Party band: Police seized gear as evidence of 'noise'
EUGENE, Ore. - The band performing at a party raided by police on Friday said officers seized some of their gear - and they can't gig without it.
Eugene Police arrested 23 people at the Campbell Club at 16th and Alder on Friday night.
The band Pluto the Planet was performing at the party. They contacted KVAL News to give their side of the story.
"After they got the search warrant, they came in and broke down doors in the house," said band member Elliott Fromm. "They arrested people who were asleep who had nothing to do with the party."
KVAL News asked the Eugene Police Department about the incident. A spokeswoman confirmed that officers had seized some of the band's equipment but knew little else about the case. The department said someone would be available Wednesday to talk more about the case.
The band, who reached out to KVAL News and offered themselves as a "sober" perspective on what happened, disputed the official police account of an officer being surrounded by partiers.
"If you looked out of the window there was clearly not anybody surrounding officers or attacking officers," Fromm said.
Fromm said police took two of the bands amplifiers and a synthesizer as evidence of noise.
The band members said officers gave them conflicting messages when they attempted to leave the campbell club.
"Outside upon exiting a police officer actually told us, 'Oh your music wasn't actually the reason police were called. You were not the noise complaint,' but they proceeded to take our gear anyways," said Tony Svenson from Pluto the Planet.
Without their gear, the band can't perform. They've been told it could take a month to a year or more for them to get their gear back.
"Of course there are things that can make noise in the house," Fromm said, "and I don't understand why they need to keep it for months on end. They said it could be anywhere from a month to multiple years until we get it back."
Evidence? for what a ticket for noise? This is not something that goes to trial so evidence makes no sense at all. The police are sending a message - we can so we will.
I have no sympathy for the band, playing in a house in a neighborhood is not the same "gig" as where live music is usually played. That tells me this band is a bunch of kid wanna be's having fun with playing music end of story.Â
How many "gigs" did they have to cancel? NONE - The band cannot apply for any which may be a good thing considering.
Welcome to the police state...
If they're old enough to live away from mom and dad, they're old enough to be responsible for their own behavior. Â Their neighbors should have to put up with "partying" after 10 pm - they get to have lives too.
@Ward Payne ---their neighbors payed too much for their homes and are underwater, and want the police to get their money's worth because of the land tax that valuates their land for more than it is really worth! Why should gamblers and speculators who got their gonads tied up in the crash suddenly tell students who have less of a future than them to stop partying? That area has partied occasionally for over a century.Â
And, that house would let the neighbors in to party if they weren't such angry party poopers and sticks in the mud!
@Ward Payne I agree 100%.  I know kids that are going to school and I mean to school.  They aren't going to the university as partying being their major.  They put their studies first.  They work part time and they enjoy themselves and party when and if they are caught up on everything else.  That is responsibility.  Too many kids now days think that college is just for the parties.
@Dianne Pitt @Ward Payne "Too many kids now days think that college is just for the parties." I think that was said during the time of Socrates, too.  I KNOW it was 50 years ago in Eugene, Oregon! When I was at Duck U, a gunshot which came from the Alpha Tau Omega house took  the street light next to my apartment. Somehow a .357 Magnum pistol went off near my apartment and that never happened again.
@peace @hewhoo @Dianne Pitt @Ward Payne That is almost the farthest thing from the truth that you could say.  Wow you are not like your name says!
@hewhoo @Dianne Pitt @Ward Payne ---DP stands for DiP-stick. Some Las Vegas Queen that never went to college but somehow bought a house for 5 mill but now it is underwater and only worth 200Gs.Â
so, they are angry that others might have some fun once in their lives.
It's a conspiracy!  The cops are clearly trying to start their own band! They will probably call it "The Police".  Oh, wait, that name has been taken...Â
Give the Hipsters back their noise makers.
ya know what ever happen too the days they the police come and give you a good warning the first time and if you don't obey then come back and get nasty, all they care about now is taking your money and in this case the bands equipment to , I still say kids can't even be kids anymore and they wonder why they are like they are, Social indoctrination is what it looks like to me.
An old friend of mine always said, if you can't do the time, don't do the crime. You children have to learn the hard way.
@Franklyspeaking You're friends with Sammy Davis, Jr. ? "Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow"
@Franklyspeaking I fully agree, except the problem with them taking the gear was that the band was not even playing at the time of the officers first arrival, they had finished their set nearly an hour and a half before.
@Franklyspeaking ---being a band for hire is not a crime. If it were, we would not have any live music at DP's Gay Wedding.Â
@peace @Franklyspeaking No being a band isn't a crime but they should know the laws on the noise regulations.  Why should the college kids be any better than other citizens?
@Dianne Pitt @peace @Franklyspeaking All members of this band have jobs and are going to school full time. So I would say they're working extremely hard while trying to make extra money doing something they love on the side to help pay for rent and bills.
@peace @Dianne Pitt @Franklyspeaking If they are so poor...instead of partying let them find a job!
