By Caroline Landdeck
Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s (RKS) completely distinct tone and artistry is almost as diverse as the crowd that was gathered on October 13th, 2025 in downtown San Antonio. From the bearded old men and parents with small ear-protected kids in the balcony, to the teenagers, 20-somethings, and middle-aged millennials scattered between them and filling the floor below, everyone was collectively entranced by what was going on in front of them. As RKS entered the Aztec Theatre, the audience was completely enthralled by their captivating sound and visual effects that set an intimate and dynamic atmosphere, immersing fans almost as much as the band’s performance.
The opener, Jelani Aryeh, got the crowd pumped up with his lively stage presence and charisma that charmed and excited the audience for more to come. Similar to RKS’s multi-genre inspiration, the Gen-Z artist incorporates a modern alternative/indie pop sound with rock and R&B influences, leaning into experimental, upbeat sounds and passionate lyricism. The atmosphere Aryeh brought to the venue led perfectly into the RKS set and only heightened the already intense anticipation built up in the crowd.
After a short break that only stirred more excitement as roadies (stage/band technical crew) reset the stage, RKS finally made their entrance with their first song, “Hide.” The set that followed incorporated a diverse blend of their discography, with hits off their newest album, along with deep cuts and fan favorites off of even their oldest releases. The songs also varied drastically in style and sound with the band somehow seamlessly transitioning between each. As RKS has evolved in style, genre, and as individuals throughout the past 12 years of performing, their sound and energy still retains their indie-rock and indie-folk soul, with their newer music leaning into more synth and electronic elements. They have also perfected a way of incorporating their music and performance with visual effects that allow more opportunity for artist intention, therefore delivering a heightened experience of the music for the audience. The lead singer, Ela Melo, is the major contributor to this effect as she danced around the stage and interacted with the audience and other band members, using her body movements as its own visual effect. She ran to the red light emanating from the corner of the stage, reaching out toward it at the end of “Devil Like Me” as she finished singing “What do you want from a devil like me? Am I like you?” She depicts other visual representations of lyrics throughout the show such as her dramatically collapsing like a doll and even more generally just matching the tone of the songs by jumping up and down with the crowd during energetic moments, and sitting on the stage stairs for slower, more intimate songs. Although the rest of the band remains more stationary, they feed into her performance by playing back to back with each other and getting into the music as she does, especially as she comes around to sing with each of them.
The musical elements within each song contribute to this meaningful atmosphere as well, with big breaks of empty space and complex chord progressions that enable big drops and goosebump-inducing resolutions and refrains. Moments of isolated harmonies allow for a deep, more personal tone that touches the audience, while the stark transitions between built up repetition in lyrics with a quick high hat and big releases of simple back beats and large vocals, provides a more all-consuming effect as you are overwhelmed with the impact of the music.
The band felt very open and the tone of their performance and deep, personal lyrics seemed to create an all-inclusive community within the crowd. After sharing their intense gratitude to fans and supporters of RKS, the night wrapped up perfectly with the crowd singing along to “Freefall” under the glow of the Aztec Theatre lights.
