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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2007 > October > 21 > Entry
R.I.P Lance Hahn
Austin-based musician, journalist and punk rock icon Lance Hahn died Sunday after a long illness brought on by complications from kidney disease.
He was 40.
Hahn was best known for the prolific rock band J Church, which since its inception in 1992 produced dozens of singles, EPs, and albums of sharp, melodic songs mixed with punk attitude. As Hahn was quoted in 1995, “A lot of people write trying to keep track of all the records we put out. I can’t even remember.” (The band was only three years old at the time.)
Hahn also played in the punk band Cringer from 1984 to 1991, played guitar for the rock musician Beck in 1994, owned and operated the Honey Bear record label, was a long-time contributor to the international punk rock magazine “Maximum Rock n Roll,” and published the zine “Some Hope and Some Despair.” Many unfamiliar with Hahn’s music knew him as a manager at the Vulcan Video store on South Congress.
At the time of his death, Hahn was near completion on a book about the history of anarchist punk bands, portions of which have been excerpted in “Maximum Rock n Roll.”
Born in Hawaii, Hahn was of the generation for whom punk rock was neither a just a genre nor a passing fashion, but a way of looking at the world. “He claimed to be the first person in Hawaii with a Mohawk,” said his partner Liberty Lidz.
His band Cringer was one of the first thoroughly documented punk bands in Hawaii and - as Hahn put it on the Honey Bear webpage - the first band of his “that anyone really cares about.”
After Hahn, by then a California resident, formed J Church, the band became a staple of the San Francisco punk rock community. The group’s catchy music, do-it-yourself work ethic and Situationist leanings were both a sharp contrast and perfect fit with hundreds of heavier or poppier acts.
Hahn and Lidz moved to Austin in 2000 so she could attend grad school. The Austin version of J Church included Austin punk stalwarts Chris Pfeffer on drums and Ben White on bass. (David DiDonato served as J Church’s second guitarist from 2002 to 2005.) These two line-ups produced three albums, a split LP and additional material.
Hahn was also profoundly well-liked by the American and international punk community. There were benefits held for Hahn around the world after his and Lidz’s apartment burned down in 2002, as chronicled here.
This summer, five independent labels (No Idea, Cat Food Money, Vinehell, Jerk Off and Tic Tac Totally) released “Let’s Do It For Lance!,” a J Church/Cringer tribute CD to help defray Hahn’s mounting medical bills. (He did not have health insurance at the time of his death.)
More information about Hahn and J Church can be found at their webpage and MySpace page.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
He will be missed.
(Photo by Dave Deluxe, COURTESY OF J-CHURCH.COM)
Comments
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By gerry
October 21, 2007 11:42 PM | Link to this
this is so sad. he will be sorely missed.
By Joe Shivers
October 22, 2007 2:04 AM | Link to this
Lance’s medical bills are still a huge problem. You can donate online at www.vulcanvideo.com or come by one of our stores.
RIP Lance. We love you.
By craig
October 22, 2007 6:24 AM | Link to this
i had the privilege of employing lance the last year or so of sound exchange’s existence. he was, hands down, the nicest guy you could possibly meet, with more projects going on than you could keep track of. he also kept our dollar bin organized, a sisyphian task, done without complaint. that alone should qualify him for beautification. my condolences to liberty and his family.
By h2o
October 22, 2007 9:22 AM | Link to this
This is terribly sad news. Lance will be sorely missed.
By Julie
October 22, 2007 10:09 AM | Link to this
Aloha Lance,
As a fellow transplanted Hawaiian who grew up in the 80’s going to 3D, The Wave, Anna Banna’s I would like to say Mahalo Brah, you will be missed.
Julie
By craig s.
October 22, 2007 10:47 AM | Link to this
tragic news, RIP.
By Petesy (stalag 17)
October 22, 2007 10:50 AM | Link to this
I’m so sorry to hear about Lance’s passing. We were in touch a few years back when he was researching for the book. He was an inspirational man who put action where his ideals where. Love and strength to Liberty and his family.
