For 35 years, Brad Vachal has been at the heart of Portland’s late-night scene – from ’80s new wave club adventures to the pioneering days of the ’90s warehouse rave era, and into the 2000s club and bar boom, where he embraced the disco revival. Today, he’s one-third of the Soul Stew DJs, Portland’s legendary dance night, often adding an eclectic edge to the stalwart soul sessions. He continues to DJ a wide array of events, always striving to play “the best music I can get away with.” Brad has worn many hats in the dance music community: longtime record slinger at Platinum Records, a key figure in legendary events like One Love and the influential outdoor party Indian Summer, and an occasional historian for XLR8R and Faith fanzine. This year, he joined some Pickathon DJ friends as part of the Get Lost DJ Consortium on Shady Pines Radio, spinning the chillest of tunes. Alongside frequent DJ partner Eric “Aquaman” Hedford, he has recorded for Tirk Records as Hedford Vachal and remixed Portland icons like The Dandy Warhols and YACHT. Brad eagerly embraced the opportunity to join the amazing Pickathon DJ lineup. He spends all year crafting sets for the festival, with each night offering a different musical time and space—finding the through line from dusty old 45s to freshly pressed 12” singles, spanning R&B, soul, funk, rock, disco, new wave, and house, all selected with a distinctly Pendarvis-Farm-in-August feeling in mind.

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