Experimental musician Ethel Cain (AKA Hayden Silas Anhedönia) is on a winning streak. Her debut album “Preacher’s Daughter,” a blend of pop rock and alt country, was a critical and commercial success, and found Cain’s southern gothic inclinations an audience. While many artists in her position would take the success of their debut as a sign that they have found their lane, Cain has refused to settle down. She has since released two ambitiously experimental and challenging records: the dark and droning “Perverts” and the sweeping conceptual opus that is “Willoughby Tucker I Will Always Love You.” Both albums are installments in an ongoing series of concept records packed with eccentric characters and a winding, tragic narrative about death and love in the Bible Belt. Last weekend, shrouded by a blinding stagelight and standing mostly still behind a cross-shaped podium, she delivered an incredible performance at the Palace Theater.
The concert had the feeling of an artist in their comfort zone, flowing effortlessly through a diverse yet cohesive tracklist. The consistent focus on slow tempos, bleak sonic textures, folksy instrumentals and massive track lengths allowed songs from wildly different projects to fit together seamlessly. Perhaps the strongest binding agent of the show was Cain’s vocals, delivered with a beautifully dreary tone reminiscent of Debbie Harry and later-era Nico. That’s not to say her band isn’t killer, because they are. They favor tight synchronization and loyalty to the source recordings over bombast, and the show is all the better for it. At times, Cain’s silhouette would simply sway to the rhythm as the band descended into eerie drone music, while the packed crowd silently listened, hooked on every note.
Visually, the performance was top notch. By simply looking at the stage decor, one could gather the recurring themes of her work. A thick layer of faux-shrubbery at the front of the stage brings to mind rolling greens of suburbs, and the large cross at the center of the stage gives the feel of a Southern Baptist church. However, what stood out most about the production was the lighting, which dazzled the audience with an array of colors and effects and cast the band into imposing shadow. This added variety to the show, giving the deliberately simple and repetitive music a dose of spectacle. Still, it’s not like the show needs it; everyone in the crowd, including myself, would still have been transfixed if it was lit via oil lamp. Highlights include “Perverts’” slowcore centerpiece “Vacillator,” an impeccable rendition of her masterpiece narrative single “Nettles,” and the irresistible sing-along closing number “American Teenager.”
The show was sold out, which I still can’t help but marvel at, given the experimental nature of Cain’s output. Even as she moves further away from the radio friendly elements of her debut, she has managed to attract an audience rivaling that of many pop stars. But what her concert at the Palace Theatre demonstrated above all else is that she has earned every fan she has. If there is any justice left in the world, she will be remembered as a defining artist of this generation, a visionary who brought the sounds of the underground to a new generation of mainstream ears. Behind the veil of lore and mystique, and beyond the sparkling strobe lights of the stage, there lies an ambition that few artists possess. To see it put on display was a privilege.
