S. Holden Jaffe, creatively known as Del Water Gap, demanded the stage at Ogden Theater for his Chasing the Chimera World Tour. DWG entered from a haze, illuminating the stage with his charisma and energy. Starting off with “Small Town Joan of Arc,” encapsulating themes of over-romanticization and pursuing unrealistic ideals or expectations, and setting the tone of his new album, he energized the sold-out space as the crowd sang back.
He followed his first song into “Sorry I Am” and “Better Than I Know Myself,” creating a flowing story of Act I of the set. He ends this act with “Please Follow,” a jazzy melody about the haunting silence of a relationship ending, and finally finishing off with “Doll House,” my personal favorite from his album, “I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet.”
Act II starts off with “New Personality,” infused with jazz influences and an upbeat melody, flowing into “Ghost in the Uniform,” a song about a COVID-era relationship that has run far past its course. Following up with “NFU,” Jaffe sings about meeting up with an ex-lover that you still miss while being plagued by the haunting delusions of nostalgia.
He continues on with “Marigolds,” a track about the one who got away, and “Beach House,” a more sonically somber piece in regard to toxic habits to cope with pain.
Jaffe brings back the energy with one of his most beloved songs, “High Tops,” emotionally charging the crowd as they sang back to him. He brings the energy back with “Never Speak Again” and “East Side Girls,” before playing “How To Live,” a beautiful track on existence that resonates with my own memories of growing up in my 20’s.
Jaffe ends his show with the best of his best. “Coping on Unemployment” melds into “All We Ever Do Is Talk,” and “Damn,” a meditation on authenticity, loneliness, and freedom.
“Perfume,” a song of falling in love, is the precursor to his final song of the night, “Ode to a Conversation Stuck In Your Throat,” a confession of love, possessiveness, and wanting someone to be yours.
Jaffe is a phenomenal artist, deeply deserving of his success. With straightforward and honest lyricism that resonates deeply with listeners, he encapsulates yearning, grief, love, the eerie spaces between the cracks of breaking relationships and navigating early adult life exceptionally well. I recommend Del Water Gap for listeners who also enjoy artists like Harry Styles, Holly Humberstone, Role Model, or Sombr.
Chasing the Chimera is a beautiful, fully-fleshed out album that continues to remain true to Del Water Gap, being honest about authenticity and vulnerability, existentialism and insecurities, and reflections on how to grow from these spaces and situations you will exist in.
Catch him on his remaining tour dates:
2/9 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
2/11 – Portland, OR – McMenamins Crystal Ballroom
2/12 – Vancouver, BC – Vogue Theatre
2/13 – Seattle, WA – Showbox Sodo
2/15 – San Francisco, CA – The Masonic
2/17 – Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
2/20 – San Diego, CA – Soma-Mainstage
2/21 – Phoenix, AZ – The Van Buren
2/23 – Austin, TX – Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater
2/24 – Dallas, TX – House of Blues Dallas
2/25 – Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
2/27 – Nashville, TN – Marathon Music Works
2/28 – Atlanta, GA – Buckhead Theatre
3/12 – Glasgow, UK – SWG3 Glasgow
3/14 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy
3/15 – Birmingham, UK – O2 Institute Birmingham
3/17 – London, UK – Roundhouse
3/18 – Bristol, UK – O2 Academy Bristol
3/19 – Brighton, UK – Concorde 2
3/21 – Paris, France – Bataclan
3/22 – Lausanne, Switzerland – Les Docks
3/23 – Milan, Italy – Magazzini Generali
3/25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Paradiso
3/27 – Vienna, Vienna – Gasometer
3/29 – Warsaw, Poland – Progresja
3/30 – Berlin, Germany – Lido
3/31 – Cologne, Germany – Luxor
4/2 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Pumpehuset
