From the moment the house lights dimmed at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on September 15th, a hush fell over the crowd. It was packed; we were all there for Ethel Cain’s The Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour. Named after her critically acclaimed album’ Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You’, it is a testament to Ethel’s ability to create a carefully curated, near-religious experience, not just a concert. By the time I left the venue, I sounded like one of those die-hard fans giving a deep, unsolicited monologue about the religious and philosophical symbolism behind her every move.
@sara.40_ ethel cain during nettles toronto n2 #ethelcain
The atmosphere was set from the moment the house lights dimmed. A foggy stage, a giant wooden cross, and scattered greenery perfectly mirrored the album’s powerful visual imagery. As Ethel Cain began with “Willoughby Theme,” smoke billowed across the stage and lights flashed, her ethereal vocals serenading the crowd. The stage was then bathed in a deep, melancholic green light as the opening chords of “Janie” resonated through the theater. Phones were held high to record the raw, gut-wrenching experience of the song’s lyrics about betrayal. The atmosphere shifted abruptly as the synth intro for “F*ck Me Eyes” began. The crowd screamed the lyrics, transforming the previous sadness into a defiant, lustful declaration. This deliberate sequence confirmed that the setlist was crafted with a specific narrative arc: “Janie” reflecting on a fractured relationship, with “F*ck Me Eyes” serving as the defiant, heartbroken, and carnal aftermath.
The setlist, which seamlessly transitioned from the defiant lust of “F*ck Me Eyes” to the heartbroken honesty of “Nettles” and the haunting sound of “Dust Bowl,” created a profoundly personal and emotional experience. This blend of old and new songs allowed us to transcend the present and re-experience the feelings and memories tied to the moment each track was released. The reflection on where you were versus where you are now, triggered by the music, is one of the purest manifestations of emotion. It’s a testament to Ethel Cain’s power as an artist not only to entertain but also to create a space for collective healing and reflection. As she moved through the various sonic landscapes of her setlist, from the stripped-back intimacy of “A Knock at the Door” and “Radio Towers” to the crescendo of “Tempest” and “Waco, Texas.” It felt less like a performance and more like a shared act of confession, where the audience, like me, found themselves opening up to their own vulnerabilities and experiences. This shared vulnerability fostered a sense of unity and camaraderie among the audience. It was a beautiful, heartbreaking, and ultimately transcendent experience.
@chelseacorpus It’s locked in my memories forever 🥹 #ethelcain #toronto #concerts #willoubytuckerforevertour
The beauty of a show like this is that your personal experiences inform the meaning you get from it. For me, Ethel Cain has always been an artist whose work I felt on a deeply personal level. Her unflinching honesty about faith, trauma, and identity allows a kind of collective catharsis that few artists can achieve. As she began the quiet, heart-wrenching encore with “A House in Nebraska,” you could feel the entire venue hold its breath, caught in a shared moment of vulnerability. But that collective sorrow was quickly transformed by the energy of “Crush,” and by the time the opening synths of “American Teenager” filled the room, the energy was electric. The crowd, which had been so reverent and still just moments before, erupted in a unified voice, singing every single word so loudly you could barely hear Ethel herself. It was a beautiful, powerful release of every emotion built up over the night. At the end of the day, music is about how it makes you feel, and there’s a multitude of reasons why every person in that room will carry that feeling with them.
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