Bringing his inspiration of “romantic encounters and dimly lit rooms” from New York to Grand Rapids, Del Water Gap (aka Holden Jaffe) took a detour from opening for Niall Horan to share his I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet tour with new audiences. Jaffe played music dedicated to and written about his late grandmother (“Gone in Seconds”) to songs about finding the one you love and having a whirlwind relationship (“All We Ever Do Is Talk”) prompting tears and screams from everyone in attendance. 

When Jaffe picked up his guitar you knew you were in for incredible riffs and a stronghold of emotions, but when Jaffe traded his instrument for a handheld microphone, he was bouncing across the stage, throwing himself into the music, and even jumping into the crowd to open up a mosh pit of sorts. Regardless of the pace of the song, Jaffe’s dedication to his craft fills the air with each power-packed lyric. His set, coming in at just over an hour, showcased music from his entire discography with a special attention to his I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet and self-titled albums. 

Even with the idea of encores seemingly dying out in the concert scene, Jaffe still teased fans after performing “Perfume” as he thanked the crowd, mentioned it would be a show he’d never forget, and promptly jogged off stage. Moments passed and Jaffe’s band returned before he emerged under the dimmed stage lights to perform his highest streaming track, Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat. A slower song in comparison to those earlier in the night, Jaffe had no problem commanding the audience one last time and, when the show truly came to a conclusion, left everyone buzzing with excitement from the stardom that is Del Water Gap. 

Del Water Gap recently made an appearance at Milwaukee’s Summerfest, before concurrently performing his I Miss You Already + I Haven’t Left Yet tour and opening sets for Niall Horan’s “The Show” Live On Tour tour. Later this summer, Jaffe will also be co-headlining a night at the Greek Theatre with The Japanese House and is scheduled to play D.C.’s annual All Things Go Festival. There are many chances to catch a Del Water Gap set this year and we truly couldn’t recommend it enough!

Article and Photo Gallery by Isabel Dowell