No joking. Earlier today they hired my BIL, Ben Medina, as their lead guitarist.

https://m.facebook.com/groups/10km.stalkers/permalink/10161082567360917/

https://m.facebook.com/ben.medina.568

I enjoy listening to them.

Congrats to your BIL

Pretty sweet gig! Congrats to your BIL!
Natalie can sing……..!

Who did your BIL play for before ?

I always thought Natalie was hot

Smaller, low key bands in and around Rockford, IL.

Me too.

Saw them last summer. For some reason not many showed up. We enjoyed a nice summer evening with the sunset listening to 10K Maniacs from maybe 20 feet away. Natalie hasn’t been with the band since the 90s

That's a big deal for him, I hope he enjoys his time with them.

Dinny, would your bil know a female singer that has a voice similar to Adel for recording?? The girl I was working with quit 2 years ago. He most likely knows a lot of musicians. Thanks, Alan

Alan, I have no idea. He and I live states away from eachother and we have different interests. I haven't paid much attention to his interests nor would I expect he has given any of mine a second thought. Nonetheless I realize this is a major accomplishment and a dream come true for him. For that, I am proud of him.

Great voice. Where are they from?

Without Natalie Merchant as lead singer, the band is a shell of it's former self......basically just singing cover songs of Natalie's.

Very happy for him too! Go see them in concert !!

My favorite

I saw them when they were known as Ten Thousand Screaming Maniacs.

They were great back in the day when Natalie Merchant was their lead singer. I lost interest in them as soon as she left. And didn't like the work she was putting out on her own.

They got into some legal trouble when they started performing Peace Train, and recording albums including it, because they had never bought the rights to it from Cat Stevens.

Issue must have been resolved, though, since available again.

Some of her best work was after she went solo, it showcased her vocal talent far more than the Maniacs style allowed.....listen to the 2 tracks I posted, Natalie solo.

Cat was a strange cat.

Bruce wrote some good stuff before he became a pushy, SFB bitch for the Left. I put the cutoff somewhere between Born to Run and The River.

Yeah, Natalie was pretty hot, beyond what you’d think at first glance. Her voice/accent is a big part, I think.

She dated Michael Stipe from REM for a while, and he's gay as a $3 bill.....so I'd say she sucks in bed, but a great voice.

Wait a minute….. is that one of them double entendres I’ve heard about?🤔

Exactly, what do you think REM stands for ? lol

Mary Ramsey has been with the band since the early 90s. Hard to tell her apart vocally from NM. The band was still tight as ever and sounded great although I hear a few members left the band recently. We got to BS with them at a local bar afterwards while they signed some swag. Cool dudes who just like making music.

Any band of 30 years plus usually has some turnover, someone dies, or it implodes. The only ones that come to mind who didn't are the Stones and U2, but I guess Wyman retired from the Stones, so there's that.

A favorite (Ramsey on background vocals):

Right, right, right, then he proceeds to post another video with Natalie Merchant singing lololol

Some key band members CAN'T be replaced, it's that simple....they are the sound of the band. From Zeppelin to Leonard Skinner to the Allmann Bros, losing 1 key member especially the singer and they are done.

Natalie left in 93, that was a loooong time ago.

When's the last time you saw them live? The band is as good as it ever was - the line up last year had some great guitar playing. Vocals were good, but not a clone of NM, nor should she be. NM did a gig with the Cowboy Junkies that was amazing. I have nothing against her. The vid is just that, nothing more. Chill bro.

My BIL played his first concerts with the Maniacs last week. They played Dallas, Austin, and Houston. I hope someone here was able to see them.

AAARRRGGHHHH!!!!



VarmintGuy has never heard of em’


Congrads to your people for landing the gig!!

Congrats to your BIL... hope its a long relationship with the band.

I use to listen to them often, as they were a favorite on the play list of one of the radio stations in Metro Minneapolis.
City 97.

Friggin Muslim, that's why! altho in his old age, he's mellowed out some.

Me three.

Congrats to your bil. Even with no Natalie that’s a pretty cool accomplishment.

Looked up the maniacs with no recent videos. Would like to see a clip of the new line up. If someone here can find anything, could you please post it ??? And is that Varmint guy Slummy posted??

They should have changed their name when Natalie Merchant left.

From stalker to maniac: Rockford guitarist joins 10,000 Maniacs on tour
https://www.wifr.com/2024/04/16/stalker-maniac-rockford-guitarist-joins-10000-maniacs-tour/