J Church (band)
Encyclopedia
J Church was an American
punk rock
band formed by guitarist and vocalist Lance Hahn and bassist Gardner Maxam in 1992 in San Francisco, California
after the demise of Hahn and Maxam's former band, Cringer
. The group continued through numerous lineup changes and released a staggering number of vinyl records and CDs prior to Hahn's death in 2007.
before relocating to Los Angeles
, California
, where Maxam was attending college.
After Cringer disbanded, the pair's new three-piece group, J Church, began. The band was named for the San Francisco Muni Metro
line of the same name
that Hahn took down Church Street to band practice and to work every day. They went through a large number of drummers in their career - a noteworthy early player was former Jawbreaker
drummer Adam Pfahler. Upon its inception, J Church immediately embarked upon writing and recording what became an extensive discography including numerous singles
and splits with fellow punk rock
bands including Discount
and Less Than Jake
. The group has released an estimated 150 records.
Maxam played in the band until 1998, when he became overwhelmed by the rigors of touring and decided to quit. In 2002, the band relocated to Austin
, Texas
, and the group's final lineup included bassist Ben White and drummer Chris Pfeffer of Severed Head of State
, Storm the Tower, and Signal Lost.
Additionally, Hahn had become active as a "punk rock history writer", writing many pieces for Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, the long-running San Francisco punk zine
, and working on a book compiling various writings on anarcho-punk
groups. Hahn also ran the independent record label Honey Bear Records.
Hahn had been suffering from kidney-related medical problems since 1999, and the problems worsened during the next decade. On July 7, 2007, a benefit entitled "Let's Do It For Lance!" was released to help defray the cost of his medical bills. He died on October 21, 2007, aged 40, after falling into a coma nine days earlier due to complications from kidney dialysis.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band formed by guitarist and vocalist Lance Hahn and bassist Gardner Maxam in 1992 in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
after the demise of Hahn and Maxam's former band, Cringer
Cringer (band)
Cringer was a band from Hawaii that included Lance Hahn , among others. Named after a talking cat from the cartoon He-Man, it existed from Summer 1985 to Fall 1991.Hahn died in October 2007.-Albums:*Greatest Hits, Vol...
. The group continued through numerous lineup changes and released a staggering number of vinyl records and CDs prior to Hahn's death in 2007.
History
Hahn and Maxam had played together in Cringer from the band's inception in 1985 to its demise in 1991. This group, whose additional members changed frequently in its short career, was initially based in Hahn and Maxam's native HawaiiHawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
before relocating to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, where Maxam was attending college.
After Cringer disbanded, the pair's new three-piece group, J Church, began. The band was named for the San Francisco Muni Metro
Muni Metro
Muni Metro is a light rail system serving San Francisco, California, operated by the San Francisco Municipal Railway , a division of the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency...
line of the same name
J Church
The J Church is a Muni Metro railway line in San Francisco, California mainly serving the Noe Valley and Balboa Park neighborhoods, connecting them to downtown. It began as one of San Francisco's streetcar lines in 1917, and was converted to modern light rail operation with the creation of the Muni...
that Hahn took down Church Street to band practice and to work every day. They went through a large number of drummers in their career - a noteworthy early player was former Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker (band)
Jawbreaker was an American punk rock band active from 1986 to 1996 and considered one of the most influential acts of the early-1990s emo movement...
drummer Adam Pfahler. Upon its inception, J Church immediately embarked upon writing and recording what became an extensive discography including numerous singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
and splits with fellow punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
bands including Discount
Discount (band)
Discount was a punk rock band that formed in Vero Beach, Florida, in 1995 and disbanded in 2000. Before disbanding, the group's members relocated to Gainesville, Florida, where they performed their last show in August 2000. They released three full length albums, several EPs, and two b-side...
and Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake
Less Than Jake is an American ska punk band from Gainesville, Florida. Originally formed in 1992 as a power pop trio, the band evolved into a hybrid of ska punk. Less Than Jake have also been cited as showing influences from a wide variety of genres including post-grunge, heavy metal, alternative...
. The group has released an estimated 150 records.
Maxam played in the band until 1998, when he became overwhelmed by the rigors of touring and decided to quit. In 2002, the band relocated to Austin
Austin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, and the group's final lineup included bassist Ben White and drummer Chris Pfeffer of Severed Head of State
Severed Head of State
Severed Head of State is a hardcore punk band with members split between Austin, Texas & Portland, Oregon. Band members play in other bands such as World Burns To Death, J Church, Tragedy, Warcry, Defiance. Their lyrics usually focus on deep detestation of both human nature and the Christian belief...
, Storm the Tower, and Signal Lost.
Additionally, Hahn had become active as a "punk rock history writer", writing many pieces for Maximum Rock 'n' Roll, the long-running San Francisco punk zine
Zine
A zine is most commonly a small circulation publication of original or appropriated texts and images. More broadly, the term encompasses any self-published work of minority interest usually reproduced via photocopier....
, and working on a book compiling various writings on anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk
Anarcho-punk is punk rock that promotes anarchism. The term anarcho-punk is sometimes applied exclusively to bands that were part of the original anarcho-punk movement in the United Kingdom in the late 1970s and early 1980s...
groups. Hahn also ran the independent record label Honey Bear Records.
Hahn had been suffering from kidney-related medical problems since 1999, and the problems worsened during the next decade. On July 7, 2007, a benefit entitled "Let's Do It For Lance!" was released to help defray the cost of his medical bills. He died on October 21, 2007, aged 40, after falling into a coma nine days earlier due to complications from kidney dialysis.
Members
- Lance Hahn - vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
(1992–2007) - David DiDonato - guitar (2002–2005)
- Gardner Maxam - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, vocals (1992–1998) - Scott Bradley - bass (1998–1999)
- Jeff Bursley - bass (1999–2002)
- Ben White - bass (2002–2007)
- Aaron Olson - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
(1992) - Adam Pfahler - drums (1992–1993, 1998–2002)
- Brendan Murdoch - drums (1992–1994)
- Wade Driver - drums (1994–1995)
- Reed Burgoyne - drums (1995–1997)
- Andee Connors - drums (1997–2000)
- Chris Pfeffer - drums (2002–2007)
Partial discography
The following partial discography of full length albums is derived from the J Church fan web siteFull-length studio albums
- 1993: Quetzacoatl
- 1994: Prophylaxis
- 1995: The Procession of Simulacra/Map Precedes Territory
- 1995: Arbor Vitae
- 1996: The Drama of Alienation
- 2000: One Mississippi (Honest Don's)
- 2004: Society is a Carnivorous Flower
- 2007: The Horror of Life
Singles Collections
- 1993: Camels, Spilled Corona and the Sound of Mariachi Bands
- 1995: Nostalgic for Nothing
- 1998: Altamont '99
- 2001: Meaty, Beaty, Shitty Sounding
Split Albums
- 2000: Split LP with Discount
- 2000: Split EP with Contra (traffic violation records)
- 2003: Split LP/CD with Storm the Tower
Miscellaneous Full Length Releases
- 1995: Soul Patch and Cho Chos
- 1996: Whorehouse: Songs and Stories
- 1996/7: You Think You're Cool
- 1997: The Ecstasy of Communication
- 1998: Cat Food
- 1999: Slanted
- 2002: Palestine
- 2004: Seishun Zankoku Monogatari