You can all rest easy folks...touring band detained at the border

[mark414]

The Russian Futurists Detained At Border!

Rob Kleckner reports:
The Cold War rages on! The Russian Futurists, while enjoying a North American tour with the Junior Boys and Caribou, were detained at the U.S./Canada border before their show in Minneapolis on Sunday night. The bands were coming off a week-long trek through Canada and had performed in Winnipeg the night before.

There are no tales of drug busts or terrorist threats, which is unfortunate for gossip hounds but a sigh of relief for band leader Matthew Adam Hart. Instead, the delay can be blamed on confusion and misunderstandings related to the band's visas: paperwork. But that didn't stop the FBI and Border Patrol from detaining them for almost all of Sunday. As Jones said, "Apparently the FBI are not big fans of the hammer and sickle logo on all of the Russian Futurists' t-shirts, buttons, and stickers."

http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/news/05-06/07.shtml#russian

there was a similar incident a couple years back...

Godspeed You! Black Emperor Questioned as Suspected Terrorists, Continue World Tour

"What do you think this world's gonna look like in 2003?"

Ryan Schreiber reports:
Renowned Canadian nontet Godspeed You! Black Emperor were held for questioning as possible terrorists at an Oklahoma gas station on Saturday, while driving from a concert they'd played at Fort Worth, TX's Ridglea Theatre to a show to be held the following Monday at the Blue Note in Columbia, MO. According to Tom Windish, a representative for the band at The Billions Corporation, the band pulled their two vans and white-panel truck, which they use for toting equipment, into an area gas station to refuel. Upon seeing the motley crew of nine musicians, the station's attendant passed a note to a female customer which said that the band were terrorists. It asked her to call the police.

http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/03-03/24.shtml

[Lucky Luciano]

1. Fascinating...Here is who they let through the border (not a joke)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/8132799/

Man with what appeared to be
a bloody chain saw let into U.S.
He was later charged with murder in Canada

The Associated Press
Updated: 3:21 p.m. ET June 7, 2005BOSTON - On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres.

Then they let him into the United States.

The following day, a gruesome scene was discovered in Despres’ hometown of Minto, New Brunswick: The decapitated body of a 74-year-old country musician named Frederick Fulton was found on his kitchen floor. The man’s head was in a pillow case under a kitchen table. His common-law wife was discovered stabbed to death in a bedroom.

[VOX]

2. Article says he "hitchhiked to the border crossing." WTF??????????

Seriously, I wouldn't pick up a hitcher anyway, but if I saw a guy hitchhiking who was carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a blood-stained chain saw, he sure as hell ain't getting in my car! :scared:

[Lucky Luciano]

3. I know...isn't it just completely ridiculous?! nt