Del Water Gap’s performance Friday night was the epitome of what a concert should be. The Brooklyn-based singer spent the night showcasing his most recent album, “Chasing the Chimera,” and playing his fan favorites. S. Holden Joffe, better known as Del Water Gap, has been producing music for over a decade, eventually blowing up in 2020.
Opener Hannah Jadagu started the night off with dreamy vocals and an indie-pop melody. Her long silver hair glistened on stage as the lights shifted from soft pink to hues of baby blue. The Dallas-raised singer swayed on stage to the rhythm of her own song, leading the crowd to do the same.
Halfway through her set, Jadagu strapped her guitar on as the beat slowly dissipated, then suddenly engulfed the crowd. Her song “Say It Now” felt like a warm hug and was my favorite of her lineup.
Jadagu’s final song of the night, “My Love,” was certainly a crowd pleaser, with the singer proclaiming that Nashville had all of her love. The audience roared as the lights faded out upon Jadagu’s exit. I particularly loved how well her sound matched that of Del Water Gap’s, which made me even more excited for his performance.
Soon after, Marathon Music Works came alive. I was standing shoulder-to-shoulder with groups of friends chatting, dancing and singing along to the playlist of indie hits playing on the speakers as fog began to fill the venue.
Finally, the room went dark, and the crowd roared. Penetrating flashes of white light faded in and out to the beat of Del Water Gap’s first song of the night, “Small Town Joan of Arc.” The group in front of me excitedly shouted out the name of the song, anticipating the start of his set. The lights stopped flashing to reveal the singer standing in the center of the stage before his voice lit up the room.
Del Water Gap’s stage presence was magnetic. He was jumping up and down, throwing his arms up in the air and spinning around the stage. His performance of “Better Than I Know Myself” somehow sounded even better live than its recording. The raw emotion paired with the clapping of the crowd and the physical sensation of the song reverberating in the room was addicting.
The lights changed throughout Del Water Gap’s set to match the vibe of each song. At one point, they were red and orange, resembling fire, and during a song about heartbreak, they were dark blue and purple. When the lights brightened the room, I finally noticed that the singer had dark makeup around his eyes.
“This next song is about a situationship. No more situationships in 2026, alright?” Del Water Gap said.
The crowd cheered as he played “New Personality.” It was impossible not to move along with the music.
The song “Beach House” transformed the energy in the room. During this song, projections of the singer appeared on the side of the stage and all the lights in the venue began flashing to the beat. It was hard to tell the difference between Del Water Gap and the crowd as all of the voices in the room began to mesh together.
Del Water Gap performed his fan favorites “All We Ever Do Is Talk,” “High Tops” and “Perfume.” Each song revealed something new about the singer, and I felt like I was getting to know him through his lyrics.
“This is the best crowd I’ve had in Nashville…I’ve crashed out and thought about moving here a lot,” Del Water Gap said.
He went on to describe his album “Chasing the Chimera,” which was released in November 2025.
“A lot of it is about existential dread, but playing up here for you makes the existential dread worth it,” Del Water Gap said.
Del Water Gap closed the show on an upbeat note with “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat.” The hit song had everyone in the venue dancing and singing along. It was the perfect way to end the set, and I felt lighter walking out of the venue that night.
