Concert review: Rainbow Kitten Surprise w/ Medium Build | 08.01.25, Saint Louis Music Park (with photo gallery)

Photo of Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s Ela Melo by Laura Jerele

Rainbow Kitten Surprise lit up a perfect summer night at Saint Louis Music Park with a sold-out show that felt like a celebration of ridiculously good vibes. The weather was beautiful, finally cool enough to feel comfy in a crowd, and the crowd certainly brought it. From little kiddos to teens to gray-haired superfans (raddest boomers I ever met!), the diversity in the audience matched the band’s ever-evolving sound and everything felt super colorful and full of, well, joy! Just a lot of really happy people who were really damn happy to be there to see their favorite band. 

On their Thanks for Coming tour, the band showed up with a fresh kind of energy that felt like a big exhale through years of change. Lead singer Ela Melo was chill and ultra cool onstage wearing a floaty pleather dress that moved with her every move and twirl, making it clear she was here to feel the music, and make sure we all felt it too. The rest of the band didn’t melt into nothingness, but Melo’s presence took the spotlight because you just cannot take your eyes off her. 

Their sound has grown, but their indie-folky-rock roots are still there, mixed with a touch of indie-sleezy-synth and effects, but not too much. Polished, yeah, but they have an edge and rasp to them no matter what their current iteration may lean towards and Melo’s voice has such killer grit, who would EVER want to Auto-Tune that? Rainbow Kitten Surprise didn’t just put on a show, they brought us a whole vibe, and they left St. Louis glowing.

Opening the night was Medium Build, who brought a perfectly unpolished blend of raw lyrics and gritty pop-folk energy. Frontman Nick Carpenter charmed the crowd with his humor and stories about being from St. Louis, giving a lot of vulnerability, and unapologetic honesty between songs. By the end of their set, it was clear that this wasn’t just a warm-up, it was a double dose of catharsis. | Laura Jerele

Rainbow Kitten Surprise setlist:

Cocaine Jesus
Holy War
Our Song
Goodnight Chicago
Meticulous
Matchbox
Espionage
Drop Stop Roll
When It Lands
Dang
Devil Like Me
Painkillers
Tropics
Cold Love
First Class
Shameful Company
100 Summers
Wasted
Run
Encore:
Polite Company
Thanks for Coming
It’s Called: Freefall