Rainbow Kitten Surprise Announces Concert at KettleHouse Amphitheater 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. Rumors have swirled for years about Melos sexuality, with some claiming that he is gay. Before Rainbow Kitten Surprise's sold-out show at the Palace Theatre in St. Paul last month, I met up with Sam Melo (lead vocals and keys) and Charlie Holt (bass). By the time we left, we were pretty broke and it was sort of defeatist, at least from my eyes. and 'Bout twenty more I'll be forty-four, head back to Tampa Bay. On the track, Melo sings, "Called to the devil and the devil said, 'Hey, why you been calling this late? That was the understanding that I had. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. Right of Admission Reserved. In their video for Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Thrash shows a drag queen coming out to her parents. Steven Loftin finds out how they went from obscurity to their first sell-out London show. Because of I definitely still kind of in that mode of wanting to try too many things and given more time it would have ended up being an incomplete 21 songs record. The Alternative/Indie-Pop band takes influence from great artists like Modest Mouse, Lana Del Rey, and Kings of Leon. ElA you are beautiful! After gracing the bills of Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, and Osheaga, to name a few, RKS moved 80,000 tickets of their own on their sold-out Friend, Love Freefall Tour earmarked by a packed night at Red Rocks Amphitheatre and three consecutive gigs in Athens, GA-as chronicled on their first official live album, "Live from Athens Georgia" released in 2021. Rainbow Kitten Surprise: The Length Of The Concert 116 posts. Does that feel like a burden for you as your fan base grows and is very devoted to the band? Rainbow Kitten Surprise With chilling harmonies, dynamic instrumentation, and introspective lyrics, their distinct sound takes influence from artists like Modest Mouse and Kings of Leon. Join the Observer community and help support Over the past couple of years, I've been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self. "Rainbow Kitten Surprise on their fast road to fame and unforgettable name", "Rainbow Kitten Surprise hometown, biography", "Alternative/indie-pop band signs with Appalachian's Split Rail Records", "Director Kyle Thrash Takes Fans Inside Rainbow Kitten Surprise's Emotional 'Hide' Video", "Rainbow Kitten Surprise | How to: Friend, Love, Freefall | the New Album", "Rainbow Kitten Surprise on Instagram: 'Just a little reminder that our upcoming run starts in less than 2 weeks! May 6, 2018. Funny story, they got their name back in college before an open-mic gig. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Wikipedia Find Rainbow Kitten Surprise tour schedule, concert details, reviews and photos. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, a six-month-old kitten, was born at Appalachian State University in North Carolina six years ago. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an alternative rock indie band, featuring lead vocalist Ela Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (electric guitar), Jess Haney (drums), and Charlie Holt (bass). She is, indeed, a trans woman, she stated as she revealed her gender to her fellow human beings. My dad's cousinlives down there. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. armed forces vacation club for veterans 082 825 4557; welsh keith brymer jones wife zapperstore.xyz@gmail.com Our Song. On October 9, 2020, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Our Song", which had been previously played at multiple live events. More than three million streams of the bands music are recorded each month on Spotify. local news and culture, Augusta Rizzardini All you gotta do is just pour some cream on top and chug it. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Work Out - Linkfire Im grateful to be able to express who I truly am and share in this moment with you.. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, a five-piece band currently based in Boone, was formed in early 2013 when Sam Melo and Darrick "Bozzy" Keller decided to begin writing and composing . They had started playing shows around the Boone area and . Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Howler It was just kind of a thing I did in high school with my friends. Yeah, so Tampa is kind of a city I only know in a very limited fashion. Due to the accusations, the band was forced to cancel several tour dates, raising questions about whether or not it sincerely apologizes for what happened. By anibendod. