I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: October 1, 2023] Ethel Cain

Sometime in April, my daughter asked if we could go to the All Things Go Festival.  I had never heard of this Festival and assumed the answer was no.  But then I saw that it was at the Merriweather Post Pavilion which is exactly three hours away from us.  So when tickets went on sale, I managed to get two pre-sale tickets for Sunday.  And then when they went on proper sale, I managed to score two more for Saturday.

Sunday was  the far more important day for music.  I mean, the whole reason she wanted to go was to see boygenius (and Lana Del Rey).  But this was a great day of music to be sure.

I had not heard of Ethel Cain, but my daughter said they were very popular.

Cain is a fascinating individual.

In mid-2017, Cain began experimenting with writing, recording, and producing her own ethereal style, inspired by Christian music and Gregorian chants.

We had initially planned on arriving during Cain’s set to get really good seats for boygenius.  Turns out that Cain has a MASSIVE fanbase and the crowd was 100% there for her.

A reviewer from Nippertown said of Cain

Ethel Cain is truly a showstopper in regard to her performance. Between her rich vocals, fantastic storytelling, incomparable stage presence, and fan interaction, Cain is an artist that everyone should get to experience live at least once in their lives.

I would agree with this but with a caveat.  Seeing her from as far back as we did, a lot of that personal touch was lost.  However, the video screens showed her interacting with fans in the front rows–holding hands, singing directly to fans.  It was surprisingly intimate.

I felt like a lot of the music was lost in the big festival setting–her music is kind of slow and ponderous.  I found some of it rather dull, honestly.  But the fans in front of me hung on every word.  So I suppose if I had heard the songs before I may have enjoyed them more.

But I think in an intimate venue, her music would overwhelm in the best of ways.  I guess a small show is a recommendation going forward.

ETHEL CAIN