Deep sounds of an organ reverberate through the crowd at the InterContinental Hotel Group stage at Austin City Limits. The screen flickers with footage of classic Americana: a long-haired, vibrant teenager dancing on a football field in a cheerleader’s uniform and driving through a southern suburb. Cheers erupt from the crowd as Ethel Cain takes the stage and opens with the ballad, “House in Nebraska.”
“Labored breaths and bed sores, sing it to me all day long,” Cain sang, her voice in harmony with hundreds of fans singing with her.
Ethel Cain’s set on Friday, Oct. 13 took the ACL crowd to church with a set filled with religious references, belting vocals and classic guitar sounds.
Following “House in Nebraska” Cain sang her most popular song, “American Teenager,” a perfect pop song that hides anti-war sentiments with 80s synth, which made President Barack Obama’s Top Songs of 2022 list. The crowd audibly cheered at the beginning notes of the high school anthem, as it proved hard not to. While Cain shows mastery over country sounds, the production of “American Teenager,” her one pop song, proves brilliant, bottling up the feeling of youth and putting it over electric guitar and heavy drums.
Immediately after, Cain sang “Family Tree,” the opening track to her debut studio album, Preacher’s Daughter. A concept album about the story of a fictional character (also named Ethel Cain) who runs away from home (and her faith) to meet an untimely demise, “Family Tree” illustrates the brilliance of Cain’s artistry. There aren’t many artists who would be able to take such heavy themes of loss, faith and religion to a festival and keep the audience lively, but Cain undoubtedly did.
Hailing from Florida, the southern gothic star showcased her mastery over hearty country music on the next song, “Thoroughfare,” with ringing bells and vibrant harmonica, complete with some scatting. The singer made her way through the almost ten-minute song with ease, her booming voice describing a Bonnie and Clyde-esque road trip through North American mountains, deserts and prairies.
Slow at first with a steady build-up to an amazing instrumental bridge, the song proved a bold choice for a smaller artist, but the risk paid off: when it came time to sing a lyric in which Cain name-checks Texas, the Austin crowd at the IHG stage showed up, screaming, “I met you out there, in Texas somewhere, on the thoroughfare,” with contagious enthusiasm.
Cain’s voice rang clear on every song, virtually indistinguishable from the studio recordings of her album, a treat for the audience, who claimed witness to Cain’s booming vocal runs and powerful tone.
Ending the set with “Crush,” a song from a previously released EP that found success on TikTok, Cain jumped to the audience, grabbing hands and coming face to face with her passionate fans. Sardonic but devoted, with beautiful storytelling, Cain’s music echoed through the festival ground on every song, making for a brilliant performance from the up-and-coming artist.
