|
We went through a couple of re-modeling periods while at the Back Door.
This particular period, the stage was facing east with the north entrance just to the right of the stage. We played Tuesday through Saturday, but the lounge was open for the entire week.
Since we were the house band, we left our equipment set up all the time. We actually packed up the guitars and took them with us, but as far as all the sound equipment, we left it there all the time.
 Our staff was pretty good at watching over the lounge for any suspicious or questionable behavior. We occasionally had guest who for one reason or another thought they didn’t have to follow the rules.
Since a motel was attached to the property and since across the street was another motel, we often had guest in the lounge from out of town. Some were just passing through, some were here on temporary work projects or vacation.
This one particular day, we had a couple of guys who came in through the north door of the lounge. This door opened to the parking lot and was also the closest door to the stage. The bartender on duty was particularly observant that day. She saw a couple of guys looking around the stage. Guys she knew were not local regulars.
Although she didn’t actually see them take anything at that moment, when we arrived for work we realized a small electronic device was missing. She commented about the guys that were lurking by the stage and suspected they may have been the guilty ones. We figured the device was gone forever, since Larry and I didn’t see the guys and had no idea where to even start to look.
But…..our trustee bartender did have an idea. Over the next day or so, the guys came back in ( how dumb was that ) and it so happened she was on duty. She found out they were staying at the hotel across the street. She had lots of friends on the police department. She mentioned to her friend about the theft and that she suspected the guys at the hotel.
They set up a car to watch the activity of these guys. It seems they were bringing stuff in and out of the hotel room. The officers decided to question the guys, so they knocked on the door. They could hear all kinds of movement and shuffling. I don’t know how they got into the room, but once they were in they found all kinds of stolen items in there including our little electronic device.
After that incident, we began covering the stage with a huge piece of black heavy duty plastic. This cover was large enough to cover the entire stage. At the end of the night, we would unfold it on the dance floor. Larry would take one side, me the other and actually fly it like a sail over the equipment.
We never had anything else stolen.
|
