Future Islands' Gear Stolen In Chicago

Again, the issue here isn't my expertise, or your fragile ego. It's the fact that a band had their van burglarized and lost items of serious value. If you have any information leading to the recovery of these items, please forward them to the author of the article. If not, your uninformed opinion has little if any value.

Looks like this band utilizes such actual instruments you may have read about as the synthesizer, bass, and electronic drums.  Does this magical computer that only you seem to understand control those machines as well?  I don't need a magical computer to play a bass.  Wouldn't a computer in this case provide the same function as the pedal you are so angry about?  Did a pedal steal your girlfriend or something?  And why would the lack of effects prohibit you from making music in the first place, with your physical instruments, the ones in your hand.  Or are you saying this is a band that just sits onstage and hits buttons?  I guess I'm not much of a scene genius so I'm a little out of my depth.

Beep boop beep boop bwap bwap chirp!

I'll take that as a win. Fragile ego a little stronger today. Thank you!

That's where we are. We're in 2011. We're in the era where a guitar is easier to replace than a laptop. Where a guitar often holds less sentimental attachment than a computer. Where a laptop can make your ridiculous, handmade three-level effects-pedal board sound like the effete, obsolete fetish object that it really is.

If you had ever crafted music with a computer before, you'd realize there are elements that can't be replaced by simply buying a new laptop. Nowadays, people have all sorts of peripherals, syncs, and slaves running through their machines. I doubt the Future Islands computer is anything like the glorified iPod you're commenting from.

um... wow guy. it was an honest question that has obviously insulted you. all i'm saying is they had guitars, drums, maybe a bass, put a mic there and any decent musician should be able to get through the basic elements of the songs they created. which, i beleive is more intimate and leaves the audience with something that may never be recreated.

Also, your assumption of everything in your statement make you sound like a stuck up snobby bitch pants.

Yeah, sorry about that, guy. I'm just so tired of ignorant "experts" feeling the need to share their ignorant expertise on message boards across America. This band doesn't have drums, or a guitar, much less plural guitars. So it turns out you're the assuming ass in this situation. And the lack of sympathy in your statement makes you sound like a terrible human being. Carry on.

as i stated, i am unfamiliar, i posed a question, you lost your shit. No one here claimed to be an expert. all you had to say is, "no, they're not that kind of band, everything is electronic". But no, you decided you needed to be the expert in the situation. and how is asking a question lack of sympathy? no one on here made any negative remarks. once again, you are a stuck up snotty bitch pants, you stuck up snotty bitch pants.

Carried, on.

Had to cancel a tour because they lost their backing tracks? Did they do nothing live? I'm just unfamiliar. I'd just think it would be time to get creative and play songs  little differently. 

Yeah, that's my thought, too. I could see canceling because their guitars got stolen or something, but canceling because of a stolen laptop? Really? That's where we are? 

 I thought the same thing. I'm sympathetic to them - the loss sucks - but I'd say it presented an opportunity to a)show they can adapt on the fly and do something different, and b) solicit sympathy from fans at their next shows to maybe donate a few bucks towards a new laptop.

Hold on a minute, isn't there a video camera up there? where they showed the big fight between the cops and some citizens a few years back?

There's also a parking lot across the street, by that bank.

That's "Lazo's" if we're talking about the Mexican joint on Western Ave.  The alley/parking lot behind the restaurant was where I witnessed my first shooting in Chicago.  Memories..

The McDonalds parking lot across the street used to get a lot of action, too. Saw an employee cleaning a large-ish blood stain off the asphalt once.

Great show marred by thieving bastards. Damn shame.

They should put that shit on the icloud. 

Well, I bet after this any band that uses extensive backing tracks will keep at least one online back-up.

Seriously. There's really not a better example of how cheap insurance against this sort of thing is. Amazon S3 costs about $0.15 / GB / month. How much money are they going to lose from canceling these gigs.

I hope they get their laptop back.