by: Michael Zabrodsky

Right before 10,000 Maniacs In My Tribe was released [note: John left well before IMT was released, he left before it was even written, let alone recorded, let alone released] guitarist and band founder John Lombardo decided to leave the band.

That was 1986.

Eight years have passed and the tensions that forced his split with the band have eased. Lombardo is back in the group, along with singer/viola player Mary Ramsey, and this new lineup played at the Reilly Center at St. Bonaventure University on Saturday night.

In 1989, Lombardo teamed with Ms. Ramsey to form an eclectic folk duo. Billed as John and Mary, they released two albums on RykoDisc: Victory Gardens in 1991 and The Weedkiller's Daughter, in 1993.

"It feels pretty good. It feels pretty natural," Lombardo said of his return.

Lombardo was asked to play again with his old band late this winter. He said he played a role in writing new material for the group. About 13 new songs are written.

"A lot of the songs aren't complete yet in a sense that they don't have the final lyrics, so in terms of topics and things I'm not really a 100 percent sure what they are going to be," he said.

Ms. Ramsey's voice is a gem, as well as her viola talents.

"She's a very talented woman," Lombardo said. She's no stranger to the Maniacs' music, he said. "Even when I wasn't around, she accompanied them on their last couple tours and played on their last few records, so in some ways she's already been integrated into their projects. It just seems very natural. It's not like they brought in some person that was completely unrelated."

John and Mary toured with 10,000 Maniacs on many occasions, and Ms. Ramsey played viola on 1992's Our Time in Eden, the band's most popular release to date. She also was invited to perform on the MTV Unplugged release, which proved to be a big seller, also.

In August 1993, 10,000 Maniacs singer Natalie Merchant decided to pursue a singing career without Maniac members, bassist Steve Gustafson, drummer Jerome Augustyniak, guitarist Rob Buck and keyboardist Dennis Drew.

Drew said for the past five or six years the band's relationship with Natalie was strained and that's what led to the breakup.

The group now is calling itself John and Mary, Dennis, Rob, Steve and Jerry. Because of legal reasons this lineup cannot call itself 10,000 Maniacs - yet.

"It's more of a question of who gets paid under the name 10,000 Maniacs, than it is the right of who gets to use it," Drew said. "We have an outstanding tax bill with the Internal Revenue Service, so it's a long complicated thing. It's not that we are not going to be able to use the name in the future because if want to, we are."

When Lombardo was with the band previously, he had written most of 10,000 Maniacs music. After he left, those duties were assumed by Ms. Merchant.

Many had viewed Ms. Merchant as the backbone of 10,000 Maniacs because she penned most of the band's later material and her voice is synonymous with the band.

"I think our (new) music, when people hear it, has a lot more to it," Lombardo said.

Drew said the purpose of this spring's mini-tour is to decide the band's future. Along with last night's St. Bonaventure show, the band already has played at State College at Fredonia, Joyce's Keg Room, in Jamestown, and the Marquee at the Tralf in Buffalo on Thursday.

"All of us have a lot of confidence that we will continue to work together and make a record, but I want to stop just short of saying that's true because anything can happen and we are dealing with people who had a falling out in the past, eight years ago. Let's make sure we feel comfortable over a period of time before we lock ourselves into a future." Drew said.

Nonetheless, Drew said the band is confident and getting along very well, despite only being together since March.

"We thought we would allow some record companies to give us some suggestions, but it became very obvious very quickly that they don't know anything about music and they never did," Drew said.

"I don't know why we ever thought they did, because our whole experience with record companies is that they are marketing companies, not music-making companies," Drew said.

"We've always written our songs in public. We've always gone out on stage before everything was finished and all our 'T's' were crossed and 'I's' were dotted. We like to get out there in a raw form, so we knew that's what we wanted to do here," he said.

Along with the 13 new song ideas, the group is playing five or six John and Mary tunes, plus some old Maniacs' songs in its live shows.

Indiana University of Pennsylvania is the band's next show. It then will come back to Jamestown to rehearse.

"The band has bought a lot of recording equipment and we're going to start recording in a demo fashion," Drew said.

John and Mary may record another album, but Lombardo said he's hoping for this project to be well-received.

10,000 Maniacs History

1985: 10,000 Maniacs release The Wishing Chair and get signed to Elektra Records. [note: obviously they were signed to Elektra before they released TWC].

1987: In My Tribe is released. Proves to be breakthrough album for 10,000 Maniacs. Peter Asher is producer. John Lombardo leaves group. [note: John left in 1986] Exposure begins on MTV and VH-1

1989: Blind Man's Zoo is released. Followup to In My Tribe. Again Asher is producer. Album is about the world's ills. More exposure on MTV and VH-1 and tour extensively. Lombardo begins working with Fredonia native Mary Ramsey and form duo John & Mary.

1990: Hope Chest is released. Contains hard to find cuts from 1982's Human Conflict No. 5 and 1983's Secrets of the I Ching both of which were recorded at State College at Fredonia Tonmeister Studios.

1991: John & Mary release Victory Gardens on RykoDisc Records.

1992: Our Time in Eden is released in November. [note: OTIE was released in September] Proves to be biggest selling album for 10,000 Maniacs. [note: MTV Unplugged actually sold more] Asher is replaced by Paul Fox. Members take a different approach to writing songs and reflects different direction for band. Mary Ramsey plays viola on a few cuts.

1993: Maniacs tour extensively. More exposure on MTV, VH-1 and other media. Ramsey tours with band singing backup vocals and playing viola. Receive national TV clip at President Clinton's Inaugural Ball in January. In August 10,000 Maniacs' singer Natalie Merchant leaves to pursue solo career. 10,000 Maniacs dropped from Elektra label. In November Maniacs release MTV Unplugged. Cover song Because The Night receives massive airplay. John & Mary release The Weedkiller's Daughter.