Jauz's Feeding Friendzy Tour Invades LA
When Jauz advertised "very special guests" would be joining him on stage during his much anticipated return to LA this past weekend, nobody could have predicted the who's who of all-star DJs that helped blow the roof off the Fonda Theatre back-to-back nights. Those who were lucky enough to attend both nights were treated to two very different (but equally mind-blowing) lineups and performances.
Thursday night kicked off with opening performances from west coast G-house up-and-comer Ryan Collins, as well as trap heavyweight araabMUZIK - who (as always) impressed with his unrivaled live production skills. This, however, was just the tip of the iceberg.
Once the anthemic intro of 'Welcome to Planet Urf' came over the speakers, the crowd new it was time for the real show to begin. Anticipation quickly turned to gratification, as Jauz hit the stage and wasted now time dropping his signature mix of electrifying bass-house and face-melting dubstep.
Few producers/DJs are as in high demand right now as Jauz (aka Sam Vogel). At just 22 years of age, he's managed to help pioneer the bass-house genre, reinvigorated the dubstep scene, and has garnered the support of some the biggest names in the industry. Aside from obvious hard work, motivation and dedication, much of Jauz's success can be attributed to the unwavering support of his fans, who have affectionately been dubbed the 'sharksquad' - who were out in full force during his two-night takeover of the Fonda.
Aside from popular EDM bangers like Herobust's Smother Shit, and Jauz's own remix of Knife Party's PLUR Police, he also displayed his range and paid homage to some of the music that influenced him growing up, by mixing in System of a Down's B.Y.O.B., Linkin Park's In The End, as well as the Drezo remix of Drowning Pool's Bodies.
It was soon time to introduce his first very special guest of the night, his mother Lisa, which resulted in a collective "Awwwwww" from the crowd. In a facebook post, Jauz went on to say, "I owe so much to her and her unconditional support. She has always been my rock and my biggest supporter and I couldn't be more happy that she came out to watch me this weekend."
Jauz then introduced his next special guest; none other than happy-trap pioneer Marshmello who joined Jauz b2b. Fans were treated to an extended set by the masked DJ, whose self-imposed anonymity combined with his one-of-a-kind sound of flowing neon melodies, booming 808’s and pitched and modulated vocals has helped fuel his (as well as the genre's) meteoric rise.
Many were hoping Mello would make an appearance, as Jauz as always been a huge proponent of his music, and those folks were not disappointed. Even better, he didn't just hop on the mixers for a couple of tracks, but instead treated the crowd to a mini Mello concert, which included newer cuts like Flash Funk, his remix of Adelle's Hello, and the Jauz x Marshmello collab remix of Duke Dumont's Need U (100%).
If the show would have ended at this point, anyone would have chalked this show up to one of the best in recent memory. However, Jauz wasn't done, nor were his special guest. Just when you thought things couldn't get any better, Borgore, Getter, Snails and Ookay hit the stage for a set that had dubstep enthusiasts simultaneously dancing and drooling. By the end of the night, it was evident by the look on the crowds face that they knew they'd just witnessed something truly special.
While some might have thought that Friday night would be a letdown compared to Thursday's superstar lineup, it was soon clear how dead wrong that speculation was.
Alvin Risk got the crowd warmed up, and was followed by the first surprise guest of the evening, Waka Flocka Flame. Joined by DJ Whoo Kid, Waka Flocka drew an eruption from everyone at the venue with his fiery brand of trap. With a start to the night like that, it was clear that the crowd was in for another legendary night.
When Jauz finally hit the stage, his sharksquad made their presence known. Those in attendance night one that thought they'd hear a lot of the same tracks were treated to a very different set than night one.
After blessing the audience with the classics as well as some deep cuts, Jauz announced his next special guest of the night; OG Kill The Noise. The on stage combination of one of the innovators of dubstep, along with one of the genres newest superstars was something incredible to see (and hear, of course).
The end of the night was again the pinnacle of the evening, as Marshmello, Ookay and Getter returned. However, this time, they were joined none other than global icons Skrillex and Diplo (Jack Ü). The energy of the crowd went from already unmeasurable to straight-up earth-shattering. The addition of What So Not, Aryay, Dirtyphonics, and LED's own TJR accounted for one of the most memorable b2b sets of all-time, and turned the Fonda into perhaps one of the largest EDM parties the city of LA has ever experienced.
Perhaps even better than knowing that those in attendance were truly having the time of their lives, was the fact that the talent on stage was having just as an amazing experience. It's refreshing to see that no matter how globally successful all of the aforementioned artists have become, they still do what they do night in and night out to put a smile on the collective faces of their fans.
At this point, Jauz withdrawl has set in, and the sharksquad is eagerly awaiting their next chance to see this incredible performer, and whatever special guests he has in store for us next time.