Back in 1999 I saw Sonic Youth play two nights at Liberty Lunch, mere weeks before it was torn down. Being one of my favorite live bands at my all time favorite live venue, those two night were a highlight of so many rocking shows I’ve seen. After the last encore on the second night, Thurston Moore proclaimed, “Goodbye Liberty” before leaving the stage. Amazingly I actually found a review of one of the shows that makes reference to the big story of the day; the theft of their equipment a few days prior while they played Coachilla. This was gear that was marred, deconstructed and configured by them to make sounds only they could, equipment used to record some of their masterworks, and one afternoon someone just drove off with a van containing it all. Fast forward to today, and apparently they’re getting it all back! Turned in by a family member of the thief who delivered the goods, they’re now ready to drop (d) back into recording with their beloved equipment. It will be really interesting and cool to see what they come up with using the classic guitars and amps they detuned so well. And while we’re on topic, if you’re a fan you need to checkout this years’ release Sonic Nurse, which sees a return to form and stands as one of their best releases in years.