Hijack the Disco Returns After Hiatus

Author: Joshua Howe

For those of you wondering what became of Middlebury College's progressive indie-emo band, Hijack the Disco, lead vocalist Mike Mahony '02 has a message for you: "Hijack is back."

After a mysterious five-month hiatus, the Middlebury foursome re-emerged last Friday night at Burlington's Radio Bean with a stirring two-hour acoustic set that left fans begging for more.

In addition to an impressively clean acoustic version of Hijack's traditional repertoire, the crowd, packed into the small, refreshingly hip coffee shop and bar off Church Street, heard the debut of six new songs.

This new stock demonstrated the band's commitment to creative development.

Stuck awkwardly in a corner behind the door with a broken microphone, unfazed bass player Courtney Brocks '01 nevertheless turned out an excellent performance, showing the poise she has developed from her years of experience as a solo artist. Drummer Mike Deblois '99, likewise backed in against the wall on the small stage, found room to carry the band through their many innovative transitions, while the intricate rapport between guitarists Dave Tsui '02 and Mahony provided the polished driving force behind the unique Hijack sound.

Traditionally a more electrified group, the acoustic performance revealed the chemistry and musical integrity behind their innovative style.

Evident in the debut of "Up and Out," "Hello/Goodbye," and "The Smell of Emergency," the subtle interplay of Tsui and Mahony's guitar lines complimented Mahony's versatile projection of powerful lyrics to create a richness rarely found on the indie-emo scene.

Along with older songs, like "Four Walls" and "Like a Soft Heart Beating Underwater," Hijack the Disco's new material further showcased their ability to create a desperate musical urgency that stays with fans long after they leave a concert.

With all of this to offer, where have they been? "Hijack is not the only thing we have going," says Mahony, a computer science major. He plays bass in Middlebury's Skama Sutra, a ska band that recently released it's debut album, "Skama Sutra Performs the One-Legged Mount" (available in The College Store and at www.skamasutra.com).

Mahony was not the only Hijack member affected by Skama Sutra's October recording session. With Tsui on lead guitar and Deblois on drums, a barrage of recent Skama Sutra shows has left Hijack on the back burner. Brocks, for her part, is working on further developing her own career as a singer/songwriter with mounting success, establishing herself as a fixture on the New England music scene.

Her newest album, "Miles and Miles," is also on sale at The College Store, and at www.courtneybrocks.com.

Despite a number of other commitments that have prevented the band from performing, the creative element of Hijack the Disco has still been hard at work during their lull.

Mahony and Tsui spent much of the fall writing and producing a series of experimental new songs collectively entitled ".blind.," available online at www.michaelmahony.com.

In addition, the band has been using its practice time to prepare for an upcoming cover performance of Weezer's "Blue Album" in its entirety.

With two members of the band already out of college and the other two graduating in May, Hijack's long-term future is uncertain at best. "If we had the money," says Mahony, "we'd make an album. For now, we just want to play shows."

Though Brocks will soon be moving on to pursue her burgeoning solo career in Colorado, and Deblois' plans are uncertain, Mahony and Tsui, the musical core of Hijack the Disco, have decided to press forward with the band.

In the meantime, however, Hijack is back, and they're looking to finish up the spring with a flourish.

For show information,musical samples and a brief band bio, see http://www.hijackthedisco.com.