DETROIT – A variety of people gathered outside The Fillmore Detroit Wednesday evening to see Rainbow Kitten Surprise headline a show with Illiterate Light as the opening act.
The aesthetic outside the venue included multiple tattoos, piercings and many T-shirts with the RKS logo on them. Overall, the vibe was peaceful and chill -- with a hint of excitement as time pressed forward.
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Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an alternative rock indie band with members from North Carolina. The band has a unique sound and vulnerable, introspective lyrics that push their music to the next level. Lead vocalist, Ela Melo, has a voice and cadence that pulls as much emotion as possible from already deep lyrics.
Other band members include; Darrick "Bozzy" Keller (guitar, backup vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (lead guitar, vocals), Jess Haney (drums), and Charlie Holt (bass, vocals). Melo serves as the main songwriter, and brought an autobiographical element to their latest album "How To: Friend, Love Freefall."
Their three albums each are a world of their own, telling stories in a way that the listener is drawn to connect to. It can be worth it to read along to the lyrics while listening to get the full experience. While their music can be extremely impactful, they're even more incredible during a live performance.
Melo’s energy on stage is incomparable, her performance is vivid and lively as he seamlessly pulls the crowd in. The band as a whole works smoothly together making it more than just a show, but an experience that is felt throughout the audience.
The crowd favorite seemed to be an almost six-minute song from their first album Seven + Mary that's called "First Class," and I can't say I blame them. The lyrics for this song are poetry on their own, combine that with Melo's voice and the instrumentals and you have something truly incredible.
"We were born splaying in the wreckage / Buried down on birds with stones / I bore my weight upon your shoulders / Water as warm as morning suns / I don't think quite like I used to / I got a bed to call my own / I see stars and painted lies / Broken glass upon your road / Now I'm driving home too soon"
If you like their music, but didn't get a chance to see them live, you can get a taste of what a performance is like by watching (my personal favorite) their full set at Bonnaroo in 2017. Click here for the video. -- While the video portrays their energy well, there's nothing quite like seeing them live in person.