SEATTLE — An indie rock band lost everything while touring in Seattle. Their van and trailer, along with all their gear and merchandise, were stolen.
KING 5 spoke with Corey Wichlin and Zack Schwartz, members of the indie rock band Spirit of the Beehive.
"I think all of us had a little bit of a cry,” said Schwartz. “Yeah, it was pretty devastating to lose pretty much everything."
After they performed in Seattle last week, surveillance video captured the theft around 4 a.m. Friday at the band's hotel near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. The video shows two cars pulling up next to the band's trailer hitched to the van. The video captured one person getting out and walking toward the van; within a minute, the suspect was able to get inside and drive away.
"We had a boot on it. Everything was padlocked,” said Schwartz. "They just drove straight through the boot to break it. We had an Apple air tag in there that apparently died."
The band said the trailer was recovered that afternoon in West Seattle, empty. On Sunday, police told the band they found the stolen van, too. It was taken to a nearby impound lot. A few hours later, they got news of more bad luck. The van was stolen again, this time from the impound lot.
"Kind of just burst out laughing, honestly, at that point. It's just kind of comical,” said Schwartz. “I don't know. Just another instance of hope that was immediately taken away," said Wichlin.
And taking away more than $65,000 of gear and equipment, $8,000 worth of merchandise and other priceless belongings. The band estimates all in all, the loss is more than $100,000.
"Our live show files from our recordings that we cannot physically get back,” said Wichlin. “So that stuff is probably what hurt the most."
The band said the remainder of the U.S. tour is canceled, but they do hope to come back to Seattle.
"We'll be back. We love Seattle,” said Wichlin. “Like I said, it was a great show. It usually is. We're just never going to stay in Seattle," said Schwartz.
The band said it appreciates everyone who has shown support, including donating money, gear and equipment.