Jauz Brings His ‘Wicked’ and ‘Wise’ EDM to San Francisco

Sam Vogel — an EDM DJ and producer known professionally as Jauz — regularly performs at electronic music festivals around the world, including meccas like Belgium’s Tomorrowland and New York’s Electric Zoo. And now he’s set to return to the Bay Area, his home turf, when he brings his current tour to 1015 Folsom in San Francisco.

Vogel, who grew up in Marin, will play two different shows on July 11 and 12. First up is Jauz Presents: The Wicked, or “Bass Night” featuring his more aggressive, drum and bass sounds, followed by Jauz Presents: The Wise, or “House Night,” featuring his more melodic, progressive house music.

The tour is inspired by a dystopian narrative he created for his 2018 concept album, The Wise and the Wicked. In it, the “Wise” members of society have a more uplifting outlook and want to improve the world, representing the house side of his music, while the “Wicked” are more destructive and anarchic, representing the drum and bass side. He delved deeper into the story with his 2023 albums WRATH OF THE WICKED and Rise of the Wise.

“My motto since day one has always been ‘music has no boundaries,’ which has kind of represented the idea that one artist can have all these different faces, and that should be something that’s celebrated,” explained Vogel, who founded his own record label, Bite This, in 2017. “That’s why I wanted to create these worlds.” 

Growing up in Marin, Vogel actually favored the heavy metal scene over EDM. He started playing guitar at age 11, inspired by Metallica and other bands coming out of the Bay Area. 

“I used to go just about every Tuesday or Wednesday to the Regency Ballroom [in San Francisco]. That was where all the metal bands that I loved were playing,” Vogel recalled. 

At first, he wanted to become a professional guitarist. “I’d tried starting so many bands that never really came to anything,” Vogel said. “I [also] tried to record myself as a one man band and that didn’t go very well.” 

Then he had a “light bulb moment” while putting together a short film as part of the Academy of Integrated Humanities and New Media (AIM) documentary film program at Tamalpais High School.

“I was putting together different pieces of audio — whether it was Foley background music or whatever,” Vogel said. “I looked at one of my friends and said, ‘Man, I wish I could make music like this. Just laying things together, like putting Lego pieces together.’” 

His friend pointed across the room to another student making hip-hop beats on his computer. Vogel realized he didn’t have to play guitar or the drums to make music — his computer could be his instrument.

Four albums and many popular remixes and singles later, Vogel has racked up over 600,000 followers on Instagram and fans from all over the world. Still, nothing compares to his hometown crowd. 

“I’ve talked to so many of my peers and we all feel the same way: the crowds in San Francisco are on a completely different level to just about anywhere else in the country,” Vogel said. “And I don’t know what’s in the water, but they’re really just extra special.”

So when he hits the stage at 1015 Folsom for his two-night run, it’ll be with a lot of pride.

“It’s so cool because I get to be like, ‘Yeah, these are my people.’ Like, how rad is that — that where I came from [has] some of the best fans in the world — not just of me, but of all electronic music.”

‘Jauz Presents: The Wicked’ takes place July 11 at 1015 Folsom in San Francisco, followed by ‘The Wise’ on July 12. Tickets and details here.