By Russell
October 22, 2007 11:04 AM | Link to this
Jesus. I hadn’t seen Lance in probably a decade, but we always managed to keep in touch electronically.
When I first got to San Francisco, he took us around to all the best burrito restaurants (viva El Castillito!), and let us hang around Cringer rehearsals.
Years later, we opened for J Church a couple of times, right around the time he and I were both growing frustrated with the limitations of punk rock and were getting heavily into avant garde jazz.
I’m sure my last note to him was something along the lines of, “Hey fella: did you hear they’re reissuing a bunch of Archie Shepp discs?”
I wish I’d said something more profound.
I never met you Libby, but you were the best thing to ever happen to Lance. You’re in my thoughts.
By Al Quint
October 22, 2007 11:18 AM | Link to this
I was saddened to hear about Lance’s passing. I only met him once or twice but he was undoubtedly a special given and an incredibly talented musician, songwriter and author. RIP…
By jeff griffin
October 22, 2007 11:53 AM | Link to this
Bum Bai Lance! Aloha Nui Loa Jeff
By Danny (back2front zine)
October 22, 2007 12:50 PM | Link to this
I never met Lance but what he did is a powerful reminder of what one person can achieve in their life - let it be an inspiration to all of us. Sincere condolences to friends and family.
By Alisha
October 22, 2007 1:54 PM | Link to this
When I moved to San Francisco from Indiana in 1996, one of my Top 10 reasons for moving was to “live in the same city as J Church”. I spent many memorable nights pogo-ing up front at Bottom of the Hill, the Chameleon, El Rio, etc. I shamelessly accosted Lance at shows, offered to buy him drinks and always asked for a copy of the set list. He was always super nice and receptive to my starstruck behavior. Once, I was even christened their #1 fan. My crowning moment was when he remembered my name and said hi to me at Safeway one Saturday morning.
My universe will be forever altered by his presence, and now, his absence.
By chris
October 22, 2007 2:28 PM | Link to this
Cringer and J-Church were two of the first bands that i got into when i was in high school. His music ment so much to me. He will be remembered forever.
By Lana
October 22, 2007 3:13 PM | Link to this
I remember him from high school. My twin sister and I graduated with him at the Kamehameha Schools so this comes as a TOTAL SHOCK to us.
He was a good person which is very rare these days where people just wanna take take take. I will really miss you, Lance!
Aloha forever, Lana (and Lisa)
By Lynda Mandolyn
October 22, 2007 3:41 PM | Link to this
Had the honor and extreme privledge to tour with Lance on the 2001 Fat Wreck Tour which included J Church, Fabulous Disaster, Avail and propagandhi…one of the most memorable tours of my life, Lance was the best and we kept in touch for a bit, last time I saw they live they played a Sushi jintin the Mission, SF..I was unaware he had been so ill recently, I always loved Lance’s sticker on his guitar:
“Over Throw C**k Rock and IDOLIZE Your Girlfriends”
I know Lance will continue making great punk rock in heaven
xoxoxo
By ryan
October 22, 2007 3:59 PM | Link to this
goodbye lance, you will always inspire…-ryan-
By molly
October 22, 2007 4:38 PM | Link to this
I think I first met Lance in 1992 during Bratmobile’s first trip to San Francisco. His support and love of women’s musicians soon made him a comrade in arms at a time when not many men were. Lance’s presence on the Bay Area punk scene was always a positive and prolific one and should be an inspiration to musicians today. He never waited for anyone to do anything for him, whether it be book a show, put out a record or start a label. He was and continued to be until the time of he way to early death an example for all of us to follow.
By graham williams
October 22, 2007 4:55 PM | Link to this
I didn’t know Lance that well, but respected him as a big part of the scene, both here in austin and nationally. As a writer for MRR, running a label, playing in J Church…he was one of those guys who did it all and put more into punk community then most do in the life. It’s people like Lance who made and continue to make the scene progressive and important. He’ll be missed and we things are already less without him.
