In their first trip to Monterey, 10,000 Maniacs add a touch of classic folk to their ’90s favorites.

For the second time in just over a year, a band with a multi-decade career and known in part for the same song – “Because the Night” – will play Golden State Theatre. In 2023, it was The Patti Smith Trio. This time around it is 10,000 Maniacs, who after a 40-year career are finally making their Monterey debut.

If it seems like a strange footnote to add “40-year” to this group’s career span, that might have something to do with the way the Maniacs’ music was presented originally – and how it is remembered today. Much of their early charm came from lively musical arrangements, introspective lyrics, and playful upbeat tempos. As a staple of the early-1990s alternative rock sound, it is a formula that worked then and still seems to resonate with audiences.

The band formed in 1981 in upstate New York. At that time the lineup featured a teenage Natalie Merchant and Dennis Drew, Steven Gustafson, Jerry Augustyniak and John Lombardo; all but Merchant are currently with the band. The Maniacs took a big step forward with 1992’s Our Time in Eden and 1993’s MTV Unplugged, a live album. Then, at what might be considered the height of their popularity, Merchant left the group to pursue a solo career.

Mary Ramsey, who had played violin on previous 10,000 Maniacs’ albums (as well as performed with the Santa Cruz Symphony and Monterey Symphony) stepped in and became the lead vocalist for the better part of 30 years. While many of the band’s most recognizable songs – “Candy Everybody Wants,” “These Are Days” and, of course, their cover of the Patti Smith hit – were released before Merchant’s departure, it was Ramsey’s entrance in 1994 that reinvigorated the group.

Shifting somewhat from their socially aware and inspired lyrics, the band leaned toward a more traditional musical sensibility. The Maniacs’ last studio album, Twice Told Tales, is for the most part made up of British and Celtic folk songs.

The current tour coincides with a reissue of their Unplugged album, which includes new covers of Dolly Parton songs and collaborations with David Byrne of the Talking Heads. The performance in Monterey is expected to draw heavily from the well of the familiar hits, with a sprinkle of their more contemporary tracks.

10,000 MANIACS 8pm Thursday, Nov. 21. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $60.68-$114.24. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com