Fog and EDM pour out of Barn Radio until 4 am, well past the closing time of most of Portland’s bars and venues. The unassuming storefront straddling Portland’s South Waterfront and Old Town frequently hosts DJs into the night. When ravers come out of the front doors laughing, lighting cigarettes, the heavy bass music accompanies them out onto—a sight that hasn’t been seen on SW 1st in ages. 

As the cost of live music continues to rise for both event producers and attendees, free shows are becoming more and more rare—see the demise of Rontoms Sunday Sessions—Cole Johnson, founder and director of Barn Radio, understands the importance of creating a free, underground space for (electronic) music in the city.

Barn Radio is a “werk-in-progress multidisciplinary space and platform for electronic music,” says Johnson on the venue’s Instagram. “It is Black-led, Community-led, and Artist-led.” 

Since its inception, Barn Radio has prioritized accessibility within the community by offering sliding scale admission to all events for BIPOC and trans community members starting at $5. “This is to recognize the systematic barriers that we experience, to create a safe space for us, and to make it as accessible as we can,” Johnson says. Barn Radio’s free parties have helped bridge this gap further. 

“I wanted to design a club environment and sound system that recreated the joy, healing, and inspiration [I’ve] experienced in club spaces in Chicago, Europe, and Mexico City,” Johnson says. 

The space was founded in 2023, a few years after Johnson moved to Portland from Chicago for a designer and technologist position at FISK Projects where he acquired a DJ controller for gallery shows, connecting with DJs in the area. Transitioning to freelance gave Johnson time for his own projects, including Barn Radio. 

“It occurred organically and passionately, but it also had a sense of direction,” Johnson said of Barn Radio’s development. “I had hoped to make a space, and eventually a platform, for artists who needed a place to play, learn, and experiment with new ideas.” 

The free event series is inspired by Tresor West, a techno club in Dortmund, Germany, that began hosting free shows as a part of its #SaveTheUnderground campaign earlier this year. Under threat of closure, Tresor West announced a series of “Community Nights” to which admission is free (as opposed to the typical €20) with lineups consisting of local talent rather than expensive touring headliners. 

Implementing a similar structure, Barn Radio hosted its first “free party” on February 22 with a lineup of eight local DJs, including Johnson himself. While donations were welcome, admission only consisted of an online RSVP. As one might expect of a free community event, drink and party favor [glow sticks] sales jumped. 

Due to the event’s success, Barn Radio continues hosting free events each month. With each show the scope expands with lineups featuring DJs from long established rave scenes New York, New Jersey, and London. 

“The costs of running a music venue and organizing events are very high, and the cost of attending our events week after week is very high,” Johnson says. “Many people are struggling financially and mentally right now. Ultimately, we want people to attend a space [of] pure joy, healing, and connection in our community.” 

The free events have been powerful in growing the scene and inviting new people into the space, Johnson says. 

“I think there's a circulation of non-monetary value that is incredibly important—culturally—through free events,” Johnson says. “Music discovery, care and belonging, permission to express yourself, to dress and dance however you want [is] an exchange of energy and emotions or ideas that keep you going the next day.”

In short, Johnson says, “Running a music space is incredibly difficult, and for us is a mission-driven passion project.” The free events are possible, in large part, due to friends and resident DJs who donate their time and skills in the spirit of keeping Portland’s underground music scene alive. The donations and beverage sales of attendees and community members also help cover event staff, equipment rental, and necessary supplies. 

“We always strive to learn from history,” Johnson says. “Many of the origins of electronic music scenes were fueled by free parties, from Detroit and Chicago and NYC in the ’80s and ’90s to UK sound system culture and pirate radio. At the end of the day, we also just want to have a good time.”

To celebrate their 100th event, Barn Radio is launching an online, open-access community radio station. As of the publication of this article, Barn Radio is accepting show applications for their radio station.