When all your equipment is stolen - ASPERA

Mike used to be in this space-rock band called Aspera. Actually, when he was a contributing song writer and lead singer it was called Aspera ad Astra (which not only has to be one of the dumbest band names EVER, it is shared by three other touring acts in the US - duh.) On the last leg of a tour in 2002, the boys played in Chicago. After spending the night at a friend's house, they gave thanks to their host and walked out to start up the van and begin the 17 hour trek back to Philadelphia. Tired, but stoked to be home within a day, they opened the doors to the van, only to find...NOTHING. Every piece of equipment was stolen, including Chris Powell's (Man Man) customized drums. Pain. Disbelief. Stunned, like a car accident victim who gets out of the car and walks around with a gaping wound, two of them walked down the street in the hopes that the assholes who stole their equipment MAY have left a clue behind. One block away, Justin spots a wheel to his Twin Reverb amp. Clue number one. He yells to the others. They begin to desparately look in boarded up store fronts on that block. One of the store fronts had newspapers covering the windows. Drew peered in and miraculously spotted Chris drums. Elated, they saw that a bakery, adjacent to that building, would open shortly. They waited and approached some of the Spanish speaking employees who worked there (you don't have to speak Spanish in order to get the point across that "you will die unless you help us recover our belongings"). They pleaded to have access to the store where the stolen drums were located. One of the employees ratted out the "kingpin" of the operation. After police were called and several delays, two of the Aspera boys were in the middle of a Chicago Police sting in an attempt to gain access to the remaining equipment at the "kingpin's" residence. He eventually came home only to find two tired, angry, white boys at his door (unmarked police cars were parked on the street...cops with weapons drawn). King Pin opened his front door to Justin and Drew's knocks, and Chicago's finest "bumrushed the show" busting into the house and eventually recovering EVERY SINGLE PIECE of Aspera's equipment. Half of the band loaded up the van and BOLTED for Philadelphia, while Justin and Drew stayed behind to give a statement to police (which would ensure that the thugs wouldn't return to a life of crime for at least...a week or so). Justin and Drew rented a Camaro to drive the 17 hours home. The two drove over 100mph and got home in 14 hours. True story (none of the names were changed to protect any identities).