Six guitars and basses disappeared from alt-rock band Sponge's trailer overnight after a show at The Fillmore Silver Spring, forcing the 1990s hitmakers to borrow gear from tourmates Candlebox just to keep playing. The band members were asleep at a Holiday Inn in College Park, Maryland when the trailer was broken into early Wednesday morning, and they discovered the theft later that day.
Sponge performed in Silver Spring on Tuesday, October 20, as the supporting act on Candlebox's Can't Quit You tour, according to CBS News Baltimore. As reported by WJLA, the trailer belonging to the band was broken into while members were staying at the College Park hotel, and the Prince George's County Police Department is now investigating the burglary. One report, however, placed the theft at a Holiday Inn in Silver Spring rather than College Park, with the band quoted by nj.com describing the break-in at the “Silver Springs, Maryland, Holiday Inn,” adding, “They got guitars and a bit more.”
Four Guitars and Two Basses Gone
Per the band's account, the stolen haul included four electric guitars and two bass guitars. WJLA's reporting lists the missing instruments as a vintage 1990s Orange Reverend Commando, a black Reverend Signature Pete Anderson Eastsider S, a Reverend Warhawk Avocado, and a Fender Stratocaster made in Corona, California. The two stolen basses were a black Fender Jaguar bass and a Fender P bass, the same report notes.
The band shared social media photos showing damage to the trailer, including an apparent broken piece of metal attached to a padlock. Sponge said it hopes spreading the word will help people recognize the instruments if they turn up at local pawn shops or music stores. As FOX 5 DC reports, the band said it is reaching out to pawn shops and Guitar Center locations across the region in case the gear is resold.
Borrowed Gear Keeps the Tour Rolling
Borrowed Gear Keeps the Tour Rolling Rather than cancel a date, Sponge turned to its tourmates. Candlebox loaned guitars so Sponge could play its scheduled show in Buffalo, New York, the night after the Maryland theft, and USA Today reports the band thanked its musical comrades for the assist. FOX 5 DC adds that Sponge is utilizing borrowed instruments supplied by fellow touring musicians, including members of Candlebox, to get through the rest of the run, with the show continuing as scheduled through the end of the tour on October 30.
Formed in Detroit in 1992, Sponge is best known for 1990s hits including Plowed, Molly (16 Candles), Wax Ecstatic, and Have You Seen Mary. The band continues its tour Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, before the run wraps up on October 30 in Sayreville, New Jersey, according to USA Today.
Reward Offered, Details Still Unsettled
Reward Offered, Details Still Unsettled Sponge is offering a reward for information leading to the instruments' safe return, though published accounts disagree on the amount: WJLA reported the band's publicist cited a $500 reward, while USA Today reported the figure as $1,000. USA Today described the offer as no questions asked. Anyone with information is asked to contact [email protected], per WJLA's reporting.
Gear theft from touring trailers is hardly unheard of on the road. Members of the band Julien-K reported thousands of dollars in rare musical equipment stolen from their trailer after a San Diego show, according to FOX 5 San Diego. For now, it remains unclear whether Sponge's stolen instruments have been recovered or whether anyone has been identified in connection with the College Park break-in.
