Rainbow Kitten Surprise Announces Dallas Concert After Canceled 2023 Tour

After “seriously contemplating calling it quits” during its 2023 hiatus, Rainbow Kitten Surprise has announced a fall North American tour that includes a stop in Irving.

Following the release of the band’s first new album in six years, Love Hate Music Box, the Love Hate Music Box Tour 2024 will kick off this September. Rainbow Kitten Surprise will make its way to the Dallas area on Nov. 9 at The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory after playing in Houston on Nov. 8. The band said in a post that it will have openers joining them on the tour and that they will be announced soon. 

Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s return to the stage comes several months after the group canceled its 2023 tour to take an indefinite break last May. In a post announcing the decision, the band cited one of its members’ “medical crisis” as the reason behind the tour’s cancellation, to “put [their] health as [their] only priority.”

In March 2024, the band released another statement saying that the break was taken to prioritize the mental health of lead vocalist Ela Melo, who came out as transgender in 2023. The post went on to say that each member “took the time to address ongoing issues in the band” during the hiatus, and that bassist Charlie Holt, who has been with Rainbow Kitten Surprise since it formed in 2013, was leaving.

“After a concerted effort to move forward together, Ela could not find a way to continue working with them [Holt]... and the band seriously contemplated calling it quits,” the statement said. “Charlie is one of a kind and will always be a part of our legacy. They can’t be replaced in anyone’s hearts or minds.”

Rainbow Kitten Surprise also posted a separate statement from Holt that said they “were asked to leave the group.” Holt then said their departure does not mark the end of their making music.

No further context on the tension between Melo and Holt has been given, but Holt’s departure has been described as “messy” and “revealing” by fans online for months. Despite Rainbow Kitten Surprise’s recent new arrangement, the group said it is “extra proud” of the new songs that dropped earlier this month because they “represent [their] last collaboration as [their] original lineup.”

The Love Hate Music Box Tour presale starts Tuesday, June 4, at 10 a.m. local time, while the email subscribers presale begins on June 4 at noon local time. Both presales end Thursday, June 6, at 10 p.m. local time. All presale codes will be sent via email the evening of Monday, June 3.

Public ticket sales will open on Friday, June 7 at 10 a.m. local time. Rainbow Kitten Surprise has partnered with nonprofit organization PLUS1 so that $1 per ticket goes toward local organizations delivering mental health treatment, access to care and support for the LGBTQ+ community. More information on The Love Hate Music Box Tour tickets and presale codes can be found at rksband.com.