Driving to Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s Thanks For Coming Tour leg in Lewiston, NY, I crammed in as much of the headliner as well as opening act Medium Build’s discography as I could, trying to familiarize myself with the songs I didn’t know. In an attempt to avoid parking fees at the stunning Art Park venue, a friend and I took a mile walk in the blaring sun. From both sides of the streets we passed, we could hear Rainbow Kitten Surprise booming from cars (mainly Subarus). After singing along for the walk, we made it to the pit, curious to see Medium Build’s performance. 

Promptly, at 7pm, Nicholas Carpenter, more commonly known by his stage name “Medium Build,” strolled up to the center of the stage in a colorful top, a pair of camouflage overalls, and jibbitz-filled crocs; we were immediately drawn in. Carpenter’s lyrics were poetic, relatable, and raw all at the same time, leaving the entire audience in silence, anxious for more. While his music itself was euphoric, it was his passion and stage presence that left the most memorable impact on us. He had witty comments leaving everyone laughing. One of these clever jokes was when he explained that he wasn’t used to crowds paying attention to him as the opener and that “if you look away and drink and talk over us, that’s when we shine.” He also joked about visiting the Niagara Falls, taking an edible, and consequently forgetting to pick up a souvenir for his mother because he was distracted by the falls. His passion was highlighted in each of his songs, and wanted to share this passion with the audience, inviting us to scream as loud as we could at one point in the performance. He got the entire crowd laughing, crying, and singing despite the sweat on everyone’s sunburnt faces all before 8pm. It is safe to say that we were charmed by Nashville’s Medium Build. 

Rainbow Kitten Surprise was, no surprise, incredible to say the least. Lead singer Ela had a cornucopia of dance moves in her repertoire: jumps, spins, you name it, and was not afraid to move to the music. The band’s performance felt like the way you sing in your bedroom, a hairbrush for a microphone, dancing like no one is watching. The six piece band really felt like a community and the audience could tell they were happy to be up on stage. There were smiles on every face, they were dancing with one another, laughing, and just having fun under the bold colored stagelights. 

As the sun set on the Niagara River, the crowd shouted back the lyrics of their favorite songs. My personal favorite moment was when the band played three of my favorites in a row: “Painkillers,” “First Class,” and “Cocaine Jesus.” I was eager to hear the alternative rock band play their newest single, “Dang,” and it did not disappoint. It was a great song to jump around to and sounded better live than recorded with its fast paced drums and catchy guitar riff. The band also said that they recorded a new album in March and they will be releasing lots of songs this year leading up to the album drop. If they are all as good as “Dang,” it will definitely be an album to have on your radar!

Both Medium Build and Rainbow Kitten Surprise have vulnerable songs that connect with their audience on a deep level. In both, they repeat simple, but meaningful, lyrics in some of their songs over and over again, making a hook in the song that is fun to sing along to. Despite the summer heat, the show was so much fun and the crowd was enraptured by every song performed.