Thursday, October 1, 2026
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Boone, NC (WNN) - Fourteen years ago, you could've found them sitting with their instruments in a dorm room at App State, or maybe playing a bar show somewhere like the Black Cat. Now they need a little more space for their fans, as seen at their October 17th show at the Holmes Convocation Center at App State. The lead singer, Ela Melo, recounts knowing it was something special after their original song received one thousand views on Bandcamp after the first night of its release while they were students at App.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise is an alternative indie band that formed in 2011 while many of its members were studying at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC. "We still think of this as home," Ela Melo stated while opening the concert to thousands of students and fans, causing a roar of cheers. Anytime a band can play where they started, you can get ready for one of their best showings.
Sticking close to the same genre, Jelani Aryeh is an indie rock musician who began releasing music to the public in 2017. The crowd seemed to enjoy the music, but it was a little cold until Aryeh demonstrated his knowledge of the fans by covering "Song 2" by Blur. After a stadium-wide sing-along to the '90s hit, the crowd started getting louder and more excited as more fans began to file in for the main act. With the crowd now at full attention, Aryeh played his most popular song, Stella Brown, setting up the excitement for the night with some great crowdwork.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise currently consists of lead singer Ela Melo, Darrick "Bozzy" Keller on rhythm, Ethan Goodpaster on lead, and Jess Haney on drums. All of these musicians were part of the original band formation. Although the original bassist, Charlie Holt, left in 2024 after being unable to work with Ela, according to the band's Instagram account.
Their stop in Boone on their "Thanks For Coming Tour" featured a mix of the band's selection. This is the second tour since the band's hiatus in 2023. The songs ranged from older hits to songs off their two newest albums, the 2025 release "Bones" and 2024's "Love Hate Music Box".
Asking fans which songs they were there to hear elicited mixed responses, but their two most popular songs were the most common answers. The first "Cocaine Jesus" topped charts in 2024 as the No. 1 on Top TV Songs on Billboard. This song was featured in "Ginny & Georgia," and with over forty-seven million hours of viewership according to Neilson, this may be many fans' first experience with the band. People could be found flooding back in, skipping out on concessions and bathroom trips, on the starting chord of this song, showing its popularity.
The top answer, with over 596 million views on Spotify, was "It's Called: Freefall". RKS exits the stage for a moment, coming back for the demands of an encore. The dark stadium comes alive with some of the most active lights of the night as they return to give the fans what they want. The chanting shifts from Encore to "Freefall"; however, knowing how to close a show, Rainbow Kitten Surprise holds the song to finish the concert. After a fantastic light show and a night filled with music, the crowd begins happily shuffling out of the Holmes Convocation Center.
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