Jamestown’s own 10,000 Maniacs are working on a project to preserve their legacy through digital archiving. This new method for them will preserve their long legacy. It’s a long process that requires a lot of work. The band will have to gather and catalog their history and then they can submit it to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, who expressed interest in preserving some of the Maniacs work. Now after over 40 years of playing together, there is a lot of stuff like old VHA, tape recordings, memorabilia and paperwork to record. Aaron Perez is leading the digital archive process with Dennis Drew (the band’s keyboard player) and Steve Gustafson (the band’s bassist). The band is seeking further assistance with the project and are in talks with SUNY JCC to see about collage interns lending them a hand. Drew believes the process will take at least several months. There are massive amounts of recordings that have to be listened to in real time to create the digital concert files and with some of the band members living in Buffalo, getting everything together is a little challenging as well. The band believes developing a comprehensive archive will go a great distance in preserving the band’s legacy and could further cement the city of Jamestown’s historical importance. The band would like not only to have an archive set up at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame but would like Jamestown to create a place for their archive as well, to help inspire local musicians.
