10,000 Maniacs Play at the Colonial Theatre

For more than four decades, 10,000 Maniacs remain one of America's most beloved independent bands. They are often called "cult heroes," "mainstream stars" and "alt-rock trailblazers." 10,000 Maniacs includes founding members Jerome Augustyniak on drums, Dennis Drew on keyboards, Steven Gustafson on bass and John Lombardo on guitar. Joining them is Mary Ramsey on lead vocals and viola and Benny Medina on lead guitar. Ramsey has been with the band for over 30 years. "I'm over the moon about 10,000 Maniacs hitting our stage. These are the moments that make running a venue like The Colonial so special — when a band with real history comes to our little corner of the world," says Keith Marks, Executive Director of The Colonial and Showroom. "Live music isn't just about the performance; it's about creating those shared experiences that stick with us. This show is a great launch for the excitement of next season, and I hope everyone in the community will come along for the ride." Drawing from African rhythms to bluegrass to English folk balladry to punk and reggae, the group streamlined its sound during the 1980s with legendary producer Peter Asher, kicking off a string of hits including "Like the Weather," "What's the Matter Here?," "Trouble Me" and "These Are Days." The Keene Sentinel spoke with one of the founders, Steven Gustafson, bassist, about the spring 2025 tour. Here's an excerpt of their conversation. Victoria Chertok: Hi Steven! Let's start with your early years. Your family has been in Jamestown, N.Y. since 1875. That's amazing. Steven Gustafson: I grew up in Jamestown and my family is from Sweden. I grew up in the same house my mother grew up in and her father built it in 1923. I went to the same schools she did. Then in 1992, I built a house in Frewsburg, N.Y., near the Allegany reservoir and Seneca Nation, in the foothills of the Allegany Mountains. V.C.: 10,000 Maniacs formed in Jamestown, N.Y. in 1981. What is your origin story? S.G.: We went to Jamestown Community College — the keyboard player, Dennis Drew, and I, and we have been best friends since 1972. We were running the college radio station there and that gave us connections with college stations from Boston to Gainsville, which would benefit us later on. We were mostly smoking pot and just hanging around going to record stores. In the summer of 1980, I was doing a DJ shift when a young woman walked into the station and said, "My name is Natalie Merchant and I'm going to start school here in the fall. Would you play these records?" I said "Sure, come on in." So, she got a DJ shift and we became friends. That fall during one of my shifts, I got a phone call from Robert Buck who had a band called The Obsessions and said they were having a hard time finding places to play. I said, "Why don't you play here? Every Wednesday night we do a coffee house." So, we became friends, and his band was awful but great, too. It was new wave, punk, jazz, noisy stuff that we were into at the time. His band was breaking up so Rob asked me to join and play bass. I'd never played bass before, but a friend gave me a bass and I started learning. V.C.: What happened next? S.G.: We found a little practice space at an abandoned factory and in January 1981 Rob, Natalie, Dennis and I started our first band "Still Life." We wrote our own stuff mostly for fun. Our first gig was in Eerie, Pa.; we were scared to death. We got paid $50 and stuck around to watch the other two bands. An argument with the owner turned into a fight and we got thrown out of the bar. It was glorious. We'd known John Lombardo and his band The Mills. They played around town every weekend that summer and two of their members were heading back to college so John suggested we start another band together. V.C.: How did you come up with the name 10,000 Maniacs? S.G.: John made a list of names, and we decided on 10,000 Maniacs because you can't judge a book by its cover. V.C.: I heard your band's name was also from a low budget film called "2,000 Maniacs"? S.G.: That is true, though none of us had ever seen it. V.C.: Then you and Dennis began touring up and down the East Coast? S.G.: In 1983 we decided that we needed to tour so Dennis Drew and I would book shows using our college radio contacts, mostly college bars, and we'd play up and down the east coast. We would work our way south and stay with my parents in Bradenton, Fla. for a few weeks. In 1983 we did that four times! During one of those visits we hooked up with an agent and he started getting us in the cooler clubs. An A&R representative from Elektra Records saw us in Manhattan and made us an offer we couldn't refuse: to make records with a major label. We signed our first contract in November of 1984. V.C.: Very cool! By the way, I saw you in my hometown of Washington, D.C. in the 80s. S.G.: That would have been 1984 — at the 930 Club, downtown on F Street. The place was a bit worn but we loved it. V.C.: That sounds right. Where are the pockets of fans — the Maniac Belt? S.G.: Boston to D.C. is the main part. That's why D.C. was great for us. We have played the most gigs in the Washington area. V.C.: What was it like to play at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1992? S.G.: The Secret Service kept changing our laminates every hour. It was very challenging to get in. His first or second one? V.C.: I didn't realize you played at both. S.G.: We did both. The first was the MTV Inaugural Ball for Clinton and that consisted of movie, television and music people. That was fun. But at his inaugural ball at the Kennedy Center — where Aretha Franklin and we were on the bill — we played in this massive hall and we played first and had a big crowd; and then Bill's staff came out and said Bill and Hillary would be here in 30 minutes, we need all of you on the main stage. They came and did a little dance, we shook hands and Bill gave a speech and then everybody left and Aretha had to play for an empty room. She was so upset. V.C.: Was bass your first instrument? S.G.: My dad taught me to play "Greensleves" on piano when I was probably eight years old. He had his dad's 1930 Gibson Tenor four-string guitar. It was beautiful. I got a book on Tenor Guitar chords and taught myself how to play. My friends and neighbors across the street played guitar so we started a band "Jim and the Jokers." We played at a nursing home to entertain residents, church songs mostly. My parents bought me a six-string guitar and I learned listening to Neil Young, Elton John and Bob Dylan. When the band started, I was 23 and I taught myself to play bass. V.C.: So, once you play guitar, you can also play bass easily? S.G.: The notes are in the same place. It's just going from playing chords to playing notes. V.C.: Interesting. What type of bass do you play? S.G.: A Hamer – a standard bolt-on neck, five-string bass. When you're famous, guitar companies come out of the woodwork and give you instruments. They gave me four of them. I gave some to our crew on our last big tour as a gift. My son plays one. V.C.: Cool! What does this tour mean to you personally? S.G.: We're going on 45 years now and there is a certain element of celebration. We're hitting a milestone and we've stayed friends throughout it all. We all love each other and protect each other. We are very proud of that but it's not easy. V.C.: What is your favorite part about playing bass in 10,000 Maniacs? S.G.: Standing ovations really — applause. We always felt like outsiders in the music industry. We always sold enough records to get us a solid fan base, and we felt like we had to convince the crowd that it was worth the money to come see us. When they are on their feet screaming, we'd feel like, "It worked!" There is great satisfaction in that — the connection you get with an audience. V.C.: Any closing thoughts? S.G.: This is the 40th anniversary of our record "The Wishing Chair" so we blew the dust off of some of those old songs and we're preforming them at our shows. We'll also play the hits because people want to hear them and some other deep cuts. Make sure you bring your dancing shoes! If you go: What: 10,000 Maniacs LIVE When: Thursday, May 29 at 7 p.m.; door at 6 p.m. Where: The Colonial Theatre, 95 Main St., Keene Tickets: $30 to $60; Call the Box Office at (603) 352-2033 or visit www.thecolonial.org. For more information on 10,000 Maniacs, visit https://maniacs.com/.