Mine is a Maniacal laugh

[captainsblog]

When I was in law school, back when the law was still on stone tablets, the music critic from our newspaper (yes, we had a law school newspaper, and even a music critic) used to rave about this band he'd seen downtown. Jud was generally partial to more Continental-ish fare on the punk and new wave sides, and this one sounded like a lot of those, judging by name alone. And so it was that I never saw 10,000 Maniacs in their early days, and continued that mistake for more than a quarter of a century until, maybe, a week from tonight.

I did make one effort sometime after Natalie Merchant left the band. Rochester was experimenting with its own version of Buffalo's successful free outdoor Thursday at the Square series, with a similar summer lineup of bands in its concrete pit of a park called Manhattan Square, and I took Emily with me to see them, maybe around 1998 or '99. In a sign of bad things to come, the full band never showed. Band members John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey, long a side act known by their first names and occasional members of the Maniacs themselves, consoled the crowd with a brief set of all John-and-Mary tunes. Word later got around that founding member Robert Buck had delayed the band's departure due to a drunken fit from the night before. By the end of 2000, he would be dead of liver failure, the band's major record contract even deader, and odd incarnations of the group began to form, re-form and fight among themselves for most of this decade.

Still, there's the music to remember them by. The only 10KM on my iPhone is the first album post-Natalie, Love Among the Ruins, which I have always loved as much as any of their work from the earlier days. While nobody could match Natalie's creativity or stage presence, there are some, me numbered among them, who think Mary's got a purer voice and more overall musical talent. When she was replaced by a west coast chick singer named Oskar, I lost all interest in the remains of the band, and put them on my lifelong Wouldacouldashoulda list.

Until last night, that is.

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I saw an ad for it in Artvoice, but an article about it is here:

18 years ago the 10,000 Maniacs played an unforgettable benefit concert for the Griffis Sculpture Park. On that day in 1991 over 5,000 music fans flocked to Cattaraugus County park created by Larry Griffis, Jr.. In 2009 the band returns to Western New York for another benefit concert to help rebuild the park.

Last month in August 2009 storms ravaged the Gowanda and Silver Creek areas it also afflicted major damaged to one of the nation’s most unique arts venues Griffis Sculpture Park in Ashford Hollow, NY. The park suffered over $50,000 in damage – with their driveway and many trails completely washed out.

Since the August storms, many groups, businesses, and individuals have stepped in to help, including alternative rockers 10,000 Maniacs who will be headlining a benefit concert for the park on Saturday, October 24, 2009 at the Essex Arts Center at 30 Essex Street, Buffalo, NY 14213. Also appearing on the bill is A Potter’s Field and Red Widow – in what will be a fun, funky warehouse party occuring in two studios inside the Essex Arts Center. Only 250 tickets will be sold.

Tickets for this event are $40 presale and $45 at the door. They can be purchased at Terrapin Station, 1172 Hertel Avenue, Urban Threads, 736 Elmwood Ave, and Queen City Gallery, inside the Market Arcade building at 617 Main Street – downtown Buffalo.

Phone orders can be made by calling the Ashford Hollow Foundation office at (716) 982-8776 during normal business hours.

The Griffis Sculpture Park is owned and operated by the Ashford Hollow Foundation. The organization exists on grants and donations, thus the need for the benefit. The organization provides arts in education programming for over 4,000 WNY students each year.

The Griffis Sculpture Park is considered to be the United States first and largest sculpture park, with over 250 sculptures located in the fields, ponds, and forests of the park.

The 10,000 Maniacs appeared on many national television shows and had numerous national and international tours. The 10,000 Maniacs are: Jerry Augustiniak, Dennis Drew, Jeff Erickson, Steve Gustafson, and Mary Ramsey. Founding member John Lombardo will be joining the band for this show.

It's a Saturday night, and it won't be anything A-list, I tend to think, but still. They gave me close to 20 years of songs and chords and Where Were You When moments.  In a town where promoters screw up the management of small venues and even venerable old haunts like the Continental fall to the wrecking ball, I doubt I'll ever have another chance.

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And if none of that is cultural enough for you, here- have a video of a cat re-enacting a Christo installation:

Watch on YouTube

Comments

[bluevicksen11.livejournal.com]

Hahaha, the mayhem! What a crazy cat.