By zeke
October 22, 2007 5:42 PM | Link to this
he was an inspiration to me. i remember hearing j church first on wprb princeton back around 1994. the only place i could find the records in a area such as mine at the time was by ordering it out of maximum rocknroll ads. once i scraped enough lunch money a year later i ordered the legendary brouhaha comp as well as the nostalgic for nothing singles comp. i purchased everything j church/cringer related for a while. he was a darn good narrative songwriter who wrote personal lyrics — on his affinity for certain female fronted punk bands, work, riding his bike, traveling, socialism, relationships, family, etc. these lyrics were easy for so many to relate to.
perhaps the shining moment for my old high school fanzine was having a lengthy interview with lance and gardener. he touched a lot of people and he held the diy scene near and dear to him.
By crkt
October 22, 2007 5:52 PM | Link to this
sad sad day.
I remember seeing J Church a few years ago in Athens, GA with Carrie Nations on Halloween and it was an awesome show. The best part was seeing a band i’ve never heard of before (J Church!) play a Crucifix cover! What a blow back to my youth! Since then i’ve listened to them practically every day.
Though I never met him, we are all comrades in the same struggle.
I had a friend who passed away last year and the only thing that was on his iPod when he died was Cringer. I have it on my iPod now and I listen to it almost as often as I do with J Church.
Anyway, what a bummer.
From Kansas with love…
By Jamie Applebutter
October 22, 2007 6:03 PM | Link to this
Lance-
I worked with you for one afternoon in 1993 and saw you at a few potlucks around SF, but years later, in other parts of the world when you were on tour playing all-ages gigs in collective spaces, you remembered me and said hi and took the time to talk about life.
You taught me so much about being punk rock- the kind of punk rock that is humble, caring, funny, courageous, improving the world and living radical values.
I’m a better person today, and have led a richer life thanks to your influence.
-Jamie
By Paula
October 22, 2007 6:06 PM | Link to this
there is now a site dedicated to Lance that will have information on his memorial, a link for donations, and a place to post messages and submit photos. it’s still bare bones, but we’re working on it. both of these addresses will get you there:
www.lancehahn.org
www.welovelancehahn.com
please pass this on. thanks.
By Lil Mike in SF
October 22, 2007 6:29 PM | Link to this
When I first met Lance in the early 90’s in the final days of Cringer, I picked up on his great sense of humor. Over the years I enjoyed trading smart a*s barbs with him at venues as well as in the racks at the Revolver distro wherehouse, Blacklist Mailorder/Epicenter etc. I enjoyed that underneath all the punk rhetoric & deep thinker exterior, he had the silly soft spot for New Order, ELO, silly love songs and other un-cool influences.
Over the years, he seemed to get more serious, and perhaps his sense that his life would possibly not be as long as others, he pushed the limits and became such a prolific & powerful one man force.
Take Care Out There Lance…
By kelly bogdan
October 22, 2007 6:32 PM | Link to this
there is now a website dedicated to lance that will have information on his memorial, a link for donations, and a place to post messages and submit photos. it’s still bare bones, but we’re working on it. both of these addresses will get you there: www.lancehahn.org www.welovelancehahn.com
we love and miss you more than you could ever imagine, lance. xoxo
By Sean Tiwanak
October 22, 2007 8:26 PM | Link to this
I knew Lance from intermediate & high school. He took a lot of crap for wearing “weird” clothes an buttons of his favorite bands. I remember him getting physicaly harassed when he showed up to school in his mowhawk. Lance was punk to the core, and at the center of his life was the music from the bands he knew and loved. Lance was the real deal. Living his life by substance and principle, not to look cool or stylish. He just lived it.
I also played in one of those bands people don’t really “care about”. A bunch of my friends formed a band sophomore year and played through Senior year (1985). Kook, Ells, Gabe, Jack, Mike, Lance + me) Our first gig was the freshman dinner dance. Lance came up with Hydrogen Peroxide right on stage. Long live Hydrogen Peroxide. Lance, you will be missed! Me ke Aloha! Sean T Kamehameha ‘85
By Michael T. Fournier
October 22, 2007 8:32 PM | Link to this
Lance was an amazingly kind and generous man.He will be missed.
