Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s ethereal performance at The Wellmont Theater in Montclair, NJ on the Bones Tour 2026 | Photos & Review

Amid the first leg of The Bones Tour in support of their fourth studio album, bones, (2025), American alternative-rock band Rainbow Kitten Surprise filled the sold-out New Jersey venue with a wide array of concertgoers, from those in colorful outfits to concert black, ranging in all ages, from young children to their grandparents, all united by one thing: the music.

Starting the night, alternative-rock band Common People took the stage, touring in support of their then-upcoming debut EP Games. The Los Angeles group performed the entire new project, beginning with their indie-rock track “Thank You,” January single “Rain,” and ending with their latest single, “Don’t Fall.” Common People also performed standout covers, including The Pixies iconic single “​​Where Is My Mind.”

Rainbow Kitten Surprise dominated the stage with a dynamic 24-song set, hitting the ground running by exploring their whole discography, starting with the powerful bones (2025) track “Hell Nah,” 2020 single “Our Song,” followed by How To: Friend, Love Freefall (2018) track “Hide.” 

As an active Alt Nation listener, I was particularly excited to hear RKS Alt-18 hit “Dang” after months of rooting for the track to climb the weekly countdown. It’s incredible how frontwoman Ela Melo sounds the same as she does on the studio recordings… it was incredible to hear the songs I’ve been listening to on the radio for years come to life right before my eyes (and ears). 

The North Carolina band performed a substantial set spanning over a decade of music, ranging anywhere from their earliest tunes “Shameful Company” and “Hey Pretty Momma” from their debut record, Seven + Mary (2013), “Cocaine Jesus,” “Goodnight Chicago,” and “All’s Well That Ends” from RKS (2015), and “Holy War,” “Painkillers” (my personal favorites) from How to: Friend, Love, Freefall (2018), to tracks from their latest projects, like “Superstar” from Love Hate Music Box (2024), and “Friendly Fire,” “Texas Hold’em,” “Tropics,” and the title track from bones (2025). 

Alongside Melo played Darrick “Bozzy” Keller on rhythm guitar, Ethan Goodpaster on lead guitar, Jess Haney on drums, each a powerful musician who made the magic happen for nearly two hours straight. One of the highlights of the night was when the core-four performed their acoustic song “First Class” amid Melo’s stripped-back versions of “Texas Hold’em” and “Hey Pretty Momma,” making for a calm, intimate break in the set before the powerful ending. 

Completing their set with album closer “Tropics” and quintessential track “It’s Called: Freefall,” the band had me wondering when I would have the chance to see them again before they even left the stage!

The humans of RKS are truly talented musicians with a one-of-a-kind, demanding stage presence… Needless to say, Rainbow Kitten Surprise is the real deal. Their discography has played on loop in my days following the performance, leaving me hopeful that the rock band will return to the Montclair area again on their next tour! 

Since their performance in Montclair, RKS has released their first single of 2026, “Sixteen,” now available on streaming platforms. 

Rainbow Kitten Surprise will continue The Bones Tour across Europe and North America beginning in May and continuing through September 2026. Tickets to the remaining dates are available here! 

Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s The Wellmont Theater, Montclair, NJ, 3/13/26 Setlist:

1. Hell Nah
2. Our Song
3. Hide
4. Dang
5. When It Lands
6. Holy War
7. Devil Like Me
8. All’s Well That Ends
9. Painkillers
10. Friendly Fire
11. Matchbox
12. Shameful Company
13. Goodnight Chicago
14. Cocaine Jesus
15. Heart
16. Texas Hold’em
17. Hey Pretty Momma
18. First Class
19. Superstar
20. Run
21. bones
22. Wasted
23. Tropics
24. It’s Called: Freefall

Photos & Review by Emily McCormack 

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