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 Adam Ritchie and his band inside the DMZSteve Schmidt and Link Smith skating in DMZ parking lotSteve Schmidt, somewhere between the heights and downtownGrove Circle Punx - Andy Conrad, Utrillo, Bryan Spinas, Matthew Thompson, Jason White, Josh Bentley (92)
 added story to The Link Springs Forms Event The Link Springs Forms added story to New Wave Festival added story to DMZ opens added story to DMZ opens added story to New Wave Festival added story to Econochrist forms added story to Hatful Day plays their first show added story to Big Boss Line forms added story to Women's City Club Show  |
Econochrist forms Ben Sizemore, Markley Hart, Jon Sumrall, and Andy Branton start Econochrist and play their first show opening for JFA at the Antenna Club in Memphis.  // Econochrist was the real deal in 1988. I remember going to see them at the DMZ when they opened up for IGNITION from Washington DC. It was an incredible show. I was anxious as my friends and I drove their from NLR- they were teasing me saying I was going to get beaten up for having a bald head, and I was having some serious skinhead remorse, because I really wasn't a skin- I just wanted to look hardcore. It was funny, I had been to almost every show at the DMZ before that night, and nobody ever noticed me. I remember walking in their scared as hell, and people just stared at me, either with disdain or admiration because I was one of only a few full baldies in the area then. Between bands some rather large skin from Memphis approached me and asked me what I stood for. I said I was "just a straight-edger- not a skin" and he told me I better not come to Memphis looking like that because I was asking for trouble. About that time this older LR punk (I think Fletcher) came to my defense and said I was alright- and to ... (More) // No one believes me and even singer Ben Sizemore denies it, but I remember being 12 yrs old and hanging out at my friend Jeffrey's house when one of the Econochrist band members showed up at the front door. He was selling their demo tape door-to-door. Jeffrey bought one, but it was really bizarre because his house was in the Heights, a very affluent neighborhood. I don't know how many tapes they sold with this mean lookin punk rocker trampling the manicured lawns. // I loved Econochrist. Before we knew Trusty, there was only Econochrist. At that age to us, that was all we had as a map considering punk rock in Little Rock. I later became friends with the guys out here in the East Bay. Funny how that works. I lived with Jon Sumrall in the first house I lived in California, and became friends with Ben over the years. We both needed SOMEONE to watch Razorback games with. // The greatest punk band to ever come out of Little Rock, if you were to ask me. The first time I saw Econochrist was when they came back for Christmas, in 1989. They played at Mandrake's and they made a believer out of me, both with their music and stage presence. Their first album wasn't released yet so I hadn't heard too much of them, other than maybe some songs from their first 7" or demo, but I knew this was a show I didn't want to miss. The best show I'd seen them play was in the summer of '92, when they were touring with Grimple and Paxston Quiggly. Some friends and I hopped trains and hitch hiked from Chicago to Little Rock, just to see this show. It was worth it all. The fact that it was a matinee was awesome, something about seeing a bunch of punk bands in the daytime really appealed to me. The show was packed and when Econochrist went into "Petty Ways," the whole place went nuts, pogoing and flailing all around to hardcore punk music. I think that was the best show I've ever seen at 7th and Chester and Econochrist is ... (More) // Econochrist was a true hardcore band and they lived it. The east bay suited them well but it was a shame when they went west and Trusty went east. Both signed to labels in their new locales. // Ben Sizemore moved to LR from Memphis in high school and was instrumental in attaching the scenes in Memphis and LR. He was friends with Roy and Sobering Consequences and helped make shows happen. He also wrote some for my fanzine, Lighten Up!. A genuine guy and real punker! // When Econochrist returned from Oakland to play in Little Rock, John Summerall wouldn't stop playing 'Sweet Home Alabama' in between their songs. It was like it was his tuning song, or maybe he was just happy to be back in the Rock. Now I think maybe he was making fun of the south and rednecks because he was living the California dream.  |
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Andy Branton
Antenna Club
Econochrist
