We'll get by with a little help from our friends.

Hey, y'all.

 

Hope everyone is well.  Thank you in advance for taking time to read this layered and lengthy story. We wanted to be very transparent and forthcoming. 

So, as we watch the Russian invasion of Ukraine in horror,  self-pity is definitely not an option - not when these good people, our brothers and sisters - are involved in a senseless war they did not provoke. The band had the honor of touring in Ukraine in 2012 and 2015 with the U.S. State Dept. and stayed in Kyiv at Independence Sq. They sat with an ambassador listening intently and learning, worked closely with the fine U.S. Embassy staff serving our country on a diplomatic mission and befriended local Ukrainians employed by our embassy. Ironically they also toured Russia for two weeks in 2015, again with the righteous folks at our U.S State Department as part of their own cultural diplomacy efforts.

 

However, the fact remains that something really crappy happened to the band, Terrance Simien and the Zydeco Experience, over the weekend when they were on tour in the beautiful Las Vegas, Nevada area - and they need your help. They were victims of theft - the police report reads felony theft of a vehicle; however, it was their cargo trailer loaded with all their instruments and equipment, in this case. No self pity here, just facts and forward movement. 

 

Most of you know that I'm the agent and manager for this extraordinary group of human beings, and the band I've worked with for over 30 years.

 

They had been in area for a few days already, as they presented Creole 4 Kidz! at several schools in Henderson, NV and had performed for an incredible audience at Water Street Plaza Amphitheater on the evening of 2/26. After the performance, they returned back to the hotel where they'd been staying for three days, the Sam's Hotel and Gambling Hall, at around 9:30 pm.

 

They woke Sunday morning 2/27, energized and ready to leave Vegas to continue the tour only to find their trailer with all their instruments, equipment and gear stolen. The criminals cut the lock and detached it from the van. Stunned and shocked, Terrance called police and hotel security to report the crime.

 

Not gonna lie - this is one of the most challenging things we've ever had to do - and it's a first for us- asking for help from our friends. We're used to being on the giving end of these crowd-funded campaigns, not on the receiving. But this chain of unfortunate events leaves us no choice. The band needs to replace all of the stolen equipment to be whole again and get back to work! Regretfully, they were also forced to cancel the remaining tour dates and will be working to reschedule. We thank everyone for your patience and understanding during this transition.

 

Believe it or not though, the story did not start with the theft - it started earlier that gorgeous Saturday morning when they decided to take a drive to the Hoover Dam for some sightseeing before the evening performance.

 

Driving down the interstate, our trusty 2017 Ford Transit high-top tour van shut down entirely multiple times,  but it restarted and ran long enough for them to get back to the hotel. We then began the process of finding a mechanic to look at the truck on a Saturday afternoon. We eventually found a mobile mechanic who could immediately diagnose the issue; the catalytic converters needed replacing. They parked it and started the search to find a rental van with towing capacity to make the performance that night and finish the tour while waiting on the parts and repair. With the current shortage of rental cars and vans, they were beyond fortunate to find such a rental. Yes, it seemed their luck was changing, but as you know it was only a fleeting moment of good luck! All of this would be expensive; a rental, the repair, flatbed towing an oversized vehicle, but it had to get done. We'd been in this position before, many times. This was not insurmountable. Having a trailer stolen with all your gear - little different than a breakdown.  

 

So, just for some additional context - all of this happened during an 18 hour period;  van breaks down, and the trailer gets stolen. Whoa, can you imagine how our heads were spinning? Exploding is more like it!

 

Some really exquisite instruments that toured the country with us were in that trailer, which is painful. They will be expensive to replace. Terrance's accordions, cases, amp and rig; Ian's Mapex drum kit w/cases, Zildjian cymbals, hardware; Danny's Nord and Hammond keyboards w/cases, wireless ear monitor, an amp, other accessories; Stan's Fender bass, amp and accessories; Lance's wireless ear monitor. Revon had nothing in the trailer- yayy! There were other assorted equipment and tools, personal items and a case full of merchandise - newly printed T-shirts, CDs, and a new display grid- also in the trailer. We'll be replacing the trailer, too. And check it, there was a year's supply of Mardi Gras beads stolen as well, dang it! Yep, every last bit of stolen property will need to be replaced.

 

There are no words to express how humbled we've been with the outpouring of support we've already experienced from our friends & family everywhere. It still hurts, but you are helping us mend  and we are forever grateful for your kindness and generosity.