August 6th, 2024 - Portland, OR
There's only so many musicians that can truly make fans wrap all the way around the venue waiting in line-- and one of those people is Ethel Cain. Fans were showing up in their most southern gothic outfits which is certainly an aesthetic very unique to Cain's fanbase.
Cain is known for her dark, ambient, vaguely folk-like, all-American music. It's difficult to define her genre; she encapulates so many styles which makes her able to reach people with all kinds of musical preferences. Her performance at Pioneer Courthouse Square was nothing short of breathtaking.
She came out on stage to "Dust Bowl", one of three unreleased tracks that were played. Her appearance was compelling and comforting, in the same way it feels to receive a hug from a friend you haven't seen in a while. She has a distinctive presence and I think that's a very important piece of seeing her live; the smiles she directed at the crowd made every single person feel understood and valued. She transitioned into "A House In Nebraska", an emotional, eight minute track about remembering moments from a relationship that may have ended in bitterness. It's transportative, even more so in person.
A big portion of what she played came from 2022's Preacher's Daughter, including fan favorites such as "Sun Bleached Files" and "Family Tree". The album itself has a majority of her most well-known songs, and touches on a lot of religious themes, hence the name. While Ethel herself is technically a character (you can read up on the lore yourself), fans seem to connect to deeply with the story Cain tells in the album. I've already said it, but hearing these tracks, these truly beautiful works of art and storytelling, was a magical adventure, something everyone should get to experience at least once.
The performance I held most near and dear to my heart was "Crush". A little more upbeat for her usual style, it put the crowd in a comfortable sway of enjoyment. Not only that, but the moment in which she tried and failed to shrug off her jacket was comical. She told the crowd, "That was way sexier in my head," which gave everyone a good laugh!
She teased her next project with two other unreleased songs, "Amber Waves" and "Punish". Both were spectacular and a wonderful tease for an adoring fanbase. The crowd cheered as she hinted towards the next album.
"Thoroughfare" was another absolute treat, and one that pushes the all-American agenda I was speaking of earlier. Again, Cain's story in the song is just part of her character's narrative, but there's something so bittersweet about it. The chorus sings, "Hey, do you wanna see the West with me?", a line the crowd loved being able to belt back to her. This is one in which I thought her vocal ability truly shined as well.
And of course, I've got to give "Gibson Girl" the due diligence it deserves. The lights dimmed to red which really set the scene for the sensuality that the song extricates. Really, it was so sultry. The lights in combination with the velvety guitar licks was absolutely something I didn't know that I needed in my life.
Once she came back out for the encore, she played a cover of Jackie DeShannon's "Bette Davis Eyes" and then closed the show out with everyone's favorite, "American Teenager". I love it when artists save their most adored song for last, it seems to unite the crowd in one final moment together, one in which everyone knows each other, and we're all sharing a beautiful common interest. The concert was one I'll certainly never forget and I hope to see her live again someday.
コメント