Jamestown Rockers Headline Music Tonight at Annual Balloon Fest
by: Kristen Bergman
A funny thing happens when 10,000 Maniacs takes to the stage these days without former lead singer Natalie Merchant - they sound just like... 10,000 Maniacs.
And with their performance at 6 p.m. Friday at the Coors Light Balloon Fest at Jamesville Beach, fans can listen for themselves.
After Merchant's departure nearly four years ago, the band has regrouped, recorded and taken to the road with a new set of songs and a new attitude in general, according to Maniacs' bassist Steve Gustafson.
Their new album, Love Among the Ruins, to be released Tuesday, also shows that the rest of the Maniacs - along with new vocalist Mary Ramsey and guitarist John Lombardo - can keep the sound of 10,000 Maniacs alive.
"We're not virtuosos here. It's how we play - our odd little stylings make the sounds," Gustafson said in a phone interview from his home in Frewsburg, near the band's hometown, Jamestown.
"Miss Merchant was a part of that sound, but so was everyone else. I guess it's called style."
But even though the name is the same, Gustafson said the band is still refining its performances. The band does not dote on its old material, such as past hits What's the Matter Here? and These Are Days. But it does work the classics in with the new songs.
"We play some of the old material, and it's actually fun to play," he said. "And we work on as much of the new material as possible. We're still working that into the show."
Gustafson, guitarist Rob Buck, keyboardist Dennis Drew and drummer Jerome Augustyniak began collaborating with Ramsey and Lombardo in 1994.
Lombardo was an original member of the band until 1986, when he left to form with Ramsey the acoustic duo John & Mary. The two opened for 10,000 Maniacs during their last tour, and some critics say Ramsey sounds like Merchant. [webmaster's note: John did not leave the band to form a duo with Mary. He left in 1986 and did not meet Mary until 1989. Also, John & Mary did not open for 10kM during their last tour in 1993. They did open one show - the last concert with Natalie; and Mary doesn't sound anything like Natalie!]
Now that the band is back in action, Gustafson said there is a new, "grown-up" attitude among its members.
With the departure of Merchant, the band went through a maturing process, he says.
"It wasn't a surprise Natalie quit," he says. "But we came to a sudden stop and had to rethink what we wanted to do and how to do it. It was a very maturing experience."
Gustafson has also matured personally since the early days of 10,000 Maniacs. Having a wife and family has given him a new outlook on rock 'n' roll fame.
"Five years ago, I didn't have any children. Now I have two," Gustafson says.
"We got off the tour in '93, took six months off, and my wife had a baby. Then we started writing songs again."
Above all, Gustafson says songwriting is a "sacred process" that the entire band contributes to. He compared working in his garden on a sunny June day to the job of songwriting.
"Gardening is like writing songs," he says. "You plant a seed and wait for it to bloom, and it's a real lesson in patience.
"We try to do what's good for the songs, and the songs will take care of the band."
A fall tour is planned for North America, with some dates in Europe and Brazil also planned. Also helping to promote the band is a Web site Gustafson helped create (www.maniacs.com); it includes tour updates, band information and reviews.
And even though they plan on performing in smaller venues, as opposed to the large amphitheaters of four years ago, Gustafson said he is pleased with what 10,000 Maniacs has produced so far.
"It's a slow climb, but we're happy to do it," he said.
"I like being a musician. It's probably the best job I've ever had."