesday, RKS were set to take the stage at the Brooklyn Paramount for the second of two packed-out New York City headlining shows for their bones tour 2026. Everything about the night felt like a sort of regal affair. The Brooklyn Paramount is a sprawling venue, reminiscent of a luxurious cathedral of sorts. As you enter, you’ll walk upon checkered linoleum floors, and beneath towering, floor-to-ceiling marble pillars, looking up to observe a galaxy of stars projected on a gilded ceiling above. Walking through the venue into the concert hall itself, you’ll find something even more magnificent. The architecture blends colorful lighting tech with intricate Baroque design, and is a feat of true artistic genius. Even the walk to the bathrooms is an experience, leading you down an elaborate staircase and past an intimate, subterranean bar. There, leather sofas and dim lighting set the mood for conversation while the on-stage performance plays on screens lining the walls. Exploring the Paramount in and of itself is worth the price of the ticket. However, Rainbow Kitten Surprise put on a magnificent show worthy of the beauty that the venue beholds, and then some.
The lights dimmed, and a spotlight pierced through the dark haze onto the empty stage. Amidst roars of anticipation from the crowd, frontwoman Ela Melo stepped into the light, followed by the rest of her bandmates. The stage was now teeming with momentum; featuring Ethan Goodpaster on lead guitar, Darrick Keller on rhythm guitar, and Jess Haney on drums – alongside Drew Long on keyboard and Maddie Bouton on bass as touring support. They launched into “Hell Nah,” the second track off of their newest album, bones. The project builds a vivid landscape teeming with passion and bursting with emotion. The live show lets fans into that world, painting the room with strobe-lit color and kinetic energy. Ela’s exaggerated stage presence is a force to be reckoned with. She filled every corner of the stage with movement, the flecks of glitter in her top bouncing the rays of strobe lights in every direction. The whole band engaged with one another as a cohesive unit, a well-oiled machine; indicative of their shared experience and many years by each other’s sides.
The band got the crowd going as they rolled through fan favorites like “Dang” and “Cocaine Jesus”. Then they settled into the raw, intimate acoustic core of the set, and the room’s energy pulled some fans together while others drifted into their own worlds. When I was finished with my stint ahead of the barricade in the photo pit, I rotated, naturally, between all the different vantage points in the vast venue. As I passed through the crowd, I couldn’t help but notice how many people were creating their own experience – two girls twirling together up in the balcony singing straight into each others’ faces, a couple making out on the staircase, a person in the back of the pit spinning a flow star on one finger. Though the music was being played on the stage, it was also being lived out in so many other ways through the fans.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise creates a space for everyone with their music, their live shows, and everything else that encapsulates their sonic and artistic world. They are continuing on with the bones tour 2026 well into this year, with headlining shows all across America and the UK. Check out the full gallery of photos from the show HERE.