Unfinished - a 10,000 Maniacs Podcast
Sep 30, 2026 · 30 min · 11 segments
*This week's episode of Unfinished: A 10,000 Maniacs Podcast features Part 2 of a four-part audio documentary that originally aired on WRFA 107.9 in Jamestown, NY.* \-------------------- ***Can’t…
Dennis DrewGuest
Steven GustafsonGuest
John LombardoGuestSteven GustafsonHostWith a new onstage lineup, the group needed a new name.
But genius doesn't always strike the first time.
The first time we played without being still alive, we are actually the Burn Victims, which wasn't 10,000 Maniacs, but was pretty close to being 10,000 Maniacs.
And that was at a little underground, and I literally mean basement bar called the Gatsby in August of 81.
show that the Maniacs did was at the Gatsby down here, and the name was Burn Victims.
And I still tell people, nobody knows that.
So I looked through a book that had movie titles from history and ended up with the name 10,000 Maniacs.
And we were, you know, the Post Journal was doing interviews like Take That Picture and different things.
And for some reason, he was just concerned that they would find out that he was working this other job, which normally, I don't think being in a garage band for...
You know, getting $15 a show each, if we were lucky, you know, was going to upset the apple cart in terms of that.
He was afraid of losing his unemployment, so he thought maybe it was best if he didn't do it.
And in fact, when we did play gigs, he called himself Norman Buck, just to try to sort of skirt that, you know, $100 a week of unemployment he was getting or whatever it was.
With a new onstage lineup, the group needed a new name.
But genius doesn't always strike the first time.
The first time we played without being still alive, we are actually the Burn Victims, which wasn't 10,000 Maniacs, but was pretty close to being 10,000 Maniacs.
And that was at a little underground, and I literally mean basement bar called the Gatsby in August of 81.
show that the Maniacs did was at the Gatsby down here, and the name was Burn Victims.
And I still tell people, nobody knows that.
So I looked through a book that had movie titles from history and ended up with the name 10,000 Maniacs.
And we were, you know, the Post Journal was doing interviews like Take That Picture and different things.
And for some reason, he was just concerned that they would find out that he was working this other job, which normally, I don't think being in a garage band for...
You know, getting $15 a show each, if we were lucky, you know, was going to upset the apple cart in terms of that.
He was afraid of losing his unemployment, so he thought maybe it was best if he didn't do it.
And in fact, when we did play gigs, he called himself Norman Buck, just to try to sort of skirt that, you know, $100 a week of unemployment he was getting or whatever it was.
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