Rainbow Kitten Surprise returns to the Kettlehouse

William Munoz

(Missoula Current) Formed in 2013 while students at Appalachian State University, Rainbow Kitten Surprises' journey has been meteoric and filled with challenges.

Lead singer and principle song writer, Ela Melo, was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and came out trans in 2022. She announced this on X(twitter). "Hi everyone! I'm Ela, lead singer of Rainbow Kitten Surprise. 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. My pronouns are she/her.”

They were scheduled to perform at the Kettlehouse Amphitheater in 2022 and 2023. Both dates were canceled due to what they categorized as a “medical crisis” and the “mental health struggles of a band member.”

It was clear the band member was Melo. To have bipolar disorder, shifting between periods of elevated mood and periods of depression, make day-to-day tasks very difficult. Throw in the physical and mental strain of touring and it is no wonder they had to cancel tours twice.

At this time the band also had to make a difficult choice when it released the bass player, Charlie Holt, as Melo posted she “could not find a way to continue working with them.” Holt, a founding member, was a critical stage presence and fan favorite that helped catapult RKS into one of the better live performing bands.

The current tour bassist is Maddie Bouton. It is not clear if she will become a permanent member of the band. But given her ability on the bass and stage presence, it would be good from an outside point to keep her.

She is dynamic in her stage presence while not over shadowing Ela, who seems to be a lot more comfortable on stage from the pre-pandemic period. As an alternative indie band, they have collaborated with Kacey Musgraves on their lasted album “Love Hate Music Box.”

RKS has a very loyal and understanding fan base. The two canceled shows at the Kettlehouse were sold out as was the one this year. They are an example of the idea that change is a necessary part of time and space. If you are not changing you are dead.

Rainbow Kitten Surprise is definitely not dead. They are very much alive and moving in new directions. Hopefully for their sake and ours they continue the journey intact.