Show Review: Del Water Gap @ The Masonic, San Fransisco, CA

By Shannon Dutra

S. Holden Jaffe, better known as Del Water Gap, opened his set at The Masonic with “Small Town Joan of Arc” and set the tone for the show—it’s a track that’s upbeat and shimmering and the perfect opener. The crowd loved it too. 

From there onwards, the audience was intensely engaged. Jaffe also brought everything he had—a loud, joyful show with soaringly strong live vocals, playful dancing, funny interludes,, and high-impact eye contact at the right moments.
Under a carnivalesque stage with white billowing sheets that moved periodically, a large screen projected on the back sheet. The projection had a close-up video of Jaffe as he sang. While it wasn’t always effective because the band was hidden and the audience not facing the center could not see inside, the concept wasn’t all lost. The grainy close-ups were intimate and emotional during songs with the same themes. 

Before he started his fifth song, “Doll House”, Jaffe asked the crowd, “Did anyone bring their best friend tonight? This song is about best friends.” There’s something emotional and wonderful about being in a room with your friends, belting out a song about friendship. Jaffe understands this both in his stage presence and in his ability to connect with the audience during opportune, meaningful times in his set like this one.

Before and after “Doll House” were “Please Follow” and “New Personality.” These jazzy songs had less energy, but the crowd continued to reciprocate. The slower periods still allowed Jaffe to connect again, and he did with poise. Both songs, one about the blessed relationship you have with aging family members and the other about a 20-something situationship, are poignant reminders that we are all people—musician and audience alike—navigating similar life experiences.

“NFU” was a standout performance. This song pulled the audience in immediately. They sang every word to Jaffe as his voice soared above them. The track, from his second record, is raucous and energetic with more soaring, emotional vocals. At this show, “NFU” stands out for these reasons, but it also, once again, showcased everything Jaffe had to offer—strong vocals, a captivating stage presence by himself, and the ease with which he interacts with the audience at every turn. “NFU” also shines live because of its use of strong synths that pulsed through the auditorium. The lighting was also particularly effective here, changing during the ups and downs of an intense chorus. 

The ninth song in the set, “Marigolds,” carried more feeling with a live audience than it did on the album Chasing the Chimera. Like “Small Town Joan of Arc” before it “Marigolds” showcases Jaffe’s growth as a songwriter and his ability to tell a story.

Throughout this tour, Jaffe had been changing the setlist each night with a surprise song about midway through the set. “Glitter & Honey,” a long-standing fan favorite, was this show’s surprise song and a tour debut.

Overall, San Francisco really brought the energy. The crowd fed off Jaffe’s energy, and he responded the same. 

At one point during the show, Jaffe commented: “You have been one of my favorite shows this tour.” He also shared more of his history with San Francisco as a touring musician. Jaffe told the crowd that being at this venue was an emotional moment. His first show in San Francisco was at the Rickshaw Stop, less than 1.5 miles from The Masonic. That show, he recalled, was the first time he crowdsurfed for the 100 people there. “The crowd had to move with me. Because there weren't enough people to fill the room.”

It was a poignant full-circle moment that highlighted what Jaffe had been doing all night. Creating emotional connections with people who came to see him perform.

“When you’re a young musician, you dream of performing in a venue like this,” he said. That’s part of the charm of The Masonic, a beautiful mid-century building with a large auditorium and expansive half-circle balcony.

Near the end of the set, before launching into “Coping on Unemployment,” he tells the crowd, “This one’s for your situationship.” This popular earworm was also a crowd favorite. One of his better-known songs, the crowd bellowed out with him during some of the song’s lines that beg for audience interaction. “I think your music got worse,” and “You need to get some help” invited the audience in, and Jaffe let them make the most of the moment.

The final three songs were “Damn”, “Perfume”, and “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat”. Jaffe brought out a sewing machine during “Damn”.  It was a lighthearted moment and an interesting and intimate creative decision. Sewing and singing at the same time was a new experience. While the two elements don’t really go together, the concept of making something on stage is poignant. Once he was done, he threw out whatever he made to the crowd as a keepsake.

Jaffe also entered the audience to perform “Perfume”. With the audience surrounding him, he told the crowd to “Let’s fucking go!” before blasting into the chorus. The audience sang along enthusiastically making it another standout song in the set.

The last song, “Ode to a Conversation Stuck in Your Throat,” was a great closing track. There’s no encore following the closer, but with the high energy all night for nearly two hours, we did not need one to leave happy or remember this whirlwind performance.