J Church

J Church was an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California, in 1992 by guitarist and vocalist Lance Hahn and bassist Gardner Maxam, following the breakup of their previous band, Cringer. The band was known for its prolific output, releasing numerous vinyl records and CDs before Hahn’s death in 2007.

History

Hahn and Maxam had previously played together in the punk band Cringer from its inception in 1985 until its end in 1991. Cringer, which experienced frequent lineup changes, was initially based in Hahn and Maxam’s native Hawaii before relocating to Los Angeles where Maxam was attending college.

After Cringer disbanded, Hahn and Maxam formed J Church as a three-piece group. The band was named after the San Francisco Muni Metro J Church line, which Hahn took down Church Street to band practice and to work every day. The band went through a large number of drummers throughout its existence, with former Jawbreaker drummer Adam Pfahler being a noteworthy early member. J Church quickly gained a reputation for their extensive discography, which included numerous singles and splits with other punk bands such as Discount and Less Than Jake. Over the course of their career, the band released an estimated 150 records.

Maxam left the band in 1998 due to the rigors of touring. In 2002, J Church relocated to Austin, Texas, and the band’s final lineup included bassist Ben White and drummer Chris Pfeffer.

In addition to his work with J Church, Hahn was active as a “punk rock history writer,” contributing many pieces to Maximum Rock ‘n’ Roll and working on a book about anarcho-punk bands. He also ran the independent record label Honey Bear Records.

Hahn had been suffering from kidney-related health issues since 1999, which worsened over the years. On October 21, 2007, Lance Hahn passed away at the age of 40 after falling into a coma due to complications from kidney dialysis.

Members

• Lance Hahn – vocals, guitar (1992–2007)
• Gardner Maxam – bass guitar, vocals (1992–1998)
• Aaron Olson – drums (1992)
• Adam Pfahler – drums (1992–1993, 1998–2002)
• Brendan Murdock – drums (1992–1994)
• Wade Driver – drums (1994–1995)
• Reed Burgoyne – drums (1995–1997)
• Andee Connors – drums (1997–2000)
• Scott Bradley – bass guitar (1998–1999)
• Jeff Bursley – bass guitar (1999–2002)
• Ben White – bass guitar (2002–2007)
• Chris Pfeffer – drums (2002–2007)
• David DiDonato – guitar (2002–2005)

Touring Musicians

• Todd Kowalski – bass (1997; Japanese tour)
• Chris Hannah – bass (1997; Japanese tour)
• Jord Samolesky – drums (1997; Japanese tour)

Partial Discography

The following is a partial discography of J Church’s full-length albums:

• 1993: Quetzalcoatl
• 1994: Prophylaxis
• 1995: The Procession of Simulacra/Map Precedes Territory
• 1995: Arbor Vitae
• 1996: The Drama of Alienation
• 2000: One Mississippi
• 2004: Society is a Carnivorous Flower
• 2007: The Horror of Life