Kris Orlowski: Insured his gear after learning the hard way.
  • JENNY JIMENEZ
  • Kris Orlowski: Insured his gear after learning the hard way.

Let's talk about insurance. Wait! Don't leave! I know that insurance is one of the least rock 'n' roll things to discuss, and it conjures up images of an annoying woman in bright-red lipstick named Flo, but if you're a musician—whether your art is a career or a hobby—insuring your gear should be just as important as always having spare cables on hand.

Just ask local folk rockers Ivan & Alyosha.

Earlier this month, the band's van and trailer—which held an estimated $40,000 worth of guitars, amplifiers, drums, pedals, and more—were stolen while the Seattle four-piece was on tour in Atlanta. The van was later found, thanks to the vehicle's GPS system, but everything else was long gone. Singer Tim Wilson confirmed via e-mail that most of the stolen items were not insured, and I&A were only able to continue their tour thanks to donations from Amazon, Rhapsody, Dualtone Music (their record label), and fans, by way of a PledgeMusic.com campaign.

In April, another local musician, Kris Orlowski, thought his gear would be safe in his locked van parked on Queen Anne. It was not. He says that somewhere around $6,000 worth of instruments, cables, and pedals were swiped. Orlowski didn't have insurance either, and to make matters worse, one of the items taken—a keyboard worth $3,000—wasn't even his. He was holding it for a friend. Ugh.

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