Rainbow Kitten Surprise mesmerizes St. Louis with Medium Build

I can’t think of a better way to start the month of August than seeing a Rainbow Kitten Surprise show. The first of August fell on a Friday — a perfect night to begin the weekend with live music outside. Saint Louis Music Park was bustling with people under the soft orange sun, some with drinks in their hands, others with a scoop full of ice cream to cool their tongue. 

The show started off gently with Medium Build, aka the genre mixing talents of Nick Carpenter and his ardent, scratchy vocals. From Anchorage, Alaska, Carpenter released his first album Falling Apart in 2016. Perfecting a unique blend of emo, country, and indie rock, Medium Build brings a brilliant sound to a venue. Opening their set with “Gimme Back My Soul”, a sincere albeit upbeat breakup song, Carpenter juxtaposed his heartbreakingly raw lyrics with humor. After each song, he would frequently crack jokes and have the audience laughing before going right back into another emotional rollercoaster of a track.

What sets Medium Build apart is the ability to emit such deep feelings from listeners; even a song like “In My Room” about masturbation is rendered beautiful. 

After Medium Build’s set and some lovely words of thanks, the stage lights shifted to present the colorful beams of a rainbow glowing across the stage — a not-so-subtle nod to what was to come. Audience chatter was building with restlessness, with attendees eager and ready for Rainbow Kitten Surprise. During the intermission, I stepped away from my seat to take a look at the merch table; the line was so packed with people, I couldn’t tell where it ended! While I was one of many wanting to pick up some RKS merchandise, I wasn’t willing to risk missing the band’s entrance. Don’t worry though, I still snagged a t-shirt and vinyl later on — lines be damned! 

Up until this evening, I had never seen Rainbow Kitten Surprise live and, if you have yet to see them yourself, let me urge you to do so the very first chance you get! Initially formed in 2013, RKS has since been absolutely killing it in the music scene. 12 years and four albums later, this indie rock band maintains consistency through the very inconsistencies they themselves create in each song. Plus, frontwoman Ela Melo exudes one of the most recognizable and uncanny voices.

There’s no getting bored with RKS.

You know exactly what you are going to get with every release… which is that you never know exactly what RKS is going to give you and that is a magic they carry undeniably. 

It was almost 9pm when the stage lights started to fade into darkness as cheers boomed throughout the venue. A cool, fluorescent purple-blue light flooded the stage as the outlined figures of each band member took to their spot. And, with a flash of light, the music began.

Opening with “Cocaine Jesus”, the standing crowd observed Rainbow Kitten Surprise like they were giving a sermon — and we were ready to worship. Ela Melo brought her hauntingly beautiful voice, which, like a siren, charms you and wraps around your soul even more so live. 

The combination of RKS music and the lighting made this show so alluring.

The stage literally sparkled with the percussion and glowed like a misty field under the dim light of the moon. I would occasionally close my eyes as I listened, but would quickly be drawn right back into the band’s mesmerizing performance feeling absolutely enchanted. Their set flowed back and forth between each of their albums, teasing the audience with a few songs like “Dang” and “100 Summers” from their upcoming album bones which is soon to be released this September. 

Later that evening, when I left Saint Louis Music Park, I reflected back on the night and came to the realization that to be a great performer goes far beyond the music. To be a great performer requires the ability to continually pull your audience throughout the whole experience. Rainbow Kitten Surprise puts forth not only a magnetic sound, but also this mysterious presence that keeps you in dizzying wonderment. Their performance bewitched me and I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Photography by Sean Rider; article by Michelle Zigler

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