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Live at Gallagher Square at Petco Park
July 29th, 2026 by Clara Amaris Becker
When I told my boss I needed to leave early because I was going to report on a band in San Diego, he asked me what band. When I replied with Rainbow Kitten Surprise, he gave me a look of pity that seemed to say “Really? Rainbow Kitten Surprise? Is this what Gen-Z is listening to?”
That was the start of my journey defending RKS to everyone over 35, explaining that if they actually listened to the band, they’d learn why they have such a dedicated fanbase, despite the name.
When I got to Gallagher Square, I saw that my boss was, in fact, correct: This is what Gen-Z is listening to. Walking through the gates, I was hit with the smell of sunscreen and weed, always a fantastic sign at an outdoor concert. The dress code among my peers split between bohemian – flowing skirts and babydoll dresses – and a soft-grunge look that I can only describe as 2014 Tumblr aesthetic.
Spacey Jane opened the evening with an 11-song set. The Australian band brought all the sunshine of their homeland with songs that simply felt like summer. Their stage presence was electric, particularly Ashton Hardman-Le Cornu (lead guitar), who vaulted clean over bassist Peppa Lane, sticking the landing as drummer, Kieran Lama, held the whole thing together.
The set closed with frontman Caleb Harper belting out the band’s breakout hit, “Booster Seat,” to a crowd that sang every word right back at him. To quote a friend from college who texted me from the Bones tour a week earlier: “Spacey Jane just finished, banger stuff.”
After a brief intermission, RKS took the stage and the audience erupted in applause and admiration. As lead vocalist Ela Melo sang out the opening verse of “Our Song,” the band’s energy took over Gallagher Square.
“Hide,” “Dang,” “Goodnight Chicago,” and crowd favorite “Cocaine Jesus” continued the set before rolling through “Stars,” “Lady Lie,” “All That and More (Sailboat),” “Drop Stop Roll,” “Never Have I Ever,” “When It Lands,” one of my personal favorites “Devil Like Me,” and “Cold Love.”
In 2013 Rainbow Kitten Surprise started in a dorm room at Appalachian State University, when Darrick “Bozzy” Keller and Ela Melo first began writing together. The band’s name comes from a friend who was recently discharged from the hospital, and it has grown into a fairly accurate representation of the band and their fans. Thirteen years and multiple platinum singles later, RKS has become one of alt-rock’s most uncategorizable live acts.
The bones tour lineup features four of the original members: Ela Melo (lead vocals), Darrick “Bozzy” Keller (guitar, vocals), Ethan Goodpaster (lead guitar, vocals), and Jess Haney (drums), rounded out on stage by Maddie Bouton on bass and Drew Long on keys.
I had secured a spot at the barricade and was met with a surprisingly enjoyable experience. This crowd was more interested in being immersed in the show rather than being seen at it. Nobody was trying to make the night about themselves or go viral by screaming lyrics off-key; people simply danced, sang with their friends, and relished the music.
The audience skewed younger and was evenly split on gender and like the band, had a strong queer presence that made the whole venue feel warm and inviting to all. The chemistry between Bouton and Melo carried the middle of the set, the two of them trading looks across the stage like they’d been playing together for years.
After the 13th song, the vibe shifted. Bouton and Long left the stage, leaving the four original members to gather around a single ribbon microphone for an acoustic run through “Black and White,” “Bare Bones,” and “First Class.”
It was intimate, pulling the whole audience back to the Appalachian State dorm room where RKS was first conceived.
Hearing the founding four sing together again felt less like a performance and more like watching old friends remember why they started this in the first place.
When “First Class” ended, the energy was revived by a surprise cover of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside” (everyone screamed every word on this one) and into fan favorites “Painkillers,” “Counting Cards,” and “That’s My Shit,” before closing the set with “Run.” As the band walked off, a wave of disbelief rolled through the crowd.
They hadn’t played the band’s certified platinum viral hit: “It’s Called: Freefall.” The square erupted into chants for an encore, and after a few minutes, RKS obliged,
Melo reappearing in an orange sparkly coat, as if telling the fans: I only came back on for you guys.
They opened the encore with “Tropics” before finally giving the crowd what it wanted: “It’s Called: Freefall,” and Gallagher Square lost its mind right on cue, closing out a perfect night.
SHOW PHOTO GALLERY
by Highway One Photography
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SID 260730 | TRACI TURNER | EDITOR
