The genre-bending band, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, finally made their way back to the Midwest, after a short break in the tour, for a sold out show at The Sylvee. This was their first performance in Madison since 2019, and the crowd was certainly happy to have them back.
Twen opened up the show, a Boston-born band with a moody-psychedelic-pop-punk sound. Their set paired perfectly with RKS and gave a smooth intro into the main act. Lead singer Jane Fitzsimmons completed her stage presence with a 90’s reminiscent outfit that stood out on stage.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise came after the opener’s 45-min set and started the night off with “Hide” from their 2018 album How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. The sunny pop undertones made it a good choice to get the energy going and the crowd primed for the rest of the show.
In between the first few songs, lead singer Ela Melo, shared that she was born in Wausau, Wisconsin. In an already intimate setting, this made the show feel extra special. Melo recently came out as transgender in March and it was heartwarming to see all the support within the audience, especially when someone through a trans flag on the stage. RKS has certainly become a spotify staple for the queer community.
Midway through the set, the band played “Lady Lie” which absolutely showed their ability to move through different tempos and melodies under one song, which is one of their most impressive qualities. The song transitions through brighter faster paced sections to deeper slower bass lines. This was followed up with “Painkillers” that sports a folky guitar riff combined with a funky drum combination; the crowd knew every word.
The band members floated around the stage with an especially strong performance from Charlie Holt the bassist, who maintained a dreamy and kinetic appearance throughout. It was incredible to see them in such harmony after having to take some time off this summer to focus on mental health; it seemed like it was worth it.
The show ended with an encore of their biggest hits “Cocaine Jesus” and “Freefall” which both made huge waves on TikTok in the last year despite their 2015 and 2018 releases. With the direction the band is headed, this might have been one of the last chances to see them play a venue of this size. The band will finish up the U.S. leg of their tour by the end of December.
Set list:
- Hide
- No Vacancy
- Holy War
- American Shoes
- Cold Love
- Wasted
- First Class
- Lady Lie
- Painkillers
- Devil Like Me
- When It Lands
- Moody Orange
- Shameful Company
- Work Out
- Matchbox
- Love 4 Us
- Seven
- All’s Well That Ends
- That’s My Shit
- Run
- Cocaine Jesus
- Drop Stop Roll
- It’s Called: Freefall