We were greeted by Chuck, his sister Catherine and her husband Eric along with 20 sausage links, a dozen strips of bacon, a dozen pancakes, a dozen scrambled eggs, a giant bowl of mixed berries sprinkled with sugar and a pitcher of coffee. Lula, their lab mix finished off the remains of the feast and laid down to take a nap. It felt like a homecoming.
After a shower we all jumped in the car and took a tour of the city. We ended up at 18th & Vine, an American jazz museum. There was live jazz playing in honor of Charlie Parker’s legacy. We took a quick look around and decided to move on to Arthur Bryant’s to have some authentic Kansas City BBQ. I don’t think any of us were even hungry but we ordered liberally and stuffed our already full stomachs.
We headed to the Sprint Music Center, a glass sphere right in the middle of the city. The indoor arena was packed by the time Evan had hit the stage. He started his performance with "Indiana", then played "Woodpecker", invited Vivian out on stage to play their Bill Withers tune and ended the set with "40 Nights", a song he hadn’t played yet on this tour. Evan’s emotional performance was well received as the arena shook with clapping.
After Def Leppard finished their set we headed across the street to a bar called the Flying Saucer. We had a few drinks and caught up with our friends. When the bar closed at 2 AM we headed back to Catherine’s for bed. We parked the Ford with our trailer on the corner of Warwick and 46th Street just across from Catherine’s apartment complex. It was a nice neighborhood, a beautiful park with children’s equipment on one side and tall Victorian buildings all around.
I am plagued with irony looking back now to the conversation Catherine and I had as we left the car under a street lamp. She wondered if I would be comfortable leaving the car parked on the street, I had laughed and commented on the apparent wealth of the area. We left the trailer alone at 2:30 AM and I slept well without a worry.
The next morning we woke up around 11 AM and decided to head out to the Blue Bird for breakfast. A friend from Evan’s childhood, Nick lived in the area and had joined us the night before for Evan’s show and again met us for breakfast. After we finished eating Nick invited us to walk down into his neighborhood to show us the house he was renovating in exchange for rent. When finished, the house is to be a community center for local artists to gather.
We walked up the hill passing a Buddhist monastery and stopped in an abandoned field to look down onto the hustle and bustle of the city below. I remember taking a deep breathe and feeling at home. The sweat from the walk was refreshing, the good friends warming. I wanted to stay in Kansas City but it was time to move on to the next city. We needed to be in Denver, CO the following night.
We said our good byes and walked back to the trailer to discover the lock had been cut from the door. It felt like a dream as I opened the back to find all of Evan’s instruments, amplifier, porch board base, guitar stand, pedal board, harmonicas, straps, picks . . . everything was gone. I closed the doors again in disbelief and opened it again, an action we had performed a million times this summer. Like magic I thought our possessions might reappear and that we might laugh at the good trick.
The reality started to sink in that everything was gone. Evan and I fell to our knees and grabbed our heads. The tears ran as we screamed out to no one. We continuously asked questions without an answer to satisfy the pain we were experiencing. How did this happen? Who would do this? Did anyone see what happened? When did this happen? What do we do? What do we do? WHAT DO WE DO?!?!?!
It took several minutes, which felt like a lifetime for us to take action. I sent Evan to ask the people sitting in the park if they had seen anything. I called the police and then the production team then in Colorado. I received instructions to drive on to Colorado, that the guitar techs Jeff and Wolfie were going to get some equipment so that the show could go on. Then I called the insurance company and filed a claim for the lost property.
As our emotions settled we held each other in comfort. We were thankful that no one was hurt and agreed that things can be replaced but a feeling of violation remained. Evan and I don't have an apartment or a house so our home is/was the trailer attached to the back of our car. To know that someone entered our home and violated it still stung. The action was more upsetting in reflection than the absence of our material possessions. I cried that day for both our pain and the thieves pain, only people who have experience abuse, neglect, hunger and fear could have carried out these actions.
We arrived in Colorado the next day to find the crew and bands of Heart and Def Leppard extremely empathetic to our situation. Wolfie and Jeff, guitar techs had run out the day before and rented equipment for Evan and everyone was offering help in any way they could. Our spirits were lifted by the love that surrounded us. I am very thankful to be a part of this touring family :)
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