Photo Credit: Spirit of the Beehive / David Brandon Geeting
Philadelphia-based indie band Spirit of the Beehive loses everything, including their touring van, gear, and merchandise, while touring in Seattle.
Spirit of the Beehive, a Philadelphia-based indie rock band, reported the theft of “pretty much everything” — their van, trailer, gear, and merchandise were all stolen while on a tour stop in Seattle. Members of the band told Seattle’s KING 5 that the theft happened around 4 AM outside their hotel near SEA Airport.
“I think all of us had a little bit of a cry,” said Zack Schwartz, when he and bandmate Corey Wichlin spoke to KING 5. The group said surveillance video captured the theft on Friday at their hotel near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), after they performed in the city last week.
The video shows two cars pulling up next to the band’s trailer hitched to the van. One person is seen getting out and walking toward the van, and within a minute, the suspect was able to gain access to the vehicle and drive it 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, but it was cleaned out. On Sunday, police told the band they found the stolen van, which had been taken to a nearby impound lot. But only hours later, they received another call that the van was stolen yet again, this time from the impound lot.
“[We] kind of just burst out laughing, honestly, at that point. It’s just kind of comical,” Schwartz said. “I don’t know. Just another instance of hope that was immediately taken away,” added Wichlin.
Altogether, the band lost over $65,000 in gear and equipment, $8,000 worth of merchandise, as well as the members’ own priceless belongings. They estimate the loss is greater 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 rest of their US tour is canceled, but they do hope to return to Seattle despite the experience. “We’ll be back. We love Seattle,” said Wichlin. “It was a great show. It usually is. We’re just never going to stay in Seattle,” added Schwartz. The group also expressed appreciation for the support they’ve received, which has included donations of money and equipment.
