Currently on the verge of wrapping up their bones tour in North America, indie rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise returned on July 8 to Vibrant Music Hall, a beautiful Live Nation venue nestled on the outskirts of Waukee, IA. I had the privilege of capturing their show last May at this venue for their Thanks for Coming Tour.
7:30 p.m., the house lights darken, the band enters, and lit from behind by one lonely light, Ela Melo takes the stage front and center. Ela’s signature style was on brand, donning a halter neck crop top emblazoned with the words “Open 24 Hours” (à la the neon signage one would see in a store window), sequined black shorts, and Diesel D-Hammer boots.
Kicking off their set with several songs from their 2018 album, How to: Friend, Love, Freefall, RKS was ready to continue promoting their fifth studio album, bones, released in September, 2025. White spotlights followed those opening numbers, and flooded the venue during their lively performance of “Cocaine Jesus,” from their 2015 self-titled album, RKS. The band’s energy is unmatched, especially touring bassist, Maddie Bouton, whose talent is quite abundant on that stage!
Following the opening numbers, Ela then strapped on their guitar to perform “All That and More (Sailboat),” from Seven + Mary, their 2013 debut album, followed by one of my absolute favorites, “Goodnight Chicago.” I fell in love with this number last year when I first photographed RKS for First III No Flash. The lyrics develop deeper meaning in your mind the more you listen to this, and it is still as catchy a tune as always. After a few words, thanking fans for being there, “Stars,” from their 2025 bones album was up next. A beautiful song, keeping with the subject of love, as many of their songs do.
Aligning with the band’s name, a multitude of colors was used throughout the evening, and a special shoutout goes out to their lighting designer behind it all. During the next two numbers, “Lady Lie” and “Drop Stop Roll,” Vibrant Music Hall was, well, vibrant with purples, magentas, and greens, flooding the stage as well as the band members.
“Never Have I Ever” was up next, a brand new single released just this past May, followed by “All’s Well That Ends,” from their 2015 album, RKS. The lights then darkened, and a lone spot was directed on keyboardist and musical director, Drew Long, who tickled the keys for the intro of “When it Lands,” from their 2018 album, How to: Friend, Love, Freefall. The rainbow once again lit up the venue, with purples, blues, and then bright reds, aptly for “Devil Like Me,” another song from their 2013 studio album, Seven + Mary.
After “Cold Love,” from their 2015 self-titled album, RKS, they broke for a short acoustic set. Ela, followed by drummer Jess Haney (with just a single bass drum beside him), lead guitarist Ehan Goodpaster, and rhythm guitarist Darrick “Bozzy” Keller, made their way downstage, front and center. They grouped up around a vintage-style microphone for this three-song acoustic set to perform “Black & White,” “Bare Bones,” and “First Class.”
Taking it up a few notches after returning to their respective spots on stage, RKS broke into an AMAZING cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” The energy level increased inside VMH as the fans went wild after just the first few notes were plucked out.
They followed this up with a new single, “Sixteen,” released just this past March, and is quickly gaining popularity on this tour. They continued the evening with a combination of favorites, as well as new standout track, “100 Summers,” an upbeat, yet emotional song from bones, currently reaching streams into the millions. Ending their set with an old favorite, performed more and more each year on tour, “Run,” from their 2015 self-titled album, RKS, proved to be the perfect coda to this set. A few red strobes lit the stage, silhouetting the band members, Ela took a spot once again on the drum risers, taking a leap from them part way through the song. The crowd was bobbing up and down in unison to the melodic and soulful sound of this final number.
No concert is complete without an encore, and RKS did not let fans down on this one. Reappearing once more, Ela was now garbed in a shaggy black and white faux fur coat. Warm tones lit up the stage for the first encore song of “Tropics,” from their tour name and 2025 studio album, bones. They finished off the encore performance with “It’s Called: Freefall,” an increasingly popular song on their tours, performed frequently as part of their encore.
With about a dozen performance dates left this month, and a few more in September along the east coast, they’ll be ending their tour in Pittsburgh, PA at Stage AE on September 23, 2026. RKS is not one to be missed, so be sure to catch at least one of their shows on this tour if possible.
For complete tour information, check out their dates and supporting artists here: https://www.rksband.com/tour
GALLERY: Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Vibrant Music Hall in Waukee, Iowa (July 8, 2026)
