B.J. Lofback, 40, who grew up in the outskirts of Detroit, Michigan, in the ’70s, says his love of music goes back a long way. “I can’t imagine a time that music wasn’t a part of my life. My dad was a radio guy, and my grandfather started all of that with his broadcasting career. But Dad was in it more for the music. He felt music in a special way and I fell right into that.”
Lofback’s love for cooking also began at a young age. “I picked up a spatula way earlier than a guitar,” he says. “My dad only played air guitar, but was wicked on the grill. I loved the idea that you could go into the kitchen and make something out of seemingly nothing, and I was encouraged to do so. I would watch Julia Child and Yan Can Cook and think, ‘I can do that!’ And so I did.”
Out of high school, Lofback worked in a pizza place and locked into what he thought would be a long career in food. “I played in a band and thought that was all I would ever need,” he adds. “But it needed to be my expression, so I left the restaurant dreaming of the day I’d have my own.”
Years went by until he read about the food truck scene in L.A. “I had to have one!” he says. “I literally began looking for my truck that day.” Two years of planning brought him to Nashville, Tennessee, where he opened Riffs Fine Street Food with his friend, Carlos Davis.
“We’ve taken our love of street food from around the world and serve it daily out of a truck window,” says Lofback. “We’ve been shown a lot of love by Nashville, and I like to think I showed that love back to Music City by naming the truck ‘Riffs.’ It really combines my two loves in a special way.”
“How cool is it when you’re just jamming with your friends and everything works!?” asks Lofback. “I get to do that every day, both in the kitchen and with my guitar.”
B.J.’s Gear
EMMA DISCUMBOBULATOR:
“To call this pedal an auto-wah is insulting; it's way more than that! Easily one of the most fun pedals I own.”
GIBSON CUSTOM SHOP ’58 VOS LES PAUL: “Some people don’t like ’50s Les Pauls because of the baseball bat sized neck. But that is exactly why I love them—big neck equals BIG TONE!”
Who are your musical influences?
I’m a huge fan of anything Jack White does, and also Warren Haynes. I get bored easily in the kitchen and musically, so two guys who are known to switch it up, I’m totally down with.
Why do you continue to make music?
If I go too long without a guitar in my hands, I start to get a little agitated. Music is equally cathartic and stimulating.
How do you continue to learn?
Listen and taste. I recently read Victor Wooten’s book, which likens music to language. I love the idea that for us to speak well, we need to listen to masters of that language. So I study at the feet of masters every day.
What benefits have you found to making music?
Being creative is valuable to me in my career. Creativity is a muscle, if you don’t use it, atrophy sets in and you can lose it. I enjoy the exercise I get from even a few minutes of time musically.
How do you make time for music in your life? Starting a new business has its time challenges. So, at this point, I’m more of a sprinter than a marathoner. But I rarely go a day without picking up a guitar and playing a song or two. And when the guys get together for a jam, some things just have to fall by the wayside. Priorities, man!
What advice do you have for someone getting into music later in life?
Bob Seger said, “Rock and roll never forgets.” I can’t imagine that’s not true. It’s never too late to turn back to an old love. What are you waiting for?
What is your best memory of making music?
My dad died last November. He would appreciate a
2 a.m. phone call saying, “You must hear this song!” It was a foregone conclusion that Allman Brothers’ “Soulshine” would play on his radio tribute. I recorded an acoustic version, and to hear it played in memory of him, felt really good. I know he would’ve loved it, and that was comforting to me.
