Local Newswire Help The Wildbirds buy back their stolen equipment (again)

Next to breaking up or playing a venue that’s stingy with the free drink tickets, the worst thing that can befall a band is having its equipment stolen. (Seriously, if Dante had lived another 650 years, he would have reserved a 10th circle in hell for guitar thieves.) And though many local bands surely have horror stories of pilfered gear and compromised touring vans, no group has been unluckier as of late than The Wildbirds. Last year, the Milwaukee rockers had their gear stolen while playing in Chicago; just last month, nearly everything the band owned—roughly $15,000 worth of guitars, microphones, and other instruments—was stolen in New York City during the CMJ Music Marathon. Not cool, Chicago and New York. Not cool.

Down but not out, The Wildbirds are hoping to recoup some of their losses with a little help from their hometown fans. But instead of taking the “let’s-start-a-Kickstarter-campaign-and-give-away-some-free-T-shirts” route, the band is doing something revolutionary: It’s playing a show.

On Tuesday, Nov. 15, The Wildbirds will descend upon their favorite roosting place, The Hotel Foster, for a much-needed benefit blowout. Opening will be the band’s own country offshoot, Hugh Bob And The Hustle. The show begins at 9 p.m. and is only $5 at the door, a small price to pay for a group that has given so much to Milwaukee, and has lost so much every time it decides to step outside city lines.