They have released seven singles and two EPs, all of which are their own work. Get the latest updates in news, food, music and culture, and receive special offers direct to your inbox. on NINE LIVES: Rainbow Kitten Surprise frontman Sam Melo, who brings the band to The Ritz in Ybor City, Florida on September 17, 2018. It's like two years old but just brush the dust off and it will be good." A rigorous support tour followed, including a sold-out stop at Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre and a series of shows in Athens, Georgia, which were later compiled into the 2021 concert album RKS! and A New Dallas Doc Fills in the Blanks on the Spectacular Story of Jimmie and Stevie Ray Vaughan, The Hoosier States Patron Saint, John Mellencamp, Blessed Grand Prairie on Wednesday Night, 10 Best Concerts of the Week: Muse, Carrie Underwood, Buddy Guy and More. Whats the balancing act like between the person we hear on the record and thinks about insecurities and this other person who is committed to making RKS something you can do for the rest of your life? Facebook screengrab They are known for their captivating live performances, which often involve elaborate costumes and choreographed dance . It was just kind of a thing I did in high school with my friends. Their first EP, Mary, was recorded in a dorm room at the university. [4] From 2014 through 2017, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has performed at multiple music festivals and other events, including Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival and Austin City Limits Festival. Up to the point Haney joined the band, Rainbow Kitten Surprise had been the duo of singer Sam Melo and guitarist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller. Rainbow Kitten Surprise | Official Website . So you didn't feel constrained, it worked out for you then? Yeah, we stay stocked, for sure. Hi everyone! No coolerboxes. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understand our Privacy & Cookie Policy as well as our Terms of Use. . And the circumstance that we left my family had lived on predominately support from missionary organizations so as time progressed, as happens quite often with people going down to do medical work the excitement and support wains because people don't know what's going on down there. Three years ago, when Rainbow Kitten Surprise sold out Visulite Theatre, . A beautiful experience indeed. HEART UKULELE by Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Ultimate Guitar This was the last stop on their summer tour. local news and culture, Augusta Rizzardini Rainbow Kitten Surprise consists of Sam Melo, Darrick 'Bozzy' Keller, Ethan Goodpaster, Jess Haney and Charlie Holt. 04. And then find our home, which usually was North Carolina. From $1.46. He also states that his faith has been an important influence on the music he makes. "I got into the band through Ethan," Haney said, referencing guitarist Ethan Goodpaster during a recent phone interview. The crowd immediately stood to their feet when they heard the . The two wrote and composed music together as they attended Appalachian State University.The band name was created by a friend who was on a morphine drip at the time, recently out of surgery. She is, indeed, a trans woman, she stated as she revealed her gender to her fellow human beings. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American rock band from North Carolina. Rainbow Kitten Surprise Fashion Casual Navel,Funny Women_s Personality Sticker. As a son of missionary parents, Melo spent seven years of his childhood in the Dominican Republic before moving back to the United States, ultimately attending Appalachian State University in N.C. Live from Athens Georgia. We wish them the best and hope to see them back in SLC again soon. It's an effort to try to control your thoughts and make some sense of what's going on. I think it did, I think it went well. . 10201 fans Top tracks. 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. 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. How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. In fact, as commitments go, he thought it was as minimal as it gets. The band is made up of singer-songwriter Sam Melo, bassist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, drummer Jesse Wells, and guitarist Richarddriver. 