Ethel Cain played the first of two shows at Atlanta’s The Eastern on Thursday, August 28. (Photos by Dollie Kyarn)
Need a good cry? There’s a time and place for that. And on Thursday night, it was Ethel Cain’s show for 2,300 packed-in fans, the first of two sold-out shows at Atlanta’s The Eastern.
Cain, the alias of Perry, Florida–raised Hayden Silas Anhedönia, has carved out a niche with her haunting vocals, dark Americana imagery and Southern Gothic storytelling. She’s touring behind the recent album Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, a prequel to her stunning 2022 debut, Preacher’s Daughter. The album unexpectedly broke into the Billboard Top 10 this spring, making Cain the first openly trans artist to hit that milestone. Her unsettling, atmospheric music is confessional and meditative. Some joke that her fans rarely leave the house. That may be the case, but, when they do, they get out there with a vengeance. By mid-afternoon, the line wrapped down Memorial Drive, with some arriving as early as 1 a.m. just to be among the first through the door.
Atlanta is among the early stops on the tour, with upcoming shows in Asheville, The Caverns in Tennessee and Radio City Music Hall, before continuing the tour overseas in Europe and Australia through March 2026.
The show opened with new material — songs like “Willoughby’s Theme,” “Janie,” “Nettles,” “Dust Bowl” and “Vacillator” — setting a quiet, meditative tone before shifting to her better-known Preacher’s Daughter tracks toward the end and for encores.
Even the stage got in on the mood: Gnarled dead oak branches draped with Spanish moss hung overhead, kudzu-draped monitors and a mic stand, almost more of a pulpit, shaped like a cross. Cain’s silhouette — she was backlit the entire show, almost anonymous in shadow — emphasized her voice and her figure, slender but shapely in mom jeans, cut-off tee and combat boots. Her style and presence seemed lived-in and genuine. “This is Atlanta, so I know you bitches know how to get country.” Clearly, they do: Fans dressed the part in prairie-inspired dresses, trucker caps, jeans and camo.
Cain is a storyteller who can create a world one rooted in the South — its spirituality, cultivated moods and Gothic storytelling. Her voice was strong: clear, haunting, emotionally resonant. The sound was well-mixed, letting the slower, eerie pieces breathe before building into cathartic crescendos. Her pace wasn’t for everyone: The slow-burn of new material before rolling into hits could feel heavy for casual listeners, but there probably weren’t many in the room.
Her audience, who clearly identify with her themes, found it exactly the kind of twilight world they crave when they feel brave enough to venture out the door. For those who came ready for it, the night offered plenty of mood, melancholy and a chance to let it all out.
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Andrew Alexander is an Atlanta-based writer.
