10,000 Maniacs (named after the low-budget horror movie 2,000 Maniacs) was formed in Jamestown, NY, in 1981 by singer Natalie Merchant and guitarist John Lombardo. Other members of the sextet were Robert Buck (guitar), Steven Gustafson (bass), Dennis Drew (keyboards), and Jerry Ausugstyniak (drums). The group gigged extensively and recorded independently before signing with Elektra and making The Wishing Chair in 1985. Cofounder Lombardo left the band in 1986, and they continued as a quintet, releasing the second album, In My Tribe, in 1987. This album broke into the charts, where it stayed 77 weeks, peaking at #37. Blind Man's Zoo, the 1989 follow-up, hit #13 and went gold.