DJ Vlad.
Now, as a practicing commercial litigation attorney, Vlad has been the open-format Resident DJ at D.S. Tequila on Saturday nights since 2016, when he helped start #DSLate. Vlad is also a monthly resident at Electric Hotel, ROCBAR, and Uproar in River North. DJ Vlad has performed at venues all over the city, including Scarlet, ProgressBar, Splash, LIQRBOX, The River Kitchen and Bar, Old Crow Wrigleyville, Clutch Bar, Happy’s Bamboo Bar & Lounge, Maxbar, Play Chicago Kitchen & Cocktails, HVAC Pub, Tavern on Rush, Whiskey Sky (W Chicago Rooftop), Bar Umbriago, Newport Bar and Grill, and many others.
Picking up music at the early age of five, Vlad grew up taking piano, alto saxophone, and voice lessons until he turned eighteen and left for college. As Vlad’s love for dance music grew, he got his first sound system on his 9th birthday. His mixing style began to develop, with influences from various mixtapes and live sets by DJ Markski, DJ Caffeine, DJ Rozz, DJ Flipside, DJ Bam Bam, Tony Arzadon, and more recently, A-Trak and James Hype.
When he was thirteen, Vlad’s parents booked him to perform at a surprise Romanian party for family friends, bringing his mixing skills to a live audience. The party was a hit, and the Romanian community welcomed young DJ Vlad with open arms.
By fifteen, Vlad’s DJ business had grown, and he founded his first mobile DJ company, employing a staff of DJs, dancers, event coordinators, and audio/visual technicians. Vlad trained several young, aspiring DJs and held mixing and dancing workshops for entertainers and emcees. Before graduating from high school, Vlad’s company was performing at over 50 shows per year, from corporate events, weddings, bar and bat mitzvahs, to high school dances, fundraisers, and local social events. In addition, DJ Vlad was booked at 17+ and 18+ club events, including several performances at the Warehouse nightclub and pop-up events such as Raver’s Fantasy, Club 500, and Existence.
In college, as tailgate chair of his fraternity, Vlad revolutionized the tailgate scene at Indiana University by putting on a complete performance on the grassy tailgate fields across from the stadium, with a generator, speakers, lights, and a live DJ. Soon, all of the other fraternities began putting on performances of their own. Shortly thereafter, Vlad landed his first residency as the Friday night headliner at Brothers Bar & Grill.
Northalsted Business Alliance has been proud to feature Vlad as a performer on the PrideFest DJ Stage annually since 2015!