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Play. I will say as a trans girl that some of the older lyrics make more sense now. turns out shes still there and i love it for her:)). Sam Melo, the lead singer, took the stage with the lyrics and bent down to pray during the ominous and richly emotional Holy War . I'm Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. I think it's cool that people, it always hits ya like the story would. . Before long, Melo and Keller had grown RKS into a full band with Haney, Goodpaster and bassist Charlie Holt. Their second LP, RKS, arrived in 2015 via hometown label Split Rail; combined with the increasing viral success of their single "Devil Like Me" (from Seven), the record brought Rainbow Kitten Surprise to a much wider national audience. I was thinking about this performance today when I saw the bands post on Insta, that was an unforgettable show and it makes me so happy ela feels comfortable being her true self . But if you know anybody over there, we have been trying to reach out to them for some time. Rainbow Kitten Surprise, also known as RKS (Return to Rainbow Kitten), is a musical phenomenon that many people consider to be a musical phenomenon. Straight Outta North Carolina: How Rainbow Kitten Surprise became your Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Entertainment | wataugademocrat.com They are based in Boone. Suddenly, the five musicians found themselves driving to Nashville, where they all now live, setting up shop in the high-end Neon Cross Studios and working with one of the city's most in-demand producers, Jay Joyce. Tags: Music Features, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Sam Melo . Rainbow Kitten Surprise singer comes out as transgender. | The Kansas So happy for her! After forming in 1972, John Fogerty the singer, guitarist, and songwriting mastermind behind Creedence Clearwater Revival broke up the band. In May 2019, RKS released Mary (B-Sides), consisting of a studio recording of "Heart" (a song originally released via YouTube and SoundCloud in 2014) and the track "No Vacancy". It's all fun. Life is work. The band consists of Sam Melo, Darrick Keller, Charlie Holt, Jess Haney, and Caleb Elder. My pronouns are she/her. The crowd immediately stood to their feet when they heard the . When you consider some of its subject matter songs like "Cocaine Jesus" come to mind the name really is a bit of a "Surprise.". How much are the fans playing into your mindset? 'How to: Friend, Love, Freefall' and the constant of change in Rainbow Mike Stunson covers real-time news for McClatchy. Rainbow Kitten Surprise Brings Pride to the Troubadour [PRIDE MONTH Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas Whatever time allotted you have is what you work with. ', "I always thought it was funny that I was insistent that I was only going to do one show," Haney said. It was the utmost honor for Ones to Watch to be in attendance, and we are proud to join Rainbow Kitten Surprise and countless other artists in the promotion of equality through the greatest unifier, music. This was the last stop on their summer tour. In early 2013, before becoming the full ensemble that is the current Rainbow Kitten Surprise, lead singer Sam Melo and guitarist and backup vocalist Darick "Bozzy" Keller released the band's . . They later added three new members, Ethan Goodpaster . Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead singer Ela Melo revealed in an interview that she had found her true self as a transgender woman. by Timothy Monger. Singer Sam Melo and guitarist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, started the band in their Appalachian State University dorm room and self-released their first EP, "Mary," in 2013. Over the past couple of years, Ive been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self. My pronouns are she/her. I just couldn't be more thankful to be able to do what we do.". A rainbow kitten surprise concert can last anywhere from thirty minutes to two hours. Rainbow Kitten Surprise hails from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina. And then find our home, which usually was North Carolina. Rainbow Kitten Surprise hail from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina, and have been regarded as one of the rising alternative rock bands in the United States. No food. Formed in 2013 by college students Sam Melo and Darrick Keller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise developed a sound that was every bit as colorful as the group's name, eventually becoming one of America's m.. . So once I was a teenager, everything else was a faint glimmer, I didn't really understand The States, so coming back was a rough transition for sure. By TOM KRISHER and MARK THIESSEN Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an indie-rock band from Boone, North Carolina whose genre-bending sound has taken the music world by storm. Still, deliver the caliber performance that you are hoping to. Formed in 2013 by college students Sam Melo and Darrick Keller, Rainbow Kitten Surprise developed a sound that was every bit as colorful as the group's name, eventually becoming one of America's most beloved indie-rock acts of the late 2010s and early 2020s. