Concert Review: Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Avondale Brewing Company

The second of two nights, Rainbow Kitten performed in front of 3,000 fans, totaling 6,000 across both nights. The last time the band was in town was January of 2019, where they sold out Iron City, a crowd of only 1,300. This is a massive jump in such a short period of time, and it was clear by their rabid fan base that this growth is not slowing down anytime soon. 

Briston Maroney opened up the night. The indie rocker has also had quite the rise in recent years, touring across the country and playing almost every major music festival state-side. His success has been largely off the backs of a fiercely loyal fan following, which translated directly with his near constant touring. Full of energy and bounding across the stage, Briston his band are a sight to see live. Their passion on stage is omnipresent and truly remarkable. 

Rainbow Kitten Surprise (RKS) did not disappoint. It seems that the time off during the pandemic was not wasted, and the band is certainly far from rusty. The quintet is comprised of Ela Melo (vocals, piano), Darrick Keller (guitar), Ethan Goodpaster (guitar), Jess Haney (drums), and Charlie Holt (bass/banjo). They brought with them a stellar production and full command of the stage and were on their A-game all night.

Sonically the band has never sounded better. All five members are skilled musicians, but their ability to play off of each other and keep every song tight is impressive to say the least. The mix was also spot on, with no audio issues or feedback all night. From band to crew, RKS is professional through and through.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise's fame has largely come from the connection they've built with their fans. Songs about self reflection, lost love, and discovering yourself have drawn fans in and kept them locked in. RKS has been one of the leading proponents of LGBTQIA+ rights in music, with several of the members identifying with the community directly. 

Twenty four songs and it still didn't feel like enough. For a band with only three albums, it should be easy to squeeze in all the songs fans want. However, die-hard as they are, their fans want the deep cuts as well. Fan favorites "Holy War" and "American Hero" didn't make the cut. Without a doubt, RKS has one of the hardest setlists to craft.

          1. All That and More (Sailboat)

          2. Black and White

          3. Our Song

          4. Hide -> Goodnight Chicago

          5. When I Call Your Number

          6. Matchbox -> Mr. Redundant

          7. Moody Orange

          8. Lady Lie -> Love 4 Us -> Fever Pitch

          9. Workout

          10. Painkillers

          11. When It Lands

          12. Drop Stop Roll

          13. It's Called: Freefall

          14. First Class

          15. Cocaine Jesus

          16. That's My Shit

          -

          17. Possum Queen

          18. Polite Company

          19. Recktify

          20. Run

Rainbow Kitten have ten sold out shows staring them down for the rest of this run. The band then has a month off before over 30 more shows across North America and Europe. Their full list of upcoming shows is below.

          7/08 Tulsa, OK — Tulsa Theater (SOLD OUT)

          7/09 New Braunfels, TX — Whitewater Amphitheater^ (SOLD OUT)

          7/11 Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheater^ (SOLD OUT)

          7/12 Morrison, CO — Red Rocks Amphitheater^ (SOLD OUT)

          7/14 Salt Lake City, UT — The Galliuan Center* (SOLD OUT)

          7/15 Boise, ID — Idaho Botanical Garden* (SOLD OUT)

          7/16 Bonner, MT — Kettlehouse Amphitheater* (SOLD OUT)

          7/18 Redmond, WA — Marymoor Amphitheater* (SOLD OUT)

          7/19 Vancouver, BC — Orpheum* (SOLD OUT)

          7/20 Troutdale, OR — McMenamins Edgefield* (SOLD OUT)

          9/02 Toronto, ON — RBC Echo Beach~

          9/03 Lewiston, NY — ArtPark Amphitheater~

          9/04 Cleveland, OH — Jacobs Pavilion at Nautica~

          9/06 Grand Rapids, MI — GLC Live at 20 Monroe~

          9/08 Columbus, OH — KEMBA Live!~

          9/10 Indianapolis, IN — TCU Amphitheater at White River State Park~

          9/12 Syracuse, NY — Landmark Theatre~

          9/13 New Haven, CT — College Street Music Hall~

          9/15 Montréal, QC — MTELUS~

          9/17 Portland, ME — Thompson's Point~

          9/18 Boston, MA — Roadrunner~ (SOLD OUT)

          9/21 Albany, NY — Palace Theatre~

          9/22 New York, NY — Summerstage, Central Park~

          10/25 New Orleans, LA — Orpheum Theater~

          10/26 Mobile, AL — Saegner Theatre~

          11/05 Warsaw, PL — Hydrogazaka

          11/06 Berlin, DE — Lido Club

          11/08 Munich, DE — Strom

          11/09 Cologne, DE — Luxor

          11/10 Hamburg, DE — Mojo Club

          11/12 Amsterdam, NE — Melkweg Oude Zaal (SOLD OUT)

          11/14 Paris, FR — Maroquinerie

          11/16 London, UK — Electric Ballroom (SOLD OUT)

          11/17 Birmingham, UK — O2 Institute (SOLD OUT)

          11/18 Manchester, UK — O2 Ritz

          11/20 Dublin, IE — Opium (SOLD OUT)  

          12/03 Chicago, IL — Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom~

          12/04 Madison, WI — The Sylvee~

          12/06 Minneapolis, MN — The Armory~

          12/07 St. Louis, MO — The Factory~

          12/08 Memphis, TN — Orpheum Theatre

          12/10 Nashville, TN — Nashville Municipal Auditorium~

          12/12 Oklahoma City, OK — The Criterion~

          12/13 Kansas City, MO — Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland~

          ^ with Briston Maroney

          * with Houndmouth

          ~ with TWEN

Rainbow Kitten Surprise is one of the best bands touring today. An electrifying performance from start to finish, with times of bombast and times of intimacy, RKS proved time and time again that they are on top of their craft. After a long break, it was fantastic to see the band back in action, better than ever before.