On Sept. 13, 2025, I went to Ethel Cain’s show at the Outer Harbor at Terminal B. Over a month later, I am still recovering from post-concert depression. I have been to around 20 concerts in my lifetime. Nothing crazy. But I have been to enough shows to recognize when one is significantly better than others.
Ethel Cain’s show in Buffalo, undoubtedly, was better than any concert I have been to.
This honestly surprised me because I have seen performances by some amazing artists like Drake, Zach Bryan, Sabrina Carpenter, and Madison Beer.
But something about the raw emotionality, vulnerability, and honesty that Cain revealed on the stage was like nothing I had ever experienced. She bared her soul for the audience. It felt so authentic and personal.
I got to hear songs from her new album, Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You, which was released a month before the concert. Of course, almost everyone in the audience still knew every word of every song.
She also played some songs from her older albums, like “Crush” from Inbred and “American Teenager” from Preacher’s Daughter.
Towards the end of the show, she played “Thoroughfare,” my favorite song of hers. She only plays this song at some of her shows during the Willoughby Tucker Forever tour, so I freaked out when she played it at the Buffalo show.
The setlist was sublime, and her stage presence was perfect.
She was able to tell her story without any crazy props or outfit changes. It was pure musicality, love for her art, and for her fans. She had a cross, a band, a lighting technician, and a dream.
It is not lost on me that Cain’s style and music are not for everyone. She has facial tattoos and makes music with dark, religious, and sexual undertones. It is not shocking that the people in the audience (including me) looked like an advertisement for Dolls Kill or Spencer’s.
I loved it.
I honestly felt so comfortable being myself. I love the Sabrina Carpenter and Megan Moroney crowds as much as the next girl. But I felt at home at Cain’s show.
Everyone was unapologetically themselves, and we were all beyond grateful to be where we were, so much so that I was practically in tears after she played the first song.
Her voice sounded divine live. Her performance was almost hypnotic. She was able to make eight-minute-long instrumentals feel heavenly, rather than boring. At one point, she even looked like an angel.
I still get emotional when I watch any of the videos I took at the concert. I wish I could relive that night.