On the weekend of April 8-9, Rainbow Kitten Surprise performed at The Caverns in Pelham, Tennessee. The group consists of five musicians who have been creating alternative/indie music since 2013. The band was formed by lead singer Ela Melo and Darrick “Bozzy” Keller.
The group opened the show with their song “All That and More,” a fan-favorite that was released the year the band was born. The upbeat tune was a great show-starter that transported the audience into the concert mindset before digging deep into their discography with hits that make the ground shake as fans dance and jump with joy.
They continued the show with more common songs like “Hide,” released in August, 2018, which nods its head toward the LGBTQ+ community, cutting even deeper live now that lead singer Melo has officially announced that she is transgender. They continued the show with other hits such as “Fever Pitch,” “Devil Like Me,” and “First Class.” All the while, their geometric triangle logo flashed neon colors as laser lights lit gleeful faces in the crowd.
Many people are always struck by the band’s namesake, Rainbow Kitten Surprise. It surely makes people ponder the genre of music, but there is a story behind the name. Melo and Keller went to visit a friend in the hospital who was on a morphine drip and definitely felt its delirious effect. During the visit, the friend muttered the three words, and the combination struck a chord with the musicians. Thus, Rainbow Kitten Surprise, more commonly known as RKS for the fandom, was born.
The Caverns is located in Pelham, Tennessee, and hosts bluegrass and other music genres year round. The location is settled deep within the mountains of Grundy County, and the environment nods its head toward the authenticity of music in the south; comfortable and inviting. The cave itself is a short walk from the gravel parking lot and box office, which is plastered with the cave’s mascot- a cute red and black spotted salamander that can sometimes be seen scurrying about the natural area.
The cave itself where concerts are held is decked out to supply all concert-goer’s needs. At the front by the stage, there is a wide space that can allow for either standing or sitting room, and light fixtures are fitted sturdily on the cave’s ceiling to light the room with vibrant colors during sets. There are also bathrooms, concessions for food and drinks and merchandise stores so that every necessity can be met within the cave.
The cave stays a comfortable 56 degrees Fahrenheit year round, so even during the coldest winter or hottest southern summer days, attendees are pleasantly air conditioned by mother nature.
For more information about The Caverns, visit their website https://www.thecaverns.com/.