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. There's nothing better than being front row for a Rainbow Kitten Surprise show. Formed in an Appalachian State dorm room in 2013 by singer Sam Melo and guitarist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, the duo recorded and self-released their acoustic EP, Mary . On this weekend, the quintet from North Carolina will perform at Boston Calling. That was the understanding that I had. // Privacy Policy In 2010, the band was accused of plagiarism after their song Fantasy resembled another artists work. sam melo rainbow kitten surprise age - jbgetfit.com 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? Even by this early stage, there were signs RKS might balloon beyond a just-for-fun . Rainbow Kitten Surprise, "RKS" for short, is known for its harmonies, instrumentation, and lyrics. I was so shocked! 02:32 . And the circumstance that we left my family had lived on predominately support from missionary organizations so as time progressed, as happens quite often with people going down to do medical work the excitement and support wains because people don't know what's going on down there. I will say as a trans girl that some of the older lyrics make more sense now. Well, if you keep selling out each show, then Atlantic is going to have to give you more than two-and-a-half weeks in the studio to get it done, right? Fans of the band appreciate their unique sound and the way they bring a sense of joy and fun to their music. And then we built . Orange Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg 2195. Rainbow Kitten Surprise built themselves from the ground up and now they're redefining the boundaries of indie music. Im Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Check out Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas in Las Vegas on May 26, 2022 and get detailed info for the event - tickets, photos, video and reviews. Although the bands members identities have not been publicly discussed, their music has often been interpreted as being LGBT-friendly. Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Live from Athens Georgia. thanks to their energetic performances, and frontman Sam Melo's impressive dance moves. No pets (excluding service animals). By anibendod. 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, also known as RKS (Return to Rainbow Kitten), is a musical phenomenon that many people consider to be a musical phenomenon. And it was just kind of a transitory period. It was incredible. SDGLN provides in-depth coverage on issues of importance to the LGBT community and our allies. Did something happen to you here where you changed? And hopefully, that comes out of the next record. The internet. The band got its name when someone's hospitalized, heavily medicated friend kept repeating the phrase Rainbow Kitten Surprise. 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). Rainbow Kitten Surprise on their fast road to fame and unforgettable Yvonne Gougelet armed forces vacation club for veterans 082 825 4557; welsh keith brymer jones wife zapperstore.xyz@gmail.com In June 2019, they performed at the legendary Red Rocks Amphitheater, which they sold out in seven days. It feels like this big, intricate record that was always kind of hiding in the band's music even when it was a two acoustic guitar band. Learning how to navigate the technology and capabilities that come with a true professional studio wasn't the only challenge for Rainbow Kitten Surprise. In January 2020, the long-running PBS show Austin City Limits aired Rainbow Kitten Surprise in a half-hour set recorded the previous fall. Jay Joyce (at Neon Cross Studios and Jason Hall) did a great job with your vision. Workout Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Strength Workout So, to make that jump was definitely a little bit of a shock for all of us. Was it bad circumstances that you left the Dominican. Melo, who was raised half in Appalachian North Carolina and half in a Dominican Republic mission, belted out the lyrics with every fiber of his being, driving home the importance of embracing your truth while the crowd sang along. Once you get over that search and you get heartbroken by it, you realize all of the tools that are now at your disposal. Liking Bridget Jones: Does It Mean Im Gay? The crooning voice we all love so much (: Ansley Elizabeth Photography) 288. Where we would go and huddle up and maybe my dad and one of my brothers, and myself would go get a U-Haul and get our stuff from the airport, or however it was shipped. Address: Orange Road, Emmarentia, Johannesburg 2195. I don't understand the culture. "Seven + Mary" was their first and most folky album, which combined haunting melodies with the unique and striking voice of lead vocalist Sam Melo. One trigger for the success came when the band submitted their song "Devil Like Me" to the VH-1 reality show Make a Band Famous and saw it voted into the top 24. Become a member to support the independent voice of Dallas 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. 