The hot August sun beat down upon a line stretching around the block, while bodies covered in lace and camo fan themselves with ball caps and flat hands. My boyfriend and I have been hunkering down for roughly two hours, but doors open at 7 p.m. Finally, just as the sun begins to duck behind the Atlanta skyline, cowboy boots and Doc Martens begin the slow shuffle forward into the venue. I chatter away excitedly, “I hope she plays Thoroughfare, I think she did that night one, I wonder what the set will look like, I’ve only seen pictures,” as we make the crawl towards the stage that will soon be boasting the artist: Ethel Cain.
Here Lies Ethel Cain
Ethel Cain is a blend of project, persona, and band. When fans talk about the music, there is a clear distinction between Hayden Anhedönia—the artist behind the name—and Ms. Cain, the protagonist of the concept albums. The name “Ethel Cain” first appeared in Aug. 2019, when Anhedönia released “Bruises,” which later appeared on her first EP, Carpet Bed. As of right now, the Ethel Cain project has released three EPs, the experimental drone album Perverts, and two concept albums, Preacher’s Daughter and Willoughby Tucker, I’ll Always Love You. While I find each song compelling on its own, Anhedönia can only perform for so long, and the focus of this tour is her newest album, Willoughby Tucker, released on Aug. 8. As the North American leg of the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour concludes, she will continue with her first European show in Manchester on Oct. 2.
The tour began on Aug. 12 in Seattle, leading Anhedönia across America as she approached Atlanta, Georgia, where I was waiting with two tickets saved to my Apple Wallet. I did pay an exorbitant amount of money for two tickets through Vivid Seats due to a tense and dramatic presale, but I hesitate to blame the artist. Any concertgoer knows the struggle of buying tickets in the age of Ticketmaster. Still, I managed to procure my tickets and soon found myself waiting in line beneath the Georgian sun.
Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour Setlist
As the name suggests, the tour was announced around the same time as the release of the concert’s track list. Willoughby Tucker’s sound can best be described as “sludgy slowcore and dusty, sepia-toned folk; to sounds that are laggy and distorted, like dinged-up records played at the wrong speed,” as described by Pitchfork.
The order of the setlist deviated from the order of the album, beginning with the instrumental track “Willoughby’s Theme.” The fog machines kicked into action as the stage was flooded with a grey haze, and the band members assumed their positions, adjusting their instruments and sipping water. “Willoughby’s Theme” is Anhedönia’s favorite track off the album. In an Instagram post celebrating the release of the new installment, she wrote about the song.
“i wanted to try and sonically capture the nauseating, dizzying fear and rush of falling in love and realizing that no matter what happens inside it, you will be fundamentally changed by it in the end. that still rings true to me now.”
Ethel Cain @mothercain, August 8 2025
As the instrumental came to a close, Anhedönia stepped out and stood behind the mic, both mimicking a cross and a power line pole. Then, she launches into the dingy, melancholy song “Janie,” comprised of only Anhedönia’s layered voice and a warbling guitar. From here, the track list matches up to the album until we reach “Dustbowl.”
The first act of Ethel and Willoughby’s story was over, signified by an interlude featuring performances from the experimental project Perverts. Anhedönia seemed to mentally float away from the audience and give herself over to the music; it was captivating to watch. From Perverts, she performed both “Punish” and “Onanist,” sprinkled with other haunting melodies from across the EP. As a wild burst of sound rains down from the speakers as “Onanist” ends, I went into a trance, completely devoured by the sights and sounds before me. A beautiful interlude; honestly, the inclusion of Perverts might be my favorite segment from the show.
Act two of the show picked up where we left off with Cain and Willoughby, beginning with “A Knock at the Door,” returning to Anhedönia’s vocals and simple guitar accompaniment. There was a medical emergency during “Tempest,” the only song from Willoughby’s point of view on the album, and the second-to-last track. The situation was quickly handled, the music began again, and we were carried all the way through to the finale, “Waco, Texas.” Anhedönia elevated every song by singing an octave higher than the original recordings, providing fans with a unique experience. The encore was an absolute delight as Anhedönia performed her most popular hits, “Crush,” “A House in Nebraska,” and “American Teenager.”
The Stage
Anhedönia is an admirable artist through and through; the beauty of this concert experience was not just in her amazing vocals, but also in the technical aspects. The aforementioned mic stand, acting both as a cross and an electrical pole, reinforces the imagery already connected to the album. At exclusive listening events, a poster was handed out to attendees featuring an illustration by Anhedönia, Spanish moss hanging from electrical wires, alongside lyrics from “Janie.”
The Spanish moss appears on stage, draped from the lighting equipment and laid across fake logs and branches. The lighting casts long, beautiful shadows, creating an atmosphere of thick trees and moonlight creeping through branches. Each song got its own unique color; “Tempest” soaked the stage in teal and green, “Janie” drenched Anhedönia in a beautiful amber. During the Perverts section, the stage was covered in an intense white light. At the front of the stage, little boxes containing cattails and tall yellow grass blended with the fog spilling over the edge. As a Floridian myself, the set design felt like home. I doubt this is a happy coincidence; Anhedönia herself hails from the Florida Panhandle.
As a lover of all artistic media, I’ve attended a good blend of concerts and hope to attend more. Two summers ago, I saw The Cure and Lana Del Rey in Tampa; last fall, two good friends and I witnessed Mitski at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. I adore music a great deal, but I will always cherish live music above all else. While every artist I have had the pleasure of seeing was wonderful, the Willoughby Tucker Forever Tour has been the best performance I have ever seen by far.