Help Us Recover Our Stolen Merchandise and Gear

Hey y’all

I guess I’ll get right to it.

Sometime between 7:30 PM December 1 and 8:00 AM December 2, my car was stolen right in front of my home. This is the second time this has happened to me, and for those of you who have experienced being stolen from, you know how deeply violating it feels.

Thankfully, the police recovered my car 12 miles away with its catalytic converter and battery stolen.

What’s most devastating is that all my Sugarmill Slim merchandise (30 t-shirts, 50 CDs, our merch suitcase, and a slew of stickers and buttons), my pedal board and all of my effects pedals (including a Harp Shield, Harp Break, a LoLoHi, a Harp Delay a Little Red all by Lone Wolf Blues Company as well as a Behringer Sonic Stomp) and two microphones (a vintage ElectroVoice EV 605 and a Hohner Harp Blaster) were stolen.

I know these are just material items, and I’m so grateful that I still have my Hohner harmonicas, my Jason Ricci Signature Mic by Lone Wolf and my Harpgear 50 amp.

If it came down to it, if I needed to play a gig tomorrow, I could.

But these pedals are a big part of what helps me add tonal variety, color and dynamics to my live performance. I’ve been using Lone Wolf Blues Company equipment almost exclusively for the better part of five years now and each piece LWBC holds not just musical value but deep sentimental value as well.

If you’re a musician who uses effects, you know that losing them is like a painter losing their brushes.

Additionally, as many of you know, a gigging musician’s merch is their livelihood. In an age where it becomes harder and harder to support one’s self solely by playing live or recording, having merchandise becomes essential to supplement things like gas, gear repairs, advertising and recording.

We’ve even been gearing up to start recording new material in 2023 and we were relying on selling this merchandise at shows and online to fund this endeavor.

Insurance can cover the repairs to my car, but unfortunately, not the lost gear and merchandise.

If you feel so inclined this holiday season, I’m reaching out to my friends and supporters to contribute to our efforts to replace what was taken from us.

Any contribution means more than words could ever begin to say. I’m so grateful to each of y’all who has supported me along the way. Y’all helped us record our first album, put it out on CD, release a music video, and fly down to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge. I know that with y’alls help, the band and I can continue to bring you the best performances possible plus give you a great new batch of recordings in 2023.

Many thanks and all the love in my heart,

Sugarmill Slim