Dennis Drew, Jeff Erickson and Steven Gustafson in front of the new sign honoring 10,000 Maniacs at the Jamestown city entrance (Image courtesy of 10,000 Maniacs).

JAMESTOWN, NY – Jamestown Mayor Eddie Sundquist unveiled a new  sign at the city’s North Main St. entrance Monday morning, honoring 10,000 Maniacs.

Maniacs’ members and Jamestown natives Dennis Drew, Jeff Erickson and Steven Gustafson were on hand for the occasion, along with several other city and state officials.

Both Drew and Gustafson were founding members of the band when it first formed in Jamestown in 1981. Others in the original group included Rob Buck, John Lombardo, and Natalie Merchant – along with a rotating cast of drummers – including Tim Edborg, Bob “Bob-o-Matic” Watcher, and Jim Foti – on drums (Jerry Augustyniak would eventually become the Maniacs’ main percussionist in 1983 and has remained with the band ever since).

During the past 40 years, 10,000 Maniacs has released nine studio albums, six EPs, and five live albums – selling millions of records and performing thousands of shows around the world. While the band has seen some members come and go (including Merchant, who left the band in 1994 and Buck, who passed away in December 2000) it has continued to perform and entertain audiences over the year, including putting on a sellout show at Reg Lenna Center for the Arts earlier this year. Current band members include Augustyniak, Drew, Erickson, Gustafson and Lombardo, along with Mary Ramsey on lead vocals.

Ten Thousand Maniacs joins Lucille Ball, Roger Tory Peterson and Robert H. Jackson as prominent natives of the Pearl City. The signs note that Jamestown is “The Birthplace of” both Ball and Peterson and “Home of” both Jackson and 10,000 Maniacs.

Others on hand for the unveiling included Assemblyman Andy Goodell (who actually served as an attorney for 10,000 Maniacs in the band’s early years) along with State Senator George Borrello.