Band gets $30,000 of equipment stolen during tour stop in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- It's a dream come true for the Summer Salt band as they perform across the East Coast.

They even made a stop at The Fillmore on Saturday night.

But drummer Eugene Chung said they woke up to a nightmare Monday morning.

"I walked out at 7 in the morning to get a change of clothes and saw the lock was missing and all of our gear was gone," said Chung.

Surveillance video appears to show someone tampering with the lock on their trailer after 3:30 a.m. Monday on the corner of South 15th and Dickinson streets in South Philadelphia.

Then about an hour later, two people arrive, and one removed the equipment and wheeled it away.

"There's moments of frustration, disappointment, and discouragement is the biggest thing for me personally," said Matthew Terry, who is the guitarist and singer of the Texas band.

Terry and Chung said their drums, guitar amp and pedal, digital mixer and more were stolen. They said it's worth about $30,000, but also has sentimental value.

Band members say they've been collecting the gear for more than a decade.

"Yeah, it's unfortunate, but right now we have a good crew, and we're moving forward, and the community has been great," said Terry.

While police investigate, the band urges residents to contact them if they have any information and to search pawn shops and resale sites for their equipment.

In the meantime, they said the show must go on.

"It's definitely our love for music and playing to our fans and sharing that experience together that will always keep us going no matter what happens," said Chung.

Summer Salt will continue to perform in several other cities through June and July.

They said they'll rent and buy new equipment along the way, but hope their equipment returns home.