Ethel Cain graced the stage at Outside Lands on Friday, August 11, 2023. In the midst of her performance, she made an unexpected request to the California crowd. Asking for a loud “yeehaw,” the audience eagerly complied, although it was clear that her music contrasted with this playful cowboy energy. Under her real name, Hayden Anhedonia, Cain has an expansive and ambitious musical vision. Accompanied by her band, she delivered haunting and almost biblical dirges while evocative visuals of the rural South played behind her, featuring abandoned homes, muddy waters, and vast grassy fields. Her set began with the lengthy track “A House in Nebraska,” a tale of seeking refuge in the arms of another within a dilapidated second-floor bedroom. This intense and resonant song mirrors many of the tracks on her critically acclaimed album “Preacher’s Daughter,” an almost mythical saga of lovers on the run that spirals into murder and cannibalism.
Cain is skilled at keeping her audience on their toes. One example is her song “American Teenager,” which she describes as an “anti-war, anti-patriotism fake pop song.” With catchy melodies that can distract from the thought-provoking lyrics, even former President Barack Obama included it in his end-of-year playlist.
Despite performing during a relatively early slot on a Friday afternoon, Cain’s star power was undeniable. During her more introspective and brooding numbers, she captivated the audience’s undivided attention. Even the idle chatter between songs seemed to dissipate as her resonant and choral voice filled the air. With the composure of a seasoned performer, Cain would often hold her microphone out to allow the crowd to sing along, regardless of whether only a handful near the front knew all the words. It was a testament to the power of her music that those who did know the lyrics sang them as if reciting hymns from a sacred book.
On her penultimate song, “Sun Bleached Flies,” Cain sang potent and fatalistic words: “God loves you, but not enough to save you.” These lyrics carried significant weight, especially considering Cain’s background as a transgender woman who grew up in a devout Christian household in the South. The audience responded passionately to her performance on the Sutro Stage, during the Outside Lands Music Festival. Fans near the barrier couldn’t contain their excitement as they sang along, creating an intimate moment even amidst the throngs of people scattered across the grass. As Cain concluded her set with “Crush,” her final song of the night, she hopped offstage and even made a lighthearted comment about her musical idol, Florence Welch of Florence and the Machine. Embracing an audience member tightly, she reciprocated the love she received from her adoring fans.