I’ve had Del Water Gap mixed into my playlists since my freshman year of high school. “High Tops” still makes an appearance on every moody indie-rock playlist I make. Being a long-time fan, I jumped at the chance to see Del Water Gap perform live at The Basement East.
Samuel Holden Jaffe, more famously known as Del Water Gap, sold out The Basement East on Oct. 11 and had the audience dancing from the moment he took the stage. Jaffe served as a masterful guide through the emotional variance of his discography, inviting the crowd to take part in an intimate evening of music.
The pre-concert music set the tone for the evening — the crowd sang along to Girl in Red and Steve Lacy. Female rock musician Kristiane opened the night, playing originals like “Cry Baby” with a quick cover of Lana Del Rey’s “Video Games.” She danced around the stage, waving at the audience in between lyrics. Kristiane ended her set by sharing her gratitude and admiration for Jaffe.
Jaffe and his band took the stage to the sound of screaming fans and immediately matched the liveliness of the room with their high-energy rock song, “NFU,” followed by “Losing You” and “Better Than I Know Myself.” Jaffe danced as much as he sang, never standing still for more than a couple of seconds. One audience member who was already at The BEast when the band arrived that morning got a special shoutout from Jaffe. His self-deprecating and amusing anecdotes included one memory of performing his last show in Nashville while running a 103-degree fever.
Midway into the set, Jaffe performed his stripped-back song, “Chastain,” while the band paused allowing Jaffe to riff on the melody. The crowd settled into the mood of the introspective song.
Jaffe interacted with us throughout the night, sometimes even responding to shouts from the audience. In a quiet moment during the concert, an excited fan shouted at the stage.
“I love you Jaffe,” an audience member said.
“I love you too,” Jaffe said.
Jaffe’s crowd work made the already outstanding performance feel personable.
The excitement of the night culminated in Jaffe and his band’s performance of their hit song, “Perfume.” When the song began, Jaffe jumped off the stage to sing face-to-face with the crowd. As he walked from one side to the other, he brought some attention to Austin and Ally star, Laura Marano. She danced and sang along with the rest of us.
Del Water Gap ended the evening with an encore featuring “We Will Never Be Like Anybody Else” and “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat.” Jaffe expressed his gratitude for an incredible evening, with the audience returning his sentiment with a roaring applause.
