Band on GoogaMooga Bill Has Van Stolen

A local band who will take the stage during next month's festival in Prospect Park had their van—with all their instruments inside—stolen from a Ditmas Park block.

"This is our livelihood," said Jess Wolfe, a singer with Lucius, who was stunned to find the band's tan 2009 Ford E350 van stolen from 17th St. and Ditmas Park Ave. Thursday morning

The five-member group, who all live in Ditmas Park around Cortelyou Rd., had just finished a gig on the Lower East Side in Manhattan and were set to hit a recording session the following morning.

"We've never left our gear in the van before," Wolfe said, noting they covered up the estimated $15,000 in instruments inside. 

The following morning: "It was gone."

Drums, snares, keyboards, guitars, amps, even merchandise, like CDs and band T-shirts. All of it.

"Some of it's irreplaceable," said Wolfe, a Los Angeles native.

Wolfe told cops from the 70th Pct. that they recently switched license plates on the van, which she also estimated at $15,000, to New York ones to replace the plates from Texas, where the van was purchased. The old plates were still inside the van and Wolfe said they could have easily been swapped out. 

The New York plates are FYW-3876; the old Texas plates are BL7Y292.

Anyone with information regarding the missing van or any of the istruments is asked to contact the .

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"It's very disappointing; very sad," Wolfe lamented.

But while the band—who also record at a Cortelyou Ave. building—hunts down their missing gear, they won't let last week be the day the music died.

Wolfe said they will be scraping together instruments to put on some fundraising shows this week. 

They did get some good news this week, though when it was announced that they will be part of in Prospect Park the weekend of May 19 and 20, a list that includes groups such as Hall & Oates and The Roots.