by: Tim O'Brien
Q: Which popular Late Night talk show host will interview two of Jamestown's 10,000 Maniacs?
A: It's Daaaavid Letterman!
Lead singer and lyricist Natalie Merchant and guitarist Robert Buck are scheduled to appear Friday, Nov. 20, on Late Night With David Letterman, according to Sheri Cheng of The New York End, the Maniacs' management team.
A spokeswoman for Late Night confirmed the band's scheduled appearance but said no further details would be available until the day of the taping.
The Letterman show is recorded at 5 p.m. the day of the broadcast, and it airs in Jamestown at 12:30 a.m. on Channel 2.
After briefly speaking with the show's host, Buck and Ms. Merchant will join Letterman's band for a rendition of Don't Talk, the new single from their In My Tribe album.
The Maniacs' other three members - Steven Gustafson, Jerome Augustyniak and Dennis Drew - will be watching from the audience.
The Jamestown musicians have already mailed the music to Don't Talk to Letterman's band. The single was written by Ms. Merchant and Drew, and it depicts a woman's decision to confront her love's drinking problem.
Friends of the band expect Letterman, known for poking some fun at his own guests, may target the band's name for any jokes.
Although the band is known for its songs about social issues, its name was taken - incorrectly - from a slasher film called 2,000 Maniacs.
The band was sought out by a member of Letterman's staff, Ms. Cheng said.
"Actually one of David Letterman's people was interested in the Maniacs," she said. "You send the tape to them and they sift through them like any other A&R company."
The Artists & Repertoire department of a record company is responsible for reviewing tapes sent by bands and selecting ones to consider for contracts.
For the band, Ms. Cheng said, the exposure could help widen their appeal.
"It'll probably bring them in line with the mainstream audience," she said.
While the band has proven popular among college students, Ms. Cheng noted, the Late Night appearance should also attract older listeners.
The Maniacs, who are in Europe for a week of concerts, also are prominently featured in the most recent edition of England's music magazine, Melody Maker. Ms. Merchant is pictured on the magazine's cover.
New Music Express, another London magazine, also is writing a story about them, Ms. Cheng said.
The day after the Letterman appearance, the Maniacs are participating in a hungerthon at the United Nations. Their performance will be broadcast on radio station WNEW in New York City, and parts of the show are to be broadcast nationally. The proceeds will benefit World Hunger Year and UNICEF.
In My Tribe is marking its ninth week on the Billboard charts, and it is listed at number 161 this week. Two weeks ago, it had risen to number 143 and last week it was ranked 163.