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is Ela Melo (lead vocals), Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (lead guitar, vocals), Charlie Holt (bass, vocals), Jess Haney (drums). The Troubadour is located in West Hollywood, the historic gay district of Los Angeles. 33 cities. Their mix of tight instrumental chops and jam band finesse helped earn them a strong grassroots following and, after a couple of indie releases, they . Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountain college town of Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise play a mix of bright indie pop and earnest, harmony-driven folk-rock. RKS was formed in early 2013 when the first two members, Sam Melo and Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, decided to begin writing and composing music together. 17. Songs like Six and Fever Pitch are often cited as being particularly LGBT-friendly, with themes of unrequited love, acceptance and identity. While the bands music has earned them widespread acclaim, one member in particular has stirred up a bit of controversy: the lead singer, Sam Melo. Obviously, some days we didn't get anything. Rainbow Kitten Surprise built themselves from the ground up and now they're redefining the boundaries of indie music. I'm happy to share with you that I am trans. [3] They later added three new members, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney, and Charlie Holt. Rainbow Kitten Surprise set for June performance at Brown's Island in Those are things you gotta figure it out. This story was originally published March 31, 2022, 9:40 AM. Yeah, we stay stocked, for sure. All of the things that were hinted at for this last one will get fleshed out. She has written, produced, directed &performed in four original plays. Rainbow Kitten Surprise has booked two nights at Colorado's iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2022. My assumption is that you wrote How Tosuper fast in South Carolina. At first, it's "How do you pay bills? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is urging schools to incorporate transgenderism and LGBT education into their curricula. San Diego Gay & Lesbian News (SDGLN) is the top-read news source for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community of San Diego. There wasn't a seat remaining as the lights dimmed in the Tennessee Theatre. Press J to jump to the feed. I don't understand the culture. VOILA!Rainbow Kitten Surprise's Tampa concert moved from Orpheum to The Ritz Ybor City. Rainbow Kitten Surprise appeared on the show, and even though the group was eliminated in the first round of competition, the appearance brought a notable measure of exposure. How to: Friend, Love, Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise | CD | Barnes Rainbow Kitten Surprise is a colorful, eye-catching name. Actor Elliot Page slams Texas officials for calling trans health care child abuse, Teacher suspended for not using a students he/him pronouns now sues Kansas district, Support my work with a digital subscription, Global race to boost electric vehicle range in cold weather, Murdaugh verdict sends a Lowcountry message: No one is above the law | Opinion, Mail carrier cant believe his eyes after seeing NC lottery win. Rainbow Kitten Surprise Band Music Tour Poster. The rest of the Rainbow Kitten Surprise bandmates also introduced themselves and revealed what they identify as in their social media post Wednesday. Over the past couple of years, I've been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self. May 7, 2019. REVIEW: Rainbow Kitten Surprise make an impression in Chicago 264K followers. CANCELLED: Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Salt Lake City Arts Council Click for more. My pronouns are she/her. Three years ago, when Rainbow Kitten Surprise sold out Visulite Theatre, . Im so glad she finally feels comfortable to be her true self! By the time I reached that period, especially with this last record, I just started furiously writing down pages of lyrics, the guys came back and was like, "Sam, you don't have to rewrite a whole other album, look at what we already have. