Formation and Touch & Go years (1987–1994) The band began in Austin, Texas, when guitarist
Duane Denison asked
David Yow, formerly of
Scratch Acid, to play bass on some songs he wanted to record. Yow suggested that he sing and have former Scratch Acid bassist
David Wm. Sims play bass instead. The resultant group took its name from a common nickname for the
basilisk, a type of lizard that can run on water. The trio rehearsed several times in Austin with a drum machine. Yow and Sims moved to Chicago in 1988, and Denison followed the next year. Their first EP,
Pure, was recorded by Albini and released by Touch & Go in 1989. It is the only