Rainbow Kitten Surprise wasn’t the only surprise in Kansas City

I recently made the cross-Missouri trek from St. Louis to the Starlight Theatre in Kansas City in order to see one of my favorite bands that I discovered in 2024 — Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Yes, I know, I am very behind the 8-ball when it comes to RKS… almost a decade behind for a band that formed in 2013, but don’t let the fact that I’ve been sleeping on them dissuade you. They have been on repeat on my Spotify account since it dawned on me how amazing their album How to: Friend, Love, Freefall was and doubly so, with the May release of their latest album Love Hate Music Box.

Opening for RKS was indie-folk songsmith Ethan Regan.

Just like Rainbow Kitten Surprise, Regan hails from North Carolina. Maybe it’s something about the Appalachian upbringing that lends itself to the soulful and gritty vocals behind thoughtful and reflective lyrics that Regan and RKS’s Ela Melo both deliver so effectively? Whatever they’ve got in the water in North Carolina seems to be working. Ethan Regan has been recording songs since he was 13. His sound has evolved to land somewhere between folk, country, and rock, with dashes of reggae, jazz, and more; it is clear that his musical influences are wide. His show was really good. Accompanied by a full band, he had the crowd at the Starlight in their feelings, swaying back and forth, and dancing in their seats as we all loosened up for the main act of the night.

After a short intermission, RKS took the stage and put on a dazzling show. Lead singer Ela Melo’s vocals sounded just as powerful and raw as they do on the recordings. The band also sounded excellent, powering through their setlist with ease. The light show was just as spectacular as you would expect for a band with “rainbow” in their name. Everything about the show was dramatic. Both the content and the delivery of the songs was heartfelt and emotional, and the emotion was reflected in the crowd as they sang the words back. 

The set was an eventful one.

Halfway through, the band had to stop for what seemed like a medical emergency. After a moment it was conveyed that someone in the crowd had gone into labor! After about five minutes, the woman was carted away by medical staff to the nearest maternity ward. Following that, the show started back up and was soon just as lively as it had been before.

However, I was shortly distracted again by someone tapping on my shoulder. Color me surprised when a guy from a couple rows over told me he had seen my cameras and was wondering if I could take photos of him proposing to his girlfriend during the next song or two. I told him I’d do my best and proceeded to shoot my first proposal in one of the walkways of the orchestra pit. To be honest, I think this is what elevated the night from just another great concert to a night I would never forget.

I didn’t realize it at the time, but capturing that moment for them would be the highlight of my night.

As I made the late drive back to St. Louis after the show, I couldn’t help but think about how that moment encapsulated everything I love about music — and I got to be the one who documents it. 

A good band will pour their hearts out into the songs, but still leave enough room for the listener to put down their own layer of meaning on top of it. In this way, music gives us a platform (or maybe a stage) that we can play out the show of our lives on. Some of the most important moments of my life were scored by some of my favorite artists — oftentimes serendipitously so. I don’t think most people put much thought into the way the music they listen to shapes their emotions and influences the way our lives play out. Maybe we should all start to think about that more.

The first time you hear your favorite song isn’t something you can take back. 

The playlist you put on during your first kiss isn’t something you can redo. 

The concert you propose to your wife at can never be changed.

Make sure you make it a good one.

Photography by Sean Rider

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