10,000 Maniacs

10,000 Maniacs has a lot in common with Jamestown, New York, the city that spawned them back in 1981. Both are honest and hardworking, a step outside the mainstream, and both possess a bit of magic. “It’s a city of blue-collar poetry,” says keyboardist Dennis Drew. “And that’s what we’re about, real-life stories. We’re a family, we do real work and we keep moving forward.” Bassist, Steven Gustafson added, “we’re all good friends and we love each other, we play for each other, and we’re playing better than ever.”

The band has covered plenty of ground in its 43+ years, from cult-stardom to international stardom, to their current status as a cornerstone alternative band. Album releases include “The Wishing Chair”, “In My Tribe”, “Blind Man’s Zoo”, “Our Time in Eden”, “MTV Unplugged”, “Love Among The Ruins”, “Music From The Motion Picture”, “Twice Told Tales” and “Playing Favorites” selling over 10 million copies world wide with a new release coming in 2025. With their radio and video hits, “These Are Days”, “Because The Night”, “The Candy Everybody Wants”, “Trouble Me”, “More Than This”, among others, the band continues to sell out shows around the country, and the sound and spirit of 10,000 Maniacs remains consistent. The dynamic live shows embrace their entire catalog, and the lineup is still anchored by four of the six original co-founding members. Drew, Gustafson, guitarist John Lombardo, drummer Jerome Augustyniak along with lead singer/violist Mary Ramsey who has been working with the band for over 30 years. The “new kid” is Rockford, IL guitarist Ben Medina who’s been a fan of the band for 30+ years. Medina said: “10,000 Maniacs is my favorite band. I’ve been a fan since I was 17 years old and it’s been an amazing experience performing with them. I still can’t believe it!”

The band, with Crying Out Loud Productions, recently released “Can’t Ignore The Train” A 4 part radio documentary from their first steps in 1981 to the recording of their first major label release, 1985’s “The Wishing Chair”.

2025 will be the 40th Anniversary of the release of “The Wishing Chair” and the band will be releasing an album of new material. Title and release date TBD.