By Jamie Applebutter
October 22, 2007 9:02 PM | Link to this
Lance-
I worked with you for one afternoon in 1993 and saw you at a few potlucks around SF, but years later, in other parts of the world when you were on tour playing all-ages gigs in collective spaces, you remembered me and said hi and took the time to talk about life.
You taught me so much about being punk rock- the kind of punk rock that is humble, caring, funny, courageous, improving the world and living radical values.
I’m a better person today, and have led a richer life thanks to your influence.
-Jamie
By karl
October 22, 2007 9:17 PM | Link to this
Lance reviewed my fanzine Snot Rag and i remember finishing off issue #1 and sending it to MRR and waiting for the review issue to arrive and when i read it i just felt so awesome and special that he had kind and encouraging words for my project. i traveled from canada and when i was in SF i went to epicenter records and found the zine in the library there and although he rang through my record purchases i was just speechless and i went away without mentioning the zine review. weird…. but he’s was incredible to me and an awesome backbone of the international DIY scene. RIP
By Lisa
October 22, 2007 9:21 PM | Link to this
I am so sad…. the world is less brighter when we lost one of its brightest stars. :-(
I went to school with Lance and I just added him on MySpace. Yes, he was a good person even way back when.
I will miss you, Lance. My prayers and thoughts go out to his family and his partner, Liberty.
~ Lisa
By Erik
October 23, 2007 3:44 AM | Link to this
I haven’t seen Lance since highschool graduation. A group of us used to ride the bus home back then. I was a quiet kid and Lance’s mowhawk and punk fashion sense kind of freaked me out (forgive me I was young). Despite my shyness, he made the effort to talk to me and while I can’t say we were best buddies, I wouldn’t have hesitated to call him my friend. The Lance I knew was one cool guy and from the response here, he continued to be. He may very well have been the person that taught me appearances can be deceiving.
By kawika freitas
October 23, 2007 3:50 AM | Link to this
The first musician I ever saw play the electric bass behind his head….and we were only in high school. A hui hou brother…..Kawika and Bernie
By SCOTT(A.O.A.)
October 23, 2007 5:22 AM | Link to this
LIKE ONE OF THE MYRIAD BANDS LANCE WAS IN CONTACT WITH FOR HIS BOOK,I’M SURE THAT I SPEAK FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED IN SAYING THAT WE HAVE CERTAINLY LOST A UNIQUE AND DEDICATED INDIVIDUAL.HE WILL BE REMEMBERED WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT. PEACE, SCOTT/A.O.A.
By Marc Fort
October 23, 2007 10:29 AM | Link to this
One of the sincerely nicest guys I’ve ever met in my life.
Rest in peace Lance.
By kelli
October 23, 2007 11:13 AM | Link to this
=(
Lance, you helped me make a punk rock mix tape for my brother, and I remember asking you which J Church song to put on there, and you shrugged and said, “Everyone seems to like ‘My Favorite Place.’ I dunno.”
When I gave my brother the tape, I told him that he had better love that mix since a SAN FRANCISCO PUNK ROCK LEGEND helped me make it. And he did. Love it.
You also taught me that drinking a beer to get rid of a headache was counter-productive.
I wish I made it to Austin, after all. You will be missed <3
By Tae
October 23, 2007 12:47 PM | Link to this
We’re lucky to have known you, thank you, Lance.
By Ben (Armageddon/Dropdead)
October 23, 2007 4:27 PM | Link to this
I remember talking to Lance in 89-90 through dealing with MRR, and have followed his musical output and writing through the years. Some of his CA and Austin friends are folks I care about, that cared a lot about him. A belated thanks to Lance for being a positive force/influence to those around him. RIP.
By Andy Asp
October 23, 2007 5:11 PM | Link to this
Very sad… we had some swell times back in the day. He was a stalwart that stuck to his guns.
