For S. Holden Jaffe, best known for his stage name Del Water Gap, the release of his third studio album in November last year, ‘Chasing The Chimera’, marked a new era. While the Brooklyn-based indie-pop starlet has been known for his catchy and bubbly tunes that have soundtracked thousands of people’s playlists, Holden decided to pull things back and show his more vulnerable and emotionally mature side. Where better to showcase his growth as an artist than on a major world tour, and tonight’s set in Birmingham showed why so many people adore this man, and most of all, why he is a name to keep an eye on.
Tonight’s support act, Unflirt (whose real name is Christine Senorin), was the perfect warm-up to accompany the demographic and music taste of the crowd. Her blend of bedroom pop and shoegaze is a perfect fit, evoking the finest qualities of many genre specialists who have preceded her, such as beabadoobee. With her newest EP ‘Fleeting’ marking the beginning of her own new era (coincidentally releasing on the same day as Del Water Gap’s latest album!), there is certainly a promising future that lies ahead for the 25-year-old.
Amongst the pillows of smoke engulfing the stage, Holden emerged to immediately kick the set off with ‘Small Town Joan of Arc’, the opening song of ‘Chasing The Chimera’. From the get-go, you get to witness the creative vision of just how impressive the staging is. Throughout the night, we have many opportunities to see the little things that make it even more special. After giving some of his new tracks their time in the limelight, Holden dives into the Del Water Gap we all know and love with ‘Dollhouse’. Holden is on fine form, having a chat with the audience about several different things, from wanting to move out of the US to the UK, to drawing a starfish tattoo, and even making time to highlight his practice in correctly pronouncing ‘Birmingham’ without mentioning the deli meat!
On the aforementioned topic of eras, Holden balances them all brilliantly and gives them their chance to get the reception they deserve. On one hand, ‘Ghost in the Uniform’ leans heavier into the indie-rock side of Holden’s sound, while on the other, ‘Marigolds’ is more laidback and introspective, with its heartfelt songwriting about a failed relationship. This helped show that despite the stylistic shift in his musical approach, both held their own in a live setting. On the epic ‘Beach House’, Holden takes off his jacket and is visibly animated on stage. The most epic part of this song, though, was what was behind him; an old school camcorder being used at the sound desk was projected on the wall behind him, elevating the visual experience and drawing us closer into Holden’s world.
A special mention is warranted for the excellent crowd Del Water Gap had today, one with plenty of vocal chops to sing along, but also a great ounce of respect – on ‘We Don’t Have To Take It Slow’, the song started as an emotional piano ballad where Holden pours his heart and soul out. You could barely hear a pin drop amongst the crowd, just 700 people savouring the moment and appreciating what was in front of them.
The end of the 90-minute set ensured things ended as strongly as possible, with a mix of bangers and fan favourites. One of these was the excellent ‘Coping On Unemployment’, with the house lights briefly flashing on for the line “You need some help!”, which was subsequently screamed by all those in the room. On ‘Perfume’, the crowd visibly loved the now-iconic chorus of the track, and their appreciation for Holden was rewarded when he came down from the stage and into the crowd for the song’s final chorus. It was a euphoric moment where everyone in unison felt connected to the one person who had the crowd in the palm of his hand. Ending the show with arguably his most popular song, ‘Ode To A Conversation Stuck In Your Throat’, was the cherry on top of the cake, and the perfect way to cap off the evening.
As I left the room, my mind was cast back to a moment where Holden asked the crowd their favourite part about Birmingham, and someone in the audience hilariously responded with “Nothing!”. Sure, Birmingham isn’t the most glamorous city on Earth, especially on a Sunday night. But this Sunday night was special, as Del Water Gap ensured that he was someone to make even the dullest of places a place to want to be.
