IN PHOTOS

Del Water Gap leaves a sold-out crowd in a trance

The Brooklyn-based artist took the stage at The Wiltern with support from Hannah Jadagu.

Photos by ADEN MAX JUAREZ
Words by ADEN MAX JUAREZ
  • (Aden Max Juarez / Daily Trojan)

Strobing blue LED stage lights blinded a sold-out crowd alongside overwhelming synths reminiscent of a sound bath, which echoed throughout The Wiltern on Tuesday night before Del Water Gap coasted onto the stage. Accentuated by a box made from draped linens serving as a memorable stage design, the artist emerged from heavy fog as if stepping out of a dream.

Del Water Gap, the indie-pop solo project of Samuel Holden Jaffe, thrilled his loyal devotees during his Los Angeles stop of the “Chasing the Chimera Tour” with a dynamic set design and booming stage presence. He played hits from his early days like “High Tops” alongside fresh hits from his latest album, “Chasing the Chimera,” which was released last November.

Del Water Gap was supported by Texas-born bedroom pop artist Hannah Jadagu, who sweetened the crowd with a variety of her darling tunes, ranging from her first EP, “What Is Going On?” to her latest album, “Describe.”


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Jadagu brought a calming energy to the venue with pleasant tracks like “Gimme Time” and “Doing Now.” Her performance of “Warning Sign” was particularly mesmerizing as her lustrous singing voice enchanted the crowd with lines like “Breaking all my ties to just get through / Making up a smile while you keep cool.” 

She brought a sleek stage presence and simple setup with only Garrett Chabot on guitar and bass and Jacob Stockman on drums. Jagadu engaged the crowd during her performance of “All My Time Is Wasted” by teaching them the chorus and singling out one audience member to sing solo.

By the time Jagadu wrapped up her set, the crowd was beyond ready to welcome Del Water Gap to the stage. He opened with “Small Town Joan of Arc” and “Sorry I Am,” which were both great tracks to ease the audience into a more electrifying set than Jagadu’s.

But Del Water Gap really picked up the pace with “Better Than I Know Myself,” an obvious crowd-pleaser that beckoned a roar of applause and cheers as soon as the first few notes played. A greater stage presence from Del Water Gap during this track, coupled with strobing white lights and contrasting static red-orange lights, brought a fresh magnetism early on in his set.

With performances of “New Personality” and “Ghost In the Uniform,” Del Water Gap left the crowd spellbound, especially in the choruses of each song. Particularly during “Ghost In the Uniform,” the jumpy chorus with flavorful guitar riffs often eclipsed the bleak verses, which were delivered too quietly — an adverse characteristic of many of his songs.

During “NFU,” the singer handed a remote control to an audience member that changed the colors of the stage lights when pressed. While an atmospheric wall of sound was carefully crafted by Del Water Gap on stage and captured the crowd’s attention, it was a subtle yet charming effect when the lights changed with the beat.

The performance of “Marigolds” saw an immediate, dramatic cut of the lights at the end of the song before the introduction to “Beach House” swept the audience off their feet with a synth build-up. A live feed of the performance was also projected onto the backdrop, creating a dynamic visual that matched the themes of “madness” explored in the song, brought to life with lines like “I cut my tongue sucking on a toothache / Red wine and a plate of veal.”

The light rock vibes were quickly substituted for warm, soft-hearted sounds. Part of the set drooped down during “High Tops,” resembling a collapsing tent before returning to its boxy shape in “Eastside Girls.” One of the most tender moments of the show came when Del Water Gap broke out a stool to sing “I’ll steal the moonlight just to see you dance” at the end of “Eastside Girls.”

A surprise cover of One Direction’s “Steal My Girl” was a showstopper, with a live feed of the crowd displaying that a majority had joined in to sing. His hit song “All We Ever Do Is Talk” featured a delectable chorus, which solidified it as an indie pop banger that held up when performed live. 

During “Damn,” Del Water Gap used a sewing machine on stage while he sang and gave a piece of sewn fabric to a fan in the crowd. While a creative way to engage the audience and create dynamism in choreography, his singing felt uninspired.

Del Water Gap took off his black jacket during “Perfume,” before he went into the pit and urged the crowd to jump to the music, shaking the floor of The Wiltern. He then climbed back on stage to finish out the song with strobe lights bathing his prone figure. 

“Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat” was the final track of the night and by far the best, with thundering lyrics and Del Water Gap breaking out an acoustic guitar to create an entrancing sound. 

Simple Minds’ “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” played Del Water Gap off the stage, but after an ethereal, spirited performance from the indie pop icon, the chance of the crowd forgetting about his performance was already slim to none.

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