Rocks Off has been experimenting with ways of getting songs to load automatically whenever someone clicks on our page for some time now. We're still a ways off, but right now would be a good time to cue up the theme from The Twilight Zone.

Monday, Rocks Off got an email through our Web site entitled "Local Musicians Devastated," letting us know that ex-By the End of Tonight bandmates Brett Taylor, now of sIngs, and James Templeton, currently of LIMB, had their van stolen Sunday. The tipster gave us Taylor's phone number, but said they wished to remain "annonymous." Spelled it wrong and everything.

Rocks Off was intrigued. The source seemed to mean well - part of the letter read "both of these guys have focused their lives on their musical pursuits and feel as if they are left with nothing and no way to recover" - and obviously knows Taylor and Templeton well enough to know Taylor's number, but who tells the media about something like this and won't give a name or any other contact info unless they have something to hide?

Sounds a little suspicious to us. We reached out to Taylor later on Monday (via email) and he agreed. "That is strange," he said. "The anonymity thing, that is. I asked every candidate, but all of them denied sending the email. But what the mystery person said is totally true."

Bother.

Taylor said the van was stolen from a street parking space in front of his house in Montrose and recovered in the middle of a road on the Northside. The doors were open, all the gear was gone, and both the ignition and passenger-side door lock were ruined, he said.

Taylor estimated he lost about 5,000 worth of gear, with the rest belonging to Templeton. Besides losing the gear, Taylor and Templeton had to pick up the cost of the tow truck and to have the van repaired.

"Life is hell," he said.

Here's what the two are missing:

• (1) North Star 10,000 Watt Generator; Model # M165967G; Serial # 07086450 ($3,500)
• (1) JBL MRX515 PA Speaker; Serial # P053225952 ($700)
• (8) MBT Par 38 Par cans (lights) ($160)
• (1) Carvin DCM2000 power amplifier ($500)
• (1)Carvin DCM1000 power amplifier ($350)
• (1) Carvin PA speaker 15" with Horn ($500)
• (1) Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier guitar amplifier ($1,800)
• (2) 4X10 Marshall Speaker Cabinets ($600)
• (1) Gibson "Flying V" guitar (faded red, in black case) ($800)
• (1) Ampeg Micro VR Amplifier ($350)
• (1) Boss Chromatic Tuner guitar pedal ($100)
• (1) Boss RC-20 XL Loop Station guitar pedal ($350)
• (1) RC-2 Loop Station guitar pedal ($200)
• (1) Ernie Ball Volume Pedal ($80)
• (1) Boss Super Shifter guitar pedal ($150)
• (1) "Pork Lion" soft clip injector "Way Huge" ($180)
• (1) Boss Reverb guitar pedal ($150)
• (1) EBow (for guitar) ($100)
• (2) One Spot power adaptors ($40)
• (15) Power Cables ($250)
• (10) Instrument/speaker cables ($200)
• (2) ramps (aluminum) ($200)

That van must have been mighty full. Considering what happened to Rocks Off's own Marc Brubaker last year, we advised Taylor to start looking around on Craigslist in case the thieves had already decided to start unloading some of the gear online. He said he had looked around but found nothing yet, "but I'll keep on trying."

There is one small spot of good news to come out of this, maybe. Taylor told us that his and Templeton's friend B L A C K I E wants to help set up a benefit for the stolen gear, and that BTEOT would probably play. Date, time and venue TBD.

If anyone knows anything about what happened to Taylor and Templeton's van and/or gear Sunday night, let us know and we'll pass the info along. Be a sport and please give us your real name, too.

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