Florence Road Turn Gear Theft Into Prime Ohana Festival Slot

Thieves broke into Florence Road's van and stole all their gear — guitars, pedalboards, everything — two days after the Irish rock band played a triumphant show at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. The theft forced the quartet to cancel their Friday 2 p.m. performance at Eddie Vedder's Ohana Festival in Dana Point, California.

"We've tried absolutely everything to make it happen today," Florence Road wrote on social media, adding that they were working with Ohana organizers to find a way to still perform during the three-day festival. "We're doing everything we can because we really, really want to play for you."

The next day brought what the band called "GOOD NEWS." Their original Friday slot was gone, but the festival slotted them between heavy hitters Alabama Shakes and Tyler Childers on Saturday evening — a far bigger stage and hour than the afternoon set they had lost.

When lead singer Lily Aron, drummer Hannah Kelly, guitarist Emma Brandon and bassist Ailbhe Barry took the stage at around 8 p.m., Aron thanked the Pearl Jam frontman and his Ohana crew, who "put us on this gorgeous stage at this gorgeous time."

"We're so grateful. Thank you so much, and thank you all so much for being here as well. It means a lot for a little Irish band," Aron said before launching into their heartbreak anthem "Heavy" and delivering fan favorites including "Hanging Out to Dry" and "Break the Girl."

The comeback capped a rapid ascent for the Dublin-area quartet, named after a road in Bray, County Wicklow. Florence Road played their first U.S. headlining show in Brooklyn in April, following a banner year opening for Olivia Rodrigo, Sombr and Wolf Alice. Since then, they have spent the summer touring behind their new EP, "Spring Forward," and playing the international festival circuit, including Primavera Sound in Barcelona and Japan's Summer Sonic Festival in Osaka.

The band now heads to the final stops of their North American run: New York, Boston and Toronto. For now, they are savoring a rebound that turned a theft into the biggest slot of their young career.