Christie Front Drive

Christie Front Drive was an emo band from Denver, Colorado active between 1993 and 1997. The lineup consisted of Eric Richter (vocals and guitar), Jason Begin (guitar), Kerry McDonald (bass) and Ron Marschall (drums). Bands such as Superchunk, Jawbreaker, Jawbox, Buffalo Tom, and Drive Like Jehu were cited as influences.

Christie Front Drive
Christie Front Drive playing at a reunion show in 2007
Background information
Origin	Denver, Colorado, U.S.
Genres	Emo
Years active	1993–1997, 2007, 2014
Labels	Freewill, Magic Bullet, Caulfield, Crank!, Wooden Blue,[1] Dark Operative
Past members	Eric Richter (guitar, vocals) Jason Begin (guitar, screams) Kerry McDonald (bass, vocals) Ron Marschall (drums)

History

The band released a self-titled EP and a 7-inch on Freewill Records in 1994. The two Freewill Records albums and several 7-inch were later combined and released as a self-titled full-length album (commonly referred to as Anthology). In 1995, Christie Front Drive released split records with Jimmy Eat World, Sineater, and Boys Life. They also contributed to several compilation albums including (Don't Forget To) Breathe from Crank! Records. The band broke up in 1997 and their only official full length, a self-titled album (commonly referred to as Stereo) was released posthumously by Caulfield Records.

Despite their short tenure, Christie Front Drive became a major influence on emo music in the 1990s. Eric Richter resurfaced in the bands Antarctica, The 101, and Golden City, and both Marschall and Begin went on to form The Blue Ontario. Marschall was also credited as an engineer on The Apples in Stereo's album, The Discovery of a World Inside the Moone and plays in Phoenix-based Tierra del Fuego. Jason Begin is currently performing under the name This Body as well as the Portland-based band Pireate Radio Deluxe and the random appearance with Modernstate. Bassist Kerry McDonald would go on to form The Mighty Rime, who released a self-titled record on Caulfield Records in 2002.

Christie Front Drive reunited on September 1, 2007, at the Marquis Theater in Denver as part of DenverFest III. All four original members participated.^[2] Magic Bullet Records, home of Eric Richter's current band Golden City, announced plans to re-release the entire Christie Front Drive discography. The label began with releasing a remastered version of their final self-titled album (also known as Stereo) on June 15, 2010, along with a DVD of the band's final show in 1996. In April 2019, Dark Operative records, formerly Magic Bullet Records, re-released the band's self-titled 7-inch and self-titled 12-inch on vinyl.

In March 2014, it was announced that Christie Front Drive would reunite for a show on May 17, 2014, as part of Pouzza Fest.^[3]

Style and legacy

Jason Ankeny of AllMusic referred to Christie Front Drive as "a vital 1990s link between hardcore and modern emo." According to Ryan De Freitas in Kerrang!, "Christie Front Drive had the drawn-out, melancholic guitar passage down to a fine art." The band's influence has been observed in the music of Jimmy Eat World, as well as many others.^[4][5]

Discography

Studio albums

Year	Title	Label	Format	Other information
1997	Christie Front Drive (commonly referred to as Stereo)	Caulfield	CD / 12-inch vinyl	Reissued with DVD on June 15, 2010, on Magic Bullet.

EPs

Year	Title	Label	Format	Other information
1994	Christie Front Drive (self-titled 12-inch)	Freewil	CD / 12-inch vinyl	All tracks reissued in 1995 on Anthology. Reissued as remastered edition on May 21, 2013, on Magic Bullet.
1995	Christie Front Drive / Boy's Life split EP	Crank!	CD / 10-inch vinyl

Singles

Year	Title	Label	Format	Other information
1994	Christie Front Drive (self-titled 7-inch)	Freewill	7-inch vinyl	Out of print. Both tracks reissued in 1995 on Anthology.
1995	Christie Front Drive / Sineater split 7-inch	Hellkite	7-inch vinyl	Out of print. Track reissued in 1995 on Anthology.
1995	Christie Front Drive / Jimmy Eat World split 7-inch	Wooden Blue	7-inch vinyl	Out of print. Track reissued in 1995 on Anthology.

Compilation albums

Year	Title	Label	Format	Other information
1995	Christie Front Drive (commonly referred to as Anthology)	Caulfield	CD	Includes all songs from the self-titled 12-inch, the self-titled 7-inch and the split 7-inches with Sineater and Jimmy Eat World.

Non-album tracks

Year	Album / Source	Label	Song(s)	Other information
1995	Shmowballs	Sh-mow	"Bag"	Compilation released on CD. Out of print.
1995	Punk TV	Red Dawg	"Mary Tyler Moore Theme"	Compilation released on 12-inch vinyl. Out of print.
1996	Stealing the Pocket	Positively Punk	"Field"	Compilation released on 12-inch vinyl. Out of print.
1996	For Want Of...	X-Mist	"After the Parade"	Compilation released on double 7-inch vinyl. Out of print.
1997	Bread: The Edible Napkin	No Idea	"Bag"	Compilation released on CD and double 12-inch vinyl. Out of Print.
1997	(Don't Forget To) Breathe	Crank!	"Field"	Compilation released on CD and double 10-inch vinyl. Out of Print.

External links

• Official Website
• Myspace
• Magic Bullet Records
• Dark Operative