A well-known Madison-area band is wondering how they'll handle upcoming gigs with no gear.

Thieves struck early Sunday and relieved members of Mighty Short Bus of almost $20,000 in equipment.

The band left it all behind -- as they often do -- as they headed to Iowa over the weekend to play a venue that provided sound and lights for them.When they got back, their own gear was gone.

The incident is a major blip in the history of a band that members say hit it off not long after playing their first chords together. Just a couple of years after their humble start, Mighty Short Bus became a band of professional musicians with members including guitarist Nic Adamany and drummer Dan Ryan.

"When you play in front of your friends, even if it's 25 people, you get that rush," Ryan said, of their early days.

"We've been very fortunate these last four or five years, to be able to solely do this," said Adamany, of the band's recent history.

"This is what we do, this is how we put food on the table," said Ryan. "You don't make a lot of money doing it, but you get by."

But as they're finding their way in the music world, making ends meet may have just gotten a lot harder as early Sunday the band discovered the white trailer, used to haul their sound and lighting equipment, had been stolen.

"Pull into the parking lot, and say 'Where's the trailer?' Got pretty silent, and pretty much just shock," said Adamany.

The band members said that the $20,000 worth of gear inside wasn't insured, simply because the premium was too pricey.

"All the quotes I've gotten were pretty outrageous," said Adamany.

The missing gear is a necessity for about half of their shows. It's only rock and roll to some, but it's a rent payment to members of Mighty Short Bus.

"I really can't comprehend not doing these shows, we just have to find a way, to make it work and continue really, we can't afford to cancel," said Adamany, of their immediate future.

"I just want our stuff back, plain and simple," said Ryan. "It feels unfair, all we're trying to do is have a good time, bring that to other people."

Right now the band is asking for donations through their website.

But what they'd ultimately like to do they say is just get their gear back so they can refund every penny they've already been given.