Jauz attacks! Popular DJ and opening acts slay sets at Knitting Factory

Electronic dance music DJ and producer Jauz, who has headlined the nightclubs Hakkasan at MGM Grand and new-and-now-closed Kaos at Palms Casino Resort in the Entertainment Capital of the World, brought his EDM skills and showmanship to Knitting Factory on Tuesday night.

So it’s apropos that his headliner set in downtown Spokane turned the music venue into a Las Vegas nightclub akin to a House of Blues on strobe-light steroids. Jauz, pronounced “Jaws,” is known for his elaborate productions, which now includes a fin-shaped LED screen, and Sam Vogel, who grew up in Northern California and is now based in Los Angeles, didn’t disappoint.

Jauz’s all-new production includes the aforementioned and impressive fin, a 3D-illusion stage setup that moves up and down, spins and features hundreds of LED light panels to complement his high-energy and rapid-BPM DJ skills.

The crowd, surprisingly robust for a Tuesday night and a show with a ticket price at $35, was predominantly ages 18-25. A handful was dressed for the Electric Daisy Carnival (neon, fishnets, scantily), but most of the crowd was casual in T-shirts, jeans and athletic apparel, including one Bryce Harper jersey and a lot of shorts and compression tights.

One attendee who drove from Coeur d’Alene for Jauz – a Costco employee and single father with an 11-year-old girl – said the concert was his once-a-month reprieve (don’t worry – he shares custody with his daughter’s mother) and worth it even on a work night. He had seen Jauz twice before.

“I’m happy to see that electronic dance music is gaining in popularity in the area. This is a good-sized crowd that really appreciates this type of music,” he said. Globally renowned DJ Steve Aoki headlines Knitting Factory in April, and Mr. Coeur d’Alene predicted that the show will sell out.

Jauz’s 2019 included one of the most viral moments at Coachella with his “Baby Shark” remix and performances at Tomorrowland in Boom, Belgium; Parookaville in Weeze, Germany; EDC Japan in Tokyo; and Ultra Music Festival in Miami.

He was recently a guest on Discovery’s “Shark After Dark” alongside Rob Riggle and Adam Devine and featured on “Cooking With Marshmello” on YouTube. Jauz’s tour, “Dangerous Waters,” is the first tour presented by legendary EDM events company Insomniac, which oversees the annual Electric Daisy Carnivals in cities across the globe.

Jauz’s three opening DJs, if not household names yet, distinguished themselves by hyping the crowd and keeping the audience excited and moving at Knitting Factory. One even remixed “Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. It’s such a good EDM vibration indeed.