By the end of their first headline show at Beat Kitchen, indie rock artist Daffo—also known as Gabi Gamberg-- stood beaming on stage. Because their shoes broke at the beginning of the set, Gamberg swayed back and forth in their barefoot stockings instead, nursing a casual cocktail from the bar and chatting with the audience. They had just pulled out a harmonica for a smashing last number of the show, sending the whole room into a swell of moving arms and swinging hips. Moments later, they calmly took to the mic– smoothly starting another quick-witted conversation with their fans.
If you’ve ever been to a Daffo show, you’d know this is often the case. The 21 year-old singer-songwriter from Philly impressively balances states of calm and craze in their performances. As a violin player from age six, and no stranger to the New Jersey and New York DIY scenes, Gamberg is certainly-well trained. They know how to put on a show.
At the same time, they keep it impressively authentic and playful with their audience, tapping into quirky personal anecdotes and wry self-awareness. This is why listeners can feel so close to them through their music, and so connected in a crowd.
To the folks at Beat Kitchen, Gamberg felt the energy too. Before wrapping up the evening, Gamberg laughed into the mic and praised everyone for coming out, despite the blisteringly cold weather. They thanked the room and cheerfully admitted that the audience at Beat Kitchen was 'by far’ the ‘most lit’ group of fans they had seen on tour.
From my perch in the sound booth looking over the crowd, I didn’t doubt the sentiment for a second. From the jump, it was the friendliest I had seen a mosh pit in a long while; groups of teens bantered happily with 20-somethings, taking pictures and exchanging Instagrams. A photo booth and a jewelry pop-up kept concert-goers engaged at the back of the room, and vaporwave lights washed everything over in a dreamlike state. It was an ideal set-up for Daffo’s fuzzy and untamed melodies to fill the space.
Gamberg delivered a heartfelt performance, bleeding passion from the expression on their face and the electricity of their movements. The music shifted between soft bedroom-made melodies and raucous rock. As always, Gamberg’s lyrics were honest and deeply emotional, providing the perfect contrast for their friendly commentary between songs. Whenever they spoke, the crowd interacted along with them, establishing a level of intimacy that made a headlining show at the Beat Kitchen feel like a local basement bash. No matter the mood—confessional or head-bang thrash—everyone operated on the same wavelength.
When the music began again, many moved in unison. But others, I noticed, took space to rock entirely on their own. One crowd member had their eyes closed nearly the entire set, a serene smile spread across their face, breathing in every beat. When another pulled a camcorder from their back pocket and whispered to their friend, I couldn’t help but notice a quiet tear welling in their eye.
After Daffo retrieved their discarded shoes and packed up their equipment, much of the crowd spilled back out into the wintry cold. I stood with my camera bag at the bus stop with a gaggle of fans, everyone chatting excitedly about the show. Something about it felt youthful and rejuvenating. Words from the concert stayed in my head:
“Ooh, it's the kid in you
The one that never grew
The wonder is overdue”
From Gamberg’s demo “Winter Hat,” the lyrics just about summed up the night. To find out more about Daffo, visit www.daffomusic.com.
Find more photos from the gallery here.
