Bringing life to the quiet Queen Elizabeth Theatre at Exhibition Place, Ethel Cain returned to Toronto, delivering her signature heart-wrenching cinematic tracks.
Once an underground indie artist, Cain has grown into a global phenomenon, uniting fans through her impeccable storytelling, enchanting soundscapes and against-the-grain aesthetic. While the character of Ethel Cain is entirely imaginary, the artist behind the curtain — Hayden Silas Anhedönia — shone through on-stage. The atmosphere of the sold-out venue was unified. Cain is not an artist to stumble onto by chance and securing tickets for this tour was no small feat.
The show opened with heavy fog and green light flooding the theatre. Anhedönia entered as “Willoughby’s Theme” — from her 2025 LP Willoughby Tucker: I’ll Always Love You — played to a roaring crowd. Anhedönia rose slowly from her cross-adorned pulpit, standing tall as though ready to deliver a sermon. She began by singing “Hold me, smell of mildew / I wanna die in this room” from “Janie,” the first track off her latest project, an intense ballad which is most representative of the love story she’s trying to tell.
She followed with “F**k Me Eyes,” a standout track infused with 80s synth-pop and high school nostalgia. The crowd erupted at the lyrics, “They all wanna take her out / But no one wants to take her home.”
Between songs, Anhedönia paused to greet the audience. Known as a somewhat chronically online figure, her stage presence was unexpectedly grounded — her crowd work was honest, her respect for her fans was unmistakable and their appreciation for her art was palpable.
The performance shifted into “Nettles,” a gut-wrenching track about Cain’s love interest Willoughby and his premature death. Heartbreaking on the record, the song became devastating live as Anhedönia’s vocals cut through the fog filled room.
“Dust Bowl” — one of her most romantic pieces — followed, steeped in depictions of teenage love and tragedy. Live, the build to the “Vietnam” beat drop landed with even greater force. She then played a medley from her Perverts EP; the layered soundscapes within the show’s context felt encompassing and transporting.
Older work made its way into the setlist too. “House in Nebraska,” a song from her first LP Preacher’s Daughter (2022), was a welcome addition that was quickly followed by the 15-minute epic “Waco, Texas,” which references “House in Nebraska,” bringing the collective project’s story’s full circle.
As the night began to wind down, Anhedönia asked the audience to raise their phones for the shorter song “Crush” from her 2021 project Inbred. A true crowd-pleaser with fans shouting, “Low slung bad bitch, baby, come and get you some.”
Closing the show, she played her biggest hit to date, “American Teenager.” Opening with its quintessential guitar riff, the song built into a triumphant finale with the crowd singing every word. Fans in the pit were thrilled when Anhedönia jumped down to dance and sing alongside them, bringing the show to a joyous close.
Though the performance was a phenomenal experience, the venue — the Queen Elizabeth Theatre — created a less-than-ideal guest experience. Due to slow security and guest check-in process, a queue stretched around the building and neighbouring BMO Field. Late-arriving fans, styled to perfection, were forced to wait nearly two hours before entering the venue, with many missing the opener 9Million, a Toronto native. Toronto’s bravest from the historic Fire Station 346 proved to be the city’s kindest, opening their washroom to restless concertgoers.
Inside, general admission meant a slanted floor — sightlines were acceptable, but knee pain was inevitable. Some sound mixing issues occasionally muddied Anhedönia’s vocals. The ever-present fog was accompanied by the sound engineer in the back frequently hitting one of three vapes — oddly on-brand for the vibe, but distracting, nonetheless.
Anhedönia delivered a breathtaking show. When she returns to Toronto — hopefully in a larger venue — I’ll be the first in line for tickets once again.