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. They are known for their captivating live performances, which often involve elaborate costumes and choreographed dance moves. "Yeah, we were pumping out a song a day and it felt good. The Ritz, 1503 E. 7th Ave., Ybor City. Rainbow Kitten Surprise | iHeart All of the things that were hinted at for this last one will get fleshed out. In 2017, the band appeared at festivals including Bonnaroo, Firefly, and Austin City Limits, and they signed with Elektra Records for their third album. The Boy Scouts Of America Under Pressure To Allow Gay Men To Serve, Is Jack Skellington Gay? What's more, it was the first time all five band members were involved in the creative process from the ground up. More than three million streams of the bands music are recorded each month on Spotify. Excited for the new music from the band. Straight from the bluegrass hotbed of Boone, North Carolina . Buy Rainbow Kitten Surprise's album titled How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Brooklyn Bowl Las Vegas There wasn't a seat remaining as the lights dimmed in the Tennessee Theatre. The move to Elektra put the band on a different level. Rainbow Kitten Surprise hails from the mountains of Boone, North Carolina. She has performed in the theater for 20 years in nearly 50 plays in London, Scotland, Chile, NYC, Chicago, Miami & Tampa. It's incredible that this is what life is. Sam Melo Lyrics, Songs, and Albums | Genius Inspired by a close friend's morphine-ridden ramblings from a hospital bed, RKS was. [9], In April 2019, RKS performed at several venues across North Carolina to raise funds for Equality NC, the country's oldest statewide LGBT equality organization.[10]. 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. 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 signed with Elektra to issue their second full-length, How To: Friend, Love, Freefall, in 2018. Read our full chat and get information on the show below. Sam Melo and Charlie Holt of Rainbow Kitten Surprise talk about every "It all just happened so fast. Taping recap: Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Austin City Limits When it comes to Rainbow Kitten Surprise, just remember the old axiom to never judge a book by its cover. I'm sorry if I'm gonna sound dumb, but we're talking about Sam Melo, that came out right now as trans, right? ElA you are beautiful! And now about her coming out, damn that's brave of her to do that! "I think the (time) restraint was probably good for us," Haney said. ", Produced by Grammy Award-winner Jay Joyce (Cage The Elephant, Sleeper Agent), the album featured RIAA-certified Gold single "It's Called: Freefall", and earned widespread praise from Billboard, TIME, Vice, and NPR who described their sound as "a mix of jam and indie and whatever else you can throw into the soupvery earnest, beautiful, political, loving rock n' roll," and saw the band make several national television appearances, including performances on "CBS This Morning Saturday," "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," and PBS's "Austin City Limits.". Hi everyone! Sept. 17, 7:30 p . Rainbow Kitten Surprise. . thanks in part to Melo's intense vocal style, but also because only two of the 13 tracks cross the four-minute . Rainbow Kitten Surprise lead vocalist, Ela, comes out as trans RKS 'Work Out' available now! On March 30, 2022, the band's lead singer came out as transgender.[11]. Rainbow Kitten Surprise - Sonicbids You're always blindsided by it. They have more than 3.3 million monthly streamers on Spotify, with their upcoming tour taking them across the country and to several premier music festivals. Their songs are often filled with clever wordplay and heartfelt lyrics. By Tom Lanham. Were you sad to leave? With catchy, yet deep lyrical meaning, beautifully designed bass lines, and melodic guitar riffs, their unique sound will keep you humming their tunes all day long. By Are you still going into these "rabbit hole states are you able to work when you are in them? They definitely do, more than even with "Hide," which was kind of personal, but "Painkillers" is one of those on the record that definitely people's stories played into it. They received an outpouring of support from their fans, as well as other bands. Sam Melo and Ethan Goodpaster of Rainbow Kitten Surprise perform on the Lands End Stage during the 2018 Outside Lands Music And Arts Festival at Golden Gate Park on August 12, 2018 in San Francisco,. You looked great in your dress on New Years Eve in DC. That's just how they like it. Click for more. According to couples, men typically want more sexual activity. Their music style is a mix of folk, pop, and rock. I can't wait to watch her sing in a few weeks . . Two members frontman Sam Melo and guitarist Darrick "Bozzy" Keller went to visit a friend in the hospital who had bacterial meningitis and gave him the honor of dubbing their title. By TOM KRISHER and MARK THIESSEN Then a couple of years later we're doing it with Jay Joyce in Nashville in like this incredible studio with all of this [label] support behind us. We always love Austin City Limits debuts, and it's even better with a young band as fresh and exciting as Rainbow Kitten Surprise. 