Thunder Bay musician reunited with guitar brazenly stolen from concert

David Allan Grant left his guitar on stage as he wandered out into the crowd after a set with his band, Poor Young Things, just as he's done a hundred times before. But this time, when he returned to the stage, his guitar was gone. As he tells As It Happens guest host Helen Mann, "Before I knew it, the whole bar was looking for my guitar." 

The staff at the Thunder Bay venue, Crocks, checked the security cameras. There, they could see someone going out the front door, guitar in hand. "I couldn't believe that this happened in my hometown." 

The Gibson ES-335 guitar is special to Grant, who says it has a particularly unique sound. "It's been with me through happy times, through sad times. It's kind of like a therapist."

Grant put out a call on social media about his stolen guitar, and a friend set up a GoFundMe page with a picture of the guitar, and the serial number. Within 12 hours, a stranger got in touch: he knew where the guitar was, and would return it. Grant was overjoyed when he showed up: "It was like watching my long lost friend come back to me." 

It feels so good that I have it back.- David Allan Grant

Grant's next big gig with the guitar is at a hockey game in Thunder Bay on January 2nd. "I'll definitely be more cautious of where I place it when I'm done playing."