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. Sam Melo (lead vocals) - Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, vocals) - Ethan Goodpaster (lead guitar, vocals) Charlie Holt (bass, vocals . Rainbow Kitten Surprise in Concert. Weve grown a lot as humans and as a band, the group said. I don't know if that's the way this next record is going to come together but given our history, I feel like maybe that right now it's still that gestation period I'm curious to know what's going to come out on the other side of the rabbit hole. February 18, 2019 Hi everyone! It included a collection of 25 songs performed at a previous live concert. It's Called: Freefall . The Alternative/Indie-Pop band takes influence from great artists like Modest Mouse, Lana Del Rey, and Kings of Leon. "Devil Like Me" went on to get radio play, as did two songs from RKS "Cocaine Jesus" and "Lady Lie" propelling Rainbow Kitten Surprise onto tours and appearances at notable festivals including Bonnaroo and Sasquatch. A post shared by Rainbow Kitten Surprise (@rksbandofficial). They enjoy it. Many great bands have emerged from Rainbow Kitten Surprises home state of North Carolina (Ben Folds Five, Avett Brothers and Superchunk are a few that come to mind), but the Boone-based outfits rise to becoming a festival favorite thats selling out clubs across the country had to run through the Dominican Republic first. Their music blends elements of folk, jazz, rock, and hip-hop, creating a unique and captivating sound. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Yvonne Gougelet When my family was moving to and from the Dominican growing up, we would always land in Miami and go stay with him in Tampa. Just working with Jay and Jason and the whole crew just opened my eyes to what kind of sonic avenues there were. Rainbow Kitten Surprise (@rksbandofficial) - Instagram Im happy to share with you that I am trans. We wish them the best and hope to see them back in SLC again soon. Sam Melo Lyrics, Songs, and Albums | Genius The band sold out the Georgia Theatre. I looked up their Wikipedia for the first time yesterday 3/31 and was very confused. Rainbow Kitten Surprise: An Explosive Night of Drop Kicks, Breakdowns She has performed in the theater for 20 years in nearly 50 plays in London, Scotland, Chile, NYC, Chicago, Miami & Tampa. By the time we left, we were pretty broke and it was sort of defeatist, at least from my eyes. The alternative band will perform at the famous music venue on Monday, July 11 and Tuesday, July 12, concert promoter AEG Presents announced Monday. and help keep the future of the Observer, Use of this website constitutes acceptance of our, Dallas Observer's The Morning After Brunch. I'm glad that it's doing something for people, that people can relate to it. Your favorite tequila battle is back on 4/7/23! What's In A Name? Rainbow Kitten Surprise Astonishes Popular Sam Melo songs. Medications in Pregnancy: What Not To Take? In addition to championing equality via their music, the band has frequently partnered with Equality NC, the oldest statewide organization in the country dedicated to LGBTQ+ rights, donating portions of ticket and merch sales to the nonprofit. RKS independently released its first album, Seven, which was later re-released together with the band's first EP as a joint album called Seven + Mary. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American rock band from North Carolina. Well, it just so happens that two of the members of the five-piece band are also members of the LGBTQ+ community - singer Sam Melo is gay and bassist Charlie Holt is trans. Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead singer reveals she is - Charlotte Observer Unfortunately, Rainbow Kitten Surprise will not be able to reschedule this event. BY CONTINUING PAST THIS PAGE YOU AGREE TO OUR On this weekend, the quintet from North Carolina will perform at Boston Calling. Sold out, 8 p.m., Saturday, July 9, Whitewater Amphitheater, 11860 FM306, New Braunfels, (830) 964-3800, whitewaterrocks.com. The contemplative "Mission to Mars" then eases into fuller band arrangements and introduces lead singer Sam Melo's stylized, melodic speaking-rapping. Can you expand on that? They are known for their captivating live performances, which often involve elaborate costumes and choreographed dance . We had few friends back here. . I'm always under the assumption that the band life is never is as glamorous as you think it is. on Surely the beginning of a new era for the band, Transgender women voices actually dont change with hormones so they might actually sound the same just with a hot ass chick as the lead , She didn't sound any different when I saw them in December? Documentarian Kyle Thrash was enlisted by the band to create the video for Hide, which depicts sexuality in a subtle way. Sam Melo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise: Live From The Living Room By danielmorez. Recorded at Nashville's Neon Cross Studio, where the group took advantage of a collection of vintage instruments, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall was produced by Jay Joyce (Cage the Elephant, the Head and the Heart) and released in 2018. It features 13 tracks, including the single "Hide", the music video of which depicts four drag queens coming out to their families. The group then worked out a deal with Split Rail Records, a student-run label at Appalachian State's Hayes School of Music, and in 2015, released the album RKS. Live from Athens Georgia. Thanks for sharing that story. "Work Out" arrived alongside a lyric video, handwritten by RKS frontperson Ela Melo. Has being able to record How To in the circumstances that you did made you want to go bigger on a new record? Appalachian State University offers up and coming student musicians the opportunity to record, publicize and more for free with the school's own record label, Split Rail Records. