This is about Adjustable Boy – a band that existed in Minneapolis, MN during the year 1994.
Adjustable Boy burst into the scene like a marionette on a sugar buzz – which might also be an apt description of the group’s vocalist, Amanda Ferguson – deftly skipping back and forth between a thunderous whirlwind frenzy one minute, and delicate fuzzed-out sugar-coated pop melodies the next, laced with swirling harmonies as coy and charming as they are commanding. Was this post-Olympia love rock? The next Wall Of Sound? All I know is a debt of gratitude is owed to critics who mill around in the back of the room tugging on their beards contemplating this sort of thing, because it leaves plenty of room on the floor for those of us who want to get close and personal up front.
The line-up on their 1994 self-titled 5-song cassette release included these fine folks:
Vocals : Amanda [Mandy] Fergusen [Phone Job]
Bass : Jordan Howe
Drums : Amanda Huron [Impetus Inter]
Guitar : Patrik Dousa
The 1995 7-inch single [Bean Flower, Polite Song / Saybe] lists Amanda [Fergusen], Jordan, Drums : Nick Hook [Vinnie + The Stardusters] and Patrik; who I believe were the same line-up for the pair of shows listed below.
Sadly, this thoroughly dig-able, upbeat and catchy group didn’t stick around very long, and a year later when I returned to my hometown, I learned that Amanda had a new band called Phone Job. More about that elsewhere, but in the meantime, feel free to dig a couple of shows from yr new fave play companion, Adjustable Boy!
Adjustable Boy • Friday 28 October 1994
Minneapolis, MN • The Whole Music Club
stereo audience recording
duration (40:53.16)
[01] Friend Or Fuck (02:35.62)
[02] Florida (03:20.64)
[03] unidentified title (02:26.41)
[04] Bean Flower (02:03.28)
[05] unidentified title (03:18.74)
[06] unidentified title (02:16.34)
[07] interim / comments (00:44.69)
[08] Screwed (02:45.31)
[09] unidentified title (01:52.57)
[10] unidentified title (02:11.32)
[11] interim / comments (00:34.20)
[12] unidentified title [Muck – ?] (04:44.70)
[13] unidentified title (01:05.04)
[14] unidentified title [aborted] (01:34.70)
[15] Stop Rewind Play (02:02.47)
[16] interim / comments (00:38.74)
[17] Nobody Does It Better [Carly Simon] (03:13.59)
[18] interim / comments (00:33.07)
[19] unidentified title (02:48.73)
Vocals : Amanda [Mandy] Fergusen [Phone Job]
Bass : Jordan Howe
Drums : Amanda Huron [Impetus Inter]
– or – Nick Hook [Vinnie + The Stardusters]
Guitar : Patrik Dousa
with:
Sweet Cheeks: vocals [track 17]
Bill:
February
Saucer
Star Plastered Bliss
Adjustable Boy
A stellar bill, from start to finish, and a terrific time capsule representing just a few facets of what was going on in the Twin Cities indie scene at the time. I could only list the tracks I knew from their demo cassette and the ProSpective single, but that doesn’t account for the other eight tracks, which as far as I know, were never released. All I know is that I really want to hear the rest of that new song [track 14] they valiantly tried to kick start a couple of times, and the Carly Simon cover was absolutely brilliant, thanks to the heartfelt guest vocals by the unflappable Sweet Cheeks. Who know what might have happened if this bunch had manged to release an album or two? Well, hopefully this humble recording will offer some small consolation in that respect. Dig it!
This is strictly an audience recording; there is no soundboard feed in the mix.
Recorded / transferred / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives
Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive
Adjustable Boy • Thursday 3 November 1994
Minneapolis, MN • 400 Bar
stereo audience recording
duration (30:58.06)
[01] Friend Or Fuck [beginning truncated] (01:57.52)
[02] interim (00:15.29)
[03] Florida (03:03.54)
[04] interim (00:21.23)
[05] unidentified title (02:24.53)
[06] unidentified title (02:10.39)
[07] interim (00:20.71)
[08] unidentified title (03:34.46) [new song – Muck – ?]
[09] interim (00:15.39)
[10] unidentified title [break a string song] (01:58.14)
[11] unidentified title [break a string song 2] (00:50.20)
[12] interim – broken bass (00:12.36)
[13] Heart Of Glass [Blondie] (01:44.20)
[14] interim (01:39.22)
[15] Bean Flower [aborted] (00:36.41)
[16] Bean Flower [started over] (01:58.31)
[17] interim – tuning (00:15.62)
[18] unidentified title (03:09.47)
[19] interim (00:22.63)
[20] unidentified title (03:45.69)
Vocals : Amanda [Mandy] Fergusen [Phone Job]
Bass : Jordan Howe
Drums : Amanda Huron [Impetus Inter]
– or – Nick Hook [Vinnie + The Stardusters]
Guitar : Patrik Dousa
bill:
Stereo
Adjustable Boy
Grow Like Topsy
This show took place shortly before the split-single release from Stereo and Grow Like Topsy, which was released just after I had left Mpls at the end of the year. in ’94, I was working with Grow Like Topsy as a sound engineer and booking agent, and we managed to get them on this bill, which may have been a series curated by Radio K. Meanwhile, barely a week after their set at The Whole, Adjustable Boy breaks out five more unreleased songs and a Blondie cover, in a ferocious set that really deserved to be heard by more indie rock fans than were in attendance that night. Well, maybe all these years later, here’s your chance!
This is strictly an audience recording; there is no soundboard feed in the mix.
Recorded / transferred / tracked / tagged by: J.Free / Sonic Archives
Download or stream the show from Live Music Archive
Just in case you were wondering, the Adjustable Boy self-released cassette, and their 7-inch single on ProSpective Records, have been spotted on the discogs site – check it out!
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