Buffalo News - May 7, 1993

Home in Triumph

by: Anthony Violanti (Gusto)

Jamestown's 10,000 Maniacs is still riding a hot streak. Any day now the band is expected to earn a platinum award for selling more than 1 million copies of its current album, Our Time in Eden. The record is on its way to becoming the most successful Maniacs album of all time. Natalie Merchant, Dennis Drew, Steven Gustafson, Rob Buck and Jerome Augustyniak just played a concert at the Hollywood Bowl as co-headliners with former Beatle Paul McCartney, and also appeared on "The Tonight Show" with Jay Leno. Merchant was recently on the cover of Rolling Stone and other national magazines and appears to be the most popular female singer in alternative music. The band is in the middle of a hugely successful U.S. tour, playing to sold-out audiences across the country. Now the Maniacs are coming home to Jamestown. The band will play a sold-out concert Saturday at 8 p.m. in the Reg Lenna Civic Center, 118 E. Third St. "I'm thrilled to be doing this concert," said Gustafson, a member of the Civic Center's board of directors. "The Civic Center means a lot to Jamestown's future and was very supportive of the band in its early years. We're glad to be able to support it now and have a great rocking show for our friends and fans from home." Philip Morris, a spokesman for the Civic Center, said there has been overwhelming demand for tickets. "Everybody wants to go to this show. We sold out a long time ago. It's a great band and it's really special that they are coming back home to do something for Jamestown."