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. Sam Melo and Darrick "Bozzy" Keller, decided to begin writing and . I feel like we are the most blessed to be able to play. . Rainbow Kitten Surprise-a band name you don't easily forget. Rainbow Kitten Surprise Lyrics, Songs, and Albums | Genius They entered their dogs in fights and watched them die. Over the past couple of years, I've been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self.I'm happy to share with you that I am trans. Their live performances are renowned for their high-energy, raw emotion, and often times, humor. Whatever time allotted you have is what you work with. I wonder how her voice is going to change though, she has such a unique raspy singing voice, Im excited about the new sound! 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 . Though each Rainbow Kitten Surprise show has a compelling narrative, we were lucky enough to catch a performance that had a particularly relevant message. On October 9, 2020, Rainbow Kitten Surprise released the single "Our Song", which had been previously played at multiple live events. $28.27. The North Carolina band have been on the fast track to success in recent years, their first two albums gaining enough support that they began playing Am I going to fit in? . [2] Their first EP, Mary, was recorded in a dorm room at the university. But you guys have tons of it, I'm sure. I've come to understand it differently. You never think that when you put words on to a paper that anybody else is going to pick it up and say word for word, that's me, and identify with it. 70 following. [1], Rainbow Kitten Surprise was formed in 2013 by Ela Melo and Darrick Keller. In 2013, Melo and Keller had self-released a three-song EP, Mary, and the band followed that with a self-released full-length, Seven. 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. Over the past couple of years, I've been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self. 33 cities. Right on. Rainbow Kitten Surprise (@rksbandofficial) - Instagram Thrash has previously performed at Bonnaroo and Austin City Limits. 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. My assumption is that you wrote How Tosuper fast in South Carolina. [8] In spring and summer 2018, the group toured the US and Canada to promote the album. Rainbow Kitten Surprise Vinyl Gifts & Merchandise for Sale Review: Rainbow Kitten Surprise releases poetic third album In between those two locales were several stops, including one week-long stay in Tampa Bay, and if you believe the lyrics to Goodnight Chicago from RKS 2015 self-titled LP, then our hometown is where Melo metaphorically killed a man out of spite (When he died, I took his place, is how the lyric goes). 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". Rainbow Kitten Surprise has also been involved in various Pride events, such as playing at the Los Angeles Pride Parade in 2016. 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." I'm glad that it's doing something for people, that people can relate to it. Over the past couple of years, Ive been doing some major soul searching in the pursuit of my authentic self. The opening track was a slow-burn, but once Sam Melo danced his way to stage, the front of the crowd came alive at "It's Called: Freefall." Twirls, drops, rapid-fire harmonies ensued. 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. Rainbow Kitten Surprise has booked two nights at Colorado's iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in 2022. I'm sorry if I'm gonna sound dumb, but we're talking about Sam Melo, that came out right now as trans, right? She is responsible for overseeing the bands growth, having worked with them since their inception in 2013 and assisting them with their success. The Alternative/Indie-Pop band takes influence from great artists like Modest Mouse, Lana Del Rey, and Kings of Leon. 