SmashMouth

An indie rock band on a Gulf Coast tour hit an unexpected bump in New Orleans this month. Just after performing in New Orleans on the morning of Aug. 17, the lead singer of Austin, Texas-based Growl saw the band's truck and equipment trailer drive away without any of the band's members behind the wheel.

The Tahoe and trailer were parked in the 900 block of Camp Street, just a few blocks from Circle Bar, where the band performed that night, according to police reports. Kent Hale, the band's drummer, said that even though most of the band's equipment was with the musicians at the gig, the trailer contained at least several thousand dollars worth of computer equipment and the band members' personal computers.

When lead singer Santiago Dietchy walked out of the bar around 1:30 a.m., he saw the Tahoe driving away, trailed closely by another white SUV. He said the trucks then turned onto St. Joseph Street and were quickly out of sight.

Hale said the band's manager, Sam Houdek, immediately called 911 from his cell phone when he learned the truck was gone. Houdek's phone records show he called 911 at least six times between 1:30 and 8 a.m., but to the band's dismay, no officer responded.

"I didn't even know that was possible, that (the police) never came," said Hale, a resident of Austin.

Hale said that during one call, the 911 dispatcher acknowledged that an officer had been sent but had been diverted to a more serious incident. Just before 8 a.m., Hale said, the band found an off-duty police officer at a nearby gas station who helped take the group to the 8th District station, where the musicians filed a report.

In an official statement, the NOPD apologized for the delay, but said the call took lower priority to other incidents that night because no one was physically harmed or in a life-threatening condition.

The band rented a van to accommodate their equipment and continue the tour, Hale said, but ended up canceling one stop on its tour from Austin to Jacksonville, Fla.

Both the Tahoe and trailer are white. The SUV has Texas license plate 94DRS3, while the trailer carries Texas license plate 30798P.

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QBREES9

WOW ! Welcome to New Orleans. Thats a fine how do you do.

Mardigras9

Beat me to it. Hang around a few days, you'll have the chance to buy it back.

TheOak

Falcons fans came in early?

SmashMouth

They have Falcons fans where they are from in Austin?

TheOak

I don't know..... It happened in N.O..... Unless I read wrong. :P

QBREES9

Check the Pawn Shops.

homerj07

Wow, that won't help the cities reputation.