By Walter
October 24, 2007 1:01 AM | Link to this
J Church has been the soundtrack to my life. My Friend Matt loaned me the Brouhaha 7” in eigth grade. Since then Lance has been a constent influence on my ideas and actions. MPLS won’t feel the same without a random show at a strange venue with J Church. Everything over the last 15 years somehow relates to a J Church song.
My Heart is Broken
Heroes only Die
thanks for all of it
w
By Jeff Baker
October 24, 2007 1:21 AM | Link to this
I will miss his sweet words, and his sweet self………….
By Ells
October 24, 2007 6:32 PM | Link to this
Lance was a good man! Knew him in high school and have fond memories of my first band, Hydrogen Peroxide! The Outcasts, Brown Bags to Stardom, going to Masquerades (ugh), and hanging at your uncles place on Ward; vivid memories from long ago! I’m proud to have known Lance he was true to himself, how many can claim that?
A Hui Hou!
By Kate Crane
October 25, 2007 11:25 AM | Link to this
I didn’t know what cilantro was before J Church.
Lance’s music has been part of my life since the early 90s. Cringer and early J Church sound as fresh and beautiful to me now as they did in 1994.
I used to sing “Petrograd” at the top of my lungs on a regular basis. I did so again last night. That Cringer 7” is one of my treasures.
I didn’t know Lance was sick. This breaks my heart. I wish his partner and family and friends love and peace. And I’m so grateful for all the music he left behind. That music helped shape who I am, and it will continue to be a bright part of my days for as long as I’m around.
By Arthur
October 26, 2007 11:24 PM | Link to this
J Church as a band and especially the One Mississippi record that changed my life back in high school… Sounds loaded but it was one of those records that was made by someone you could tell was a gifted writer and had an intense passion for music without trying to be more indie/punk/metal-er than thou. I remember when Lance used to clown himself about his voice but there was something about it that i loved. You weren’t hearing a great singer in a traditional sense but it was the voice of a gifted and passionate person writing tunes inspired by his encyclopedic knowledge of music telling you “this is how I grew up, this is what I love, this is who I love, this is what scares me, this is what nearly killed me etc.”
The bands I’ve been in all try to make music of top notch quality, originality and at a prolific rate. Lance was truly an inspiration for this. I went on to study journalism and I’ work as a news reporter now - I’d like to think Lance’s writing and the quality of his lyrics sparked something in me way back when.
Even without meeting him in person, anyone who kept up with his newsletters, blogging and even his lyrics probably felt they knew Lance better than they did but I started talking to him online a while back. I’ll never forget how ecstatic I was when he sent me a stack of J-Church and Storm the Tower releases that I bought from him to find that he had thrown in some extra cd’s, a J Church 7” and a bunch of stickers. And whenever I talked to him, even just after the house fire, his sickness and his last months, he was always trying to get it together to put out records and write his book.
Even though he couldn’t do his music as often as he had done in the past there was never any doubt of J Church playing more shows and putting out another record. I got sucked in and was looking forward to it - probably because it would be just like hearing from him again.
Arthur, Hong Kong’s no.1 J Church Fan
By Ken Shipp
October 30, 2007 4:19 AM | Link to this
Lance Hahn came & worked with us at The Commitee for a SANE Nuclear Policy about 1987, where we fought U.S. militarism and nuclear weapons proliferation by grassroots canvassing, educating and organizing. He brought other musician friends from his band Cringer with him, and we went door-to-door, each of us vocalizing and bringing the idea that citizens can and should exercise their right to organize, and speak out against corporate and government-sponsored abuses of power. Lance had lots of ideas and talent to offer, and eventually lived among us for a time in our communal activist abode, taking over the garage with one of our British imports, Simon (yet another of the many fantastic humans from our canvass team).
