The story of one man called Carjack/Lo-fi Bri is a uniquely Detroit story. The young Bri was a Black Flag-loving skate punk who dug the Mojo's legendary radio show called Midnight Funk Association, which turned Detroit listeners onto early hip hop, electro and techno amid George Clinton and Prince jams. Indeed, if Egyptian Lover spawned a love child with Black Flag guitarist Greg Ginn, the result would be Carjack.
Carjack's birth was a slow process. For years, young Bri was your typical indie-rock fan. He even worked at a Dayton record store with Brainiac's late frontman Tim Taylor. Back in Detroit, he checked out shows at such defunct venues as Zoot's and the Gold Dollar. Inspired, Bri began home recording in 1994. Three years ago he debuted live at a pal's birthday party. "Initially I wore a mask because I was shy onstage," Bri explains.
It didn't take long for Lo-fi Bri to shift from hiding behind a mask to owning the freak-geek E.T. mask-wearing persona (among many) and going ape-shit on stage.
"Carjack is about what you can get away with in front of an audience," Bri grins. With masks, customized amps and monitors, many robots running amok, and his spazzed-out guitar attack, Bri gets away with some of the most ridiculous performances this side of Champions of Breakfast.
Speaking of his set's evolution, Bri says, "I've raised the bar slowly, making it bigger, bombastic and weirder by adding things as I go. You know how when you get an apartment and you slowly wind up with more and more stuff?" Or in Carjack's case you wind up with a house full of drum machines, guitars, cool records and an army of robots.
You can check out Carjack's music at www.myspace.com/carjackband. Carjack will be performing Friday, January 23rd at The Factory, 334 S. Main St, Rochester. Lo-fi Bri is also in the Electric Fire Babies who are playing Thursday January 22nd at the Garden Bowl, 4120 Woodward Ave, Detroit. You can check out their music at www.myspace.com/electricfirebabies.
