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The Daily Tar Heel

Opinion: Where's the will-call booth?

Rainbow Kitten Surprise at Cat's Cradle

Boone-based Rainbow Kitten Surprise performed at Cat's Cradle Saturday. 

When my friend excitedly asked me to come to an upcoming Rainbow Kitten Surprise concert, I happily said yes. I had one question question though — who on earth is that? 

Like any good journalist, I spent a few minutes on Google and soon discovered RKS had an absolute cult following. I, however, was not part of that following. I was confused by the fervor of fandomship displayed by RKS' fans, but decided to go as an outsider.

And so I walked into Cat's Cradle Saturday night, wholly unprepared for what I was going to experience. 

The show started hard and fast with "Charleston South Kakalaki's" own Stop Light Observation. Not many go to a concert to see the opener, so I found solace in being one of many who did not know the lyrics to Spot Light Observation's song. However, that certainly didn't mean the band didn't entertain.

Each of the songs they performed — from originals to a sample of Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" — were accompanied by head-bangs and swaying hips from the crowd. They were the ultimate hype band. At one point, they paused their performance to sign happy birthday to a woman in the crowd — seamlessly gliding back into the melody afterwards. 

Towards the end of their set, the head-banging shennanigans became so intense guitarist Louis Duffie ripped the front of his dress. 

Then the moment came, Rainbow Kitten Surprise took the stage. I was terrified of standing through hours of songs I knew no lyrics of as RKS' die hard fans screamed around me. That fear dissipated quickly.

"All That and More" rang out from the speakers and the crowd immediately went wild. It was hard to not feel and react to the energy coming from lead singer Sam Melo. 

With each beat, riff and lyric, Melo seemed to melt and re-solidify onto different parts of the stage. Or the crowd. Or the speaker shelf — and we all ate it up.

Being that I was an RKS novice, I was unprepared at how much exchanging of clothes would occur throughout the concert. Along with gifting and re-gifting of shirts from the crowd, a bra found its way onto the stage and eventually onto Holt's head during "Seven."

The regular set ended with "American Hero," but, of course, there was an encore, leaving fans with "Run" lingering on their ears as the band retreated to back stage. 

Walking out into the humid Carrboro night, feet sore and ears ringing, I had gained a newfound appreciation for the Boone-based alternative indie pop band. 

Rainbow Kitten Surprise, you gained a new fan Saturday night. 

opinion@dailytarheel.com

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