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is Pure Gold, and Here's Why Exploring Clues And Implications Of LGBTQ+ Representation In The Nightmare Before Christmas, ISSLN: A Symbol Of Solidarity And Acceptance For The LGBTQ+ Community, Ask Your Insurance Company About Gay Rights. Frontman Sam Melo's dexterous lyrics delivered over the band's uniquely narrative playstyle condenses a vast expanse of emotions and experiences into a cohesive, consumable performance. And you were aware of this at 14, I'm assuming you've been a deep feeling person your whole life. This was the first time I had been back state-side in years and it all felt really foreign to me and it was kind of like this resolution almost, that this is life now and we're making the best of it. The album is built around this narrative about how hard it is to pay bills as a musician, it started out as a different idea and you've mentioned this pressure that comes with being a band, basically gone from becoming locally famous after Bozz asked you to play the Galileo show and now you have PR, festival dates, this following, how are you coping this last year, after writing this album, releasing it and going on this tour? And Ethan ended up getting into the band and he was like, 'Well, my roommate used to play drums and he might be able to help us out with a few shows. Rainbow Kitten Surprise w/Sun Seeker. Fans of the band appreciate their unique sound and the way they bring a sense of joy and fun to their music. In 2018, Rainbow Kitten Surprise became one of just a few bands to originally be booked for a show at the Top Hat in Missoula, but sell out so quickly that we had to move the show to The Wilma. On April 6, 2022, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Work Out," their first new single released in nearly 18 months. You adapt pretty quick as a kid and kind of roll into it. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. They dont see themselves as their spokesmen for the song. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - LiveOne - Premium Live Music 04. Sam Melo and Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, decided to begin writing and . Ray Roa Music is the universal language. Or these are 2 different people? Even at this early stage, there were signs that Rainbow Kitten Surprise might grow into something more than a just-for-fun college-years band. Ultimately, Rainbow Kitten Surprises music is open to interpretation, and it is up to the listener to decide whether or not they find spiritual meaning in their songs. This tale of internal conflict is particularly relevant for both the band and this particular show. At times I honestly thought the leader singer, Sam Melo, had fallen down after jumping and dancing on stage, but every time he rose up again, somehow becoming better with every song. Definitely. Nah, I was pretty much in my own world, to be honest. Concert Review: Rainbow Kitten Surprise - WDCV FM Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Mary - EP Lyrics and Tracklist - Genius But after a while it becomes, you're playing shows every night, you're having to do these press things on the days in between, you gotta always portray because everybody that is coming at you is coming from the perspective of success, like "Wow, congratulations, you're making it." Right on. Especially in a place of uncertainty. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Photo by Chris Taylor. Everyone uses it down here in Florida. Hailing from the Blue Ridge Mountain college town of Boone, North Carolina, Rainbow Kitten Surprise play a fervent mix of bright indie pop and earnest, harmony-driven folk-rock. 'Rainbow Kitten Surprise' defies genre at Tennessee Theatre On June 11, Rainbow Kitten Surprise will perform at Red Rocks alongside their ride-or-die, . Up to the point Haney joined the band, Rainbow Kitten Surprise had been the duo of singer Sam Melo and guitarist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller. They're as big a surprise as their name and, when they took the stage at First Avenue, the surprises kept on coming. "It all just happened so fast. 9827 fans Top Tracks. Additionally, this performance coincided with the West Hollywood Pride Parade and associated celebrations during a year where the LGBTQ+ community has faced particular hardship, with the advancement of legislation like Donald Trump's recently upheld ban on transgender enrollment in the military.