@Dianne Pitt @peace @Franklyspeaking ---well DP, I don't think the college kids are afforded any special immunities from the long arm of the law. But, they do take a vow of poverty whilst they are learning/academia w/o any future promise of income, much in the same way of a munk, nun or a priest.
Yet, occasionally---they gotta' fight for the right to parrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrtey!
taking away the noise makers. LOL! if your a band doing a private party, then know the law on excessive noise.
@wallyworld ---on Valentine's Weekend? Look up St. Valentine on wiki you heathen.Â
You can find/follow the band page for further updates at facebook.com/plutotheplanetmusic
Tomorrow there is an interview with The Daily Emerald, copies will be published later in the week.
@Tony Svensson ---hope the band can drum up some deserving free publicity and maybe some philanthropic commiseration money from their fans.
All I can say is GET A GOOD ATTORNEY! and eugene541 get reel
@native Your reely intelligent!Â
Oh boo... Anytime the hippies ever get in trouble, they always cause a stink. Just because they use their food stamps for "organic" food, does not make them above the law...
@EUGENE541 ---college students have not been eligible for  food stamps since the early 1980s.Â
@peace @EUGENE541 WRONG!
@peace @Dianne Pitt @Just me You should not just spout things that you know nothing about!  We had some of about every nationality working...All were legal citizens.  You must have been the one that was raised with a silver spoon in your mouth...from the way that you spout off.  Why do you have the nickname of Peace when you are so far from wanting peace.  You accuse and call names etc.
@Dianne Pitt @peace @Just me ---then maybe you could bring your pleasingly plump selves to China so your offspring could work in sweat shops as children and they could pay your ssn benefits.Â
Sounds like you are bragging about kids pulling your rickshaw. Heavy weight girls!
@peace @Just me Oh my gosh....a full time student could work 20 hours in a week easily.  two hours a day after school and five hours on saturday and sunday.  Problem is....kids are too lazy today. When I was working at Harrah's in Reno in early 80's our bus kids were almost all high school students.  Full students.  Went to school then either worked swing shift or graveyard.  A full 8 hour shift and a lot of these kids were honor students.
@Just me @peace ---thanks, just went to hear that from the horse's mouth today. Was just thinking that any full-time students that also could work 20 hours a week,  would most certainly deserve subsidized fuel from any market of their choosing. God Speed that they would deserve it! Thank you again!
@peace You have to have a job too. You can be a full time student and work a minimum of 20 hours a week and then qualify.
@Dianne Pitt @peace @EUGENE541 ---well don't just say wrong in big caps. Tell me how they can get them, 'cause I have LCC &UO roomies who don't get them because adult and family services have told them that they are ineligible for an EBT food card, given their status as full-time students..
If you know a loophole aside from being a parent or disabled, we'd really appreciate it.
Please tell us and you will be our household hero
Confiscating the bands equipment, and hauling off a sleeping person? The band should use the sleeping person as evidence that their noise was not excessive. The evidence lock down can be a nightmare of foregone income for the band.Â
Police in Roseburg caught a transient with a bunch of my buddy's lawn and garden tools trying to sell them in the park. Police insisted that he press charges. So, he did, and then had not the required tools for his landscaping business for over 6 months because they were tied up in the Roseburg evidence locker. His child support was a little late one month because of it, and my buddy ends up a victim twice over.
Police should be able to document photograph evidence for petty crimes to save both the victim and the accused excessive hassles that can cascade/domino into an actual loss of livelihood.
Such loss can potentially drive those living on the fringes (eg musicians and lawn and garden workers) over the edge into suicide in these hard times.
That is the true crime Officer O'malley! Any Pro Bono lawyers out their wanting to be a public defender? This band could really use a "rock star" right now.
This is ridiculous...these poor college students can't play music at a party without out of control cops hungry for seizure money and fines ruining their college experience. The Police State is too militarized and needs to be tamped down. I would first suggest that they do not deputize Campus Police and give them guns. How about stopping violent criminals? EPD didnt even charge anyone who murdered a homeless kid in january named Sweet Pea. And they refuse to pursue any car break ins and allow multiple burglaries to happen here each day. There are so many violent and property crimes in this soiled town yet these cops only pursue parties and marijuana offenses as well as occassional DUI's because they take your money that way.
 There's no money in stopping violence. That's why Deputy Donut and his minions sit on the side of the road waiting to ticket evil speeders for going 10 miles over the speed limit instead of pursuing and investigating real crimes that affect people's lives. A friend of mine's truck was stolen a few years ago and they wouldn't even come out to her house to take a report and look at the evidence left behind by the idiots. But I'll be damn if they didn't come out and ticket the friend of her son for doing a burn off on Suttle Road after someone reported it
The cops having amps and synthesizers proves nothing about noise. Â That kind of seizure is punishment without a trial. Â Are these cops public servants or thugs? Â I know what I think.