Del Water Gap chases the chimera…all the way to Philadelphia

“Philly is a second home,” Del Water Gap explains to a crowd of a couple thousand, on a cold Saturday night. Following the release of his third album, Chasing The Chimera, and returning for the first time in a handful of years, it seems he’s more than glad to be back. 

The setlist was packed with new fan favorites, like lead single “How To Live” and “Small Town Joan of Arc,” off his latest album. He pointed out the origin of “Ghost in the Uniform” being that of a Covid-era situationship, and even joined the crowd for “Perfume.” 

Remembering the last time he was in Philadelphia, Del Water Gap mentions a locals’ favorite, Johnny Brenda’s to “playing for a crowd of 3,000 people.” A billowing combination of sheets and wires transformed the larger room into something intimate, echoing the feeling of his music. It was later in the night when he pulled out a sewing machine to accompany him during his performance of “Damn,” funnily enough he lost his leather trench coat a while ago, perhaps he might be sewing a one. 

Those who came to see Del Water Gap may have not seen him at Johnny Brenda’s, with some fans hailing all the way from Tennessee and Chicago to see him at The Fillmore. Groups of more casual listeners (they’d seen him open for Niall Horan a few summers ago), walked away with not only new favorite t-shirts and tote bags, but a new favorite artist as well. 

You can find the remaining dates for Del Water Gap’s Chasing The Chimera Tour below: 

2/7 – Denver, CO | Ogden Theatre

2/9 – Salt Lake City, UT | The Depot

2/11 – Portland, OR | McMenamins Crystal Ballroom

2/12 – Vancouver, BC | Vogue Theatre

2/13 – Seattle, WA | Showbox Sodo

2/15 – San Francisco, CA | The Masonic

2/17 – Los Angeles, CA | The Wiltern

2/20 – San Diego, CA | Soma-Mainstage

2/21 – Phoenix, AZ | The Van Buren

2/23 – Austin, TX | Stubb’s Waller Creek Amphitheater

2/24 – Dallas, TX | House of Blues Dallas

2/25 – Houston, TX | White Oak Music Hall

2/27 – Nashville, TN | Marathon Music Works

2/28 – Atlanta, GA | Buckhead Theatre

3/12 – Glasgow, UK | SWG3 Glasgow

3/14 – Manchester, UK | Manchester Academy

3/15 – Birmingham, UK | O2 Institute Birmingham

3/17 – London, UK | Roundhouse

3/18 – Bristol, UK | O2 Academy Bristol

3/19 – Brighton, UK | Concorde 2

3/21 – Paris, France | Bataclan

3/22 – Lausanne, Switzerland | Les Docks

3/23 – Milan, Italy | Magazzini Generali

3/25 – Amsterdam, Netherlands | Paradiso

3/27 – Vienna, Vienna | Gasometer

3/29 – Warsaw, Poland | Progresja

3/30 – Berlin, Germany | Lido

3/31 – Cologne, Germany | Luxor

4/2 – Copenhagen, Denmark | Pumpehuset

Words and photos by Shauna