One day he showed me a photo of some labor activists murdered by the right-wing death squads from El Salvador, where the U.S. was involved in helping to conduct a brutal counterinsurgency. The photo showed two labor activists, a woman and a man, close up, whose heads had been dipped in acid, leaving perfectly bleached skulls, bodies clothed normally to the throat. This came from an insert in an MDC album, as I remember, and we talked about the many things MDC can stand for Multi-Death Corporation(s), Million Dead Cops, etc. That unforgettable image horrified and further outraged me, if that was possible, by adding to the mountain of evidence of the U.S. government complicity in the human rights abuses, the squelching of democracy in Central America in particular, and the Third World in general. Lance understood this on a deep level, as well as many of the other power structures and dynamics that enabled such a tragedy (and a global myriad of others) to happen, and was willing to take actions to not only stop this, but to create other, positive and creative ways of living. He was in an important minority.
That same year , Lance and a bunch of us bused into the Nevada Nuclear Weapons Test Site, where we joined about a thousand others in a peaceful demonstration. As the test site employees arrived early that morning, driving through our demonstation line, mostly in huge buses, the immediacy of the enormity of what that meant was suddenly brought home to our particular group from SANE. This was quite clearly seen, as every one of our groups faces changed from quiet, nervous and unsure expectancy, to a virtuous wrath in the space of about 20 seconds. I had been to the test site before, but the others in our little group hadn’t, and their righteous anger expressed itself quite palpably when everyone, including Lance, started forcefully yelling at the site employees. I filled with excitement, my heart in my throat, exhorted my comrades not curse these people, but to persuade and reason with them. It is very hard to just stand there, as the very people who you know are aiding in the development of those abominable nuclear weapons pass right by you, unhindered.
My compatriots were not in any way wrongheaded for their incensed displays; far from it. They were reacting as any sane and informed human should react to such a thing as the development of weapons of almost unimaginable destructive capabilities. However, the event had been organized with the understanding that the participants would be taking a tactically nonviolent approach, some incorporating Ghandian methods of nonviolence and resistance. There was a separate group of individuals who would attempt to stop the weapons testing directly, if not symbolically, by backcountry actions, crossing directly into the test site from other directions.
I still remember Lance”s face and demeanor: energized, eyes resolutely flashing rage and defiance— not a common look for him— a world citizen clamoring loudly for justice. I was proud of the anger around me, and in him, and loved him and those people for knowing that something very wrong was happening, right there in front of us. My words only served to quell a verbal outrage, not the entirely justifiable feelings and indignation that were irrepressibly evoked in these good people who had come to this desolate spot, full of purpose. Lance was right to be mad, and express it he did. 20 years on, I am proud that such an ethical, true person existed, and spoke out as he did. He believed in the complete equality of all peoples, and was brave in his beliefs. I take heart from his principled example, now more than then. Thank you Lance.
He kanaka ia— Hana houi! (That was a man! Encore!).
If anyone has any information they would like to share with me, I would be grateful, as I’m doing research for different biographical articles I’m doing on Lance and some of the issues he lived for. Peace.
Posted by Ken Shipp voxpop88@gmail.com
By Joe
October 30, 2007 9:03 AM | Link to this
When a few of us stayed at the video store drinking and talking deep into the night about whatever. That’s what I’ll remember most, Lance. Them’s was good times.
By Karoline
November 2, 2007 2:41 AM | Link to this
Lance will always be a source of inspiration to me. Honest, funny, smart a*s, and a genius with the written word (not to mention the guitar). I can’t believe that he’s gone.
I’ve been on tour for the last month and I’m going to spend a good night with my Cringer & J Church records when I get back to Milwaukee. A few beers and lots of tears with a big old grin on my face the whole time.
Cheers to a fellow tour veteran that was always excited about getting to town early to have a delicious meal and a good beer in addition to playing the show. Thanks for all of the fantastic conversations over the years.
Liberty, my heart goes out to you and all of the many J Church family members.
Karoline
By j!
November 2, 2007 11:16 PM | Link to this
I, too, worked with Lance at SANE in the late ‘80’s. While I caught more than a few Cringer shows in those days, I best remember Lance as a charismatic field manager who could be inspire activists just discovering how to act on their beliefs, comfort those who feeling beat down by the indifference they encountered to their expressions of that belief and a man who never hesitated to speak truth to power.
He was a hero, whose heart was pure and smile (always) puckish.
~ j! Leonhardy, SANE Canvass, 1984-89