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. Ela Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an American indie rock band from Boone, North Carolina. Songs like Six and Fever Pitch are often cited as being particularly LGBT-friendly, with themes of unrequited love, acceptance and identity. I still had dial-up till a year after we moved back, so MySpace hit me pretty hard. Guaranteed to be fire . The lead vocalist (Sam Melo) seems like someone that is very suited for passionate Americana music and has a similar voice to the frontman of . I don't know, it was a lot of fun.". The rest of the Rainbow Kitten Surprise bandmates also introduced themselves and revealed what they identify as in their social media post Wednesday. It features 13 tracks, including the single "Hide", the music video of which depicts four drag queens coming out to their families. Founded In. Many electric vehicle batteries lose power when its very cold. On June 9, the North Carolina-based band played an intimate show at The Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA, and Ones to Watch was lucky enough to stop by and see what stories the band had to tell. How to: Friend, Love, Freefall by Rainbow Kitten Surprise | CD | Barnes She has appeared Read his 2016 intro letterand disclosures from 2022 and 2021. 02:32 . Can you expand on that? The rest of Rainbow Kitten Surprises bandmates also revealed what they identify as. My pronouns are she/her. "Yeah, it was zero to 100 for us, really," Haney said. Rainbow Kitten Surprise w/Sun Seeker. As they tried to come up with a name for their music, Rainbow Kitten Surprise was born. . For their first evening in Chicago, they pulled out all the stops and gave their fans a flawless performance. Since then, Rainbow Kitten Surprise's engaging blend of indie pop and a variety of other genres has won it high-profile festival appearances and a fervent nationwide following. Rainbow Kitten Surprise has expertly used the spotlight to promote the welfare of LGBTQ+ people. After forming in 1972, John Fogerty the singer, guitarist, and songwriting mastermind behind Creedence Clearwater Revival broke up the band. These North Carolina-based festival favorites mix exuberant indie pop and earnest folk-rock. I'm Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. 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. Their music has a calmer demeanor. Ela Melo, the lead singer for the popular alternative/indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise, revealed she has found her authentic self in coming out as transgender. Sign up for our Events Newsletter. So happy for her! Once in a lifetime. Rainbow Kitten Surprise is quickly becoming one of the most beloved and respected bands of their generation. Rainbow Kitten Surprise Is a Religious Experience - Dallas Observer In his childlike post-op haze, their friend proposed the band name themselves "Rainbow Kitten Surprise." Laughs were had, and so it was, and so it remains. "It was like, we did RKS. Though he wrote the song in 2015, it wasn't released until three years later. BY CONTINUING PAST THIS PAGE YOU AGREE TO OUR "I mean, I think we just move fast," said Sam Melo, one of the band's . 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 . Make a one-time donation today for as little as $1. That success drew the attention of Elektra Records, and the major label signed Rainbow Kitten Surprise, setting the table for an even bigger breakout. I can hop out and do press stuff in the middle of that. So once that reality sets in then it becomes a little bit more productive. Subscribe now to get the latest news delivered right to your inbox. That those are your problems. When Ela Melo, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise, decided to come out as transgender, her family and friends were overjoyed. But the band is breaking in a really serious way and the story behind it. Be yourself. But if you have two weeks, you'll make it in two weeks. [Verse 1] Am F Hey pretty Momma don't you leave me like that C Bring it on back, bring it on back Am F Love me don't leave me, don't you leave me like that C Bring it on back, bring it on back [Chorus] Am 'Cause you're high, you're low F C You're fine but you don't say anything Am F Well you've got my heart in your hands C And your love in . Reading Between The Lines In The New Scooby-Doo Movie. And since then I've just been digging into the harmonic series and trying to figure out what makes a sound a sound. Fergie: An Icon For The LGBTQ+ Community And One Tree Hill Fans, The Never-Ending Debate: Exploring Franklin Jonas Sexuality And Its Impact, Is The Navy Ready To Be Gay Friendly An In-Depth Look At The Navys LGBT Policies, Mariah From Sister Wives: Breaking Down Stereotypes About Polygamy And Sexuality, Is Fred Gay? 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. What's the Truth Behind the Beyonc Country Album Rumors. (Photo/Christina R . Rainbow Kitten Surprise live in South Africa!Genre-defying, live sensations Rainbow Kitten Surprise announce South African Tour Dates for March 2023 including a show at the beautiful Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on Friday 10 March 2023.Rainbow Kitten Surprise recently released the emotionally charged track "Work Out," marking the band's first new music in nearly two years.