Thumbs up for not stealing stuff!

Whoa. Sh*t just got real with the “Keith Urban-themed Hands Across Eau Claire hand-shaped statue that was stolen from a downtown hair salon” story, of which I assume you are all aware. Keith Urban himself called the salon yesterday to offer moral support and free concert tickets as a reward. Yep, right between perms and highlights (I assume) a downtown EC salon owner got a phone call from a country music superstar about a giant fiberglass hand.

Hey, are we living in Eau Claire or Crazy Town? Answer: Crazy Town.

In case you are not aware of the “Keith Urban-themed Hands Across Eau Claire hand-shaped statue that was stolen from a downtown hair salon” story, said story goes like this:

“Hands Across Eau Claire” is a fundraiser for the Children’s Museum of Eau Claire in which local businesses “host” a big hand the size of a chair, custom painted by a local painter. The hands sit in front of the businesses all sumer long and are auctioned off in the fall.

 

LOST

Well! One such giant hand was purchased by the owner of Urban Style, a hair salon in downtown Eau Claire (201 Gibson Street) for around $2500. The hand was painted with images of country singing sensation and Nicole Kidman hubby Keith Urban. (Could it be that Urban Style is actually named after the international new country megastar ... who is married to Nicole Kidman?) The hand/statue/Keith Urban shrine was installed outside the salon, bolted right onto the sidewalk. Until ...

It was stolen! Last week, the owners found an empty slab of concrete where their beloved fiberglass mega-hand should be. Since then, they’ve launched a local media campaign to find the missing palm + fingers. They’ve even offed a reward for info leading to the return of the statue.

And! As WQOW reports, the stakes done got raised yesterday when Keith Urban himself called the hair salon to ratchet up the reward booty – four tickets and VIP passes to any concert on his 2011 world tour, yee-haw.

Call 715-832-7975 with info.

So, assuming the hand isn’t currently palming silt at the bottom of the Chippewa River, which ever wily frat boy/ironic hipster/late night drunken sidewalk stumbler has the thing – they should turn it in, if for no other reason, for the reward. Seriously, it’s all kitschy and hilarious now, sitting in your student ghetto living room next to the damp sofa you found on the corner, but its comedic value has a shelf life.

And soon it’ll once again be the $2500 statue purchased to help give local kids a nice place to play and learn ... that you stole.

UPDATE: Whoa, now the AP is covering the story!