Saturday in Essex, Vermont felt like the first real day of autumn. The air had that mid-September quality that makes an outdoor show feel like you’re on borrowed time, and Cigarettes @ Sunset and Rainbow Kitten Surprise made every minute of the last drops of summer count.
If there was ever a night to show up early for the opener, this was it. Cigarettes @ Sunset, the five-piece out of Boone, North Carolina who proudly call their sound “Appalachian Possum Rock,” delivered one of the best opening sets I’ve ever seen, and yet another perfect example of why skipping the opener is a rookie move. They’re a collision of Americana, indie rock, Appalachian folk, and punk spirit, all built around frontman Garrett Dellinger’s raw vocals and high energy. Their set was a hootenanny from the first song to the last. Dellinger spent a good portion of the night in the crowd itself, singing and moshing alongside the fans. They acknowledged that this was among the biggest shows they’d played, expressing genuine gratitude to Rainbow Kitten Surprise for the opportunity, which only added to the warmth already radiating off their set. A few unreleased songs made the cut as well, which is reason enough to keep close tabs on what comes next from this band.
Rainbow Kitten Surprise took the stage as the last light disappeared from the sky, and everyone was bundling up in coats and hoodies for the first time this fall, and the lighting rig did everything it was supposed to do in that setting. Clearly handled by their own dedicated and experienced lighting person, the show was genuinely as visually interesting as it was sonically compelling. It was strobe-heavy, textured, and responsive to the music in a way that made the whole thing feel like a single cohesive production. Lead singer Ela Melo is a natural bandleader, magnetic and fully in command of the sold out outdoor crowd, and the band looked as happy to be playing as one might be on their first ever tour.
“Cocaine Jesus,” one of their biggest and most beloved tracks, arrived midway through the set rather than being held for the encore, which sent the crowd into a surprised frenzy. The mid-set acoustic stretch was its own highlight. The band gathered around an old-school ribbon microphone for “Bare Bones,” “Black and White,” and “First Class.” It was an intimate detour in the middle of a large outdoor show that somehow worked perfectly in the fall air.
Melo took a moment between songs to address the room directly. “In about five years when AI has taken over and that’s the only music everyone is listening to, we’ll still be here, playing for you.” The crowd booed at the mention of AI on cue and cheered the rest warmly. It’s a defiant statement from a band who understands the true danger AI is posing to the entire industry.
“Run” closed the main set with the crowd headbanging before Rainbow Kitten Surprise returned for two encores, pushing against curfew but making time for “Tropics” and “It’s Called: Freefall” before the night was done.
It was the first night of their American tour, and they couldn’t have picked a better spot to do it than Vermont in the early fall air.
The Bones Tour with Rainbow Kitten Surprise and Cigarettes @ Sunset continues this fall. Get your tickets here.
Nathan Smith is a Providence-based music photographer and journalist focusing on capturing the special moments and unfiltered magic of live performances. Whether he’s shooting established artists at sold-out TD Garden shows or documenting the rise of emerging local bands, his goal is the same: to pull viewers directly into the heart of the moment.
His writing spotlights rising artists and local scenes, with a focus on telling the stories that often get overlooked. A lifelong music fan and musician himself, Nathan approaches interviews and portraits as conversations rather than transactions, building trust with artists so their genuine personalities can shine through. Whether he’s backstage, in the photo pit, or at home in front of the keyboard, he brings the same curiosity and care to every assignment.
Outside of his press work with Juice Box Press, Nathan works regularly as a photographer with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, as well as numerous bands in the Boston and Providence area. Nathan also plays violin with a local orchestra, follows Celtics basketball almost religiously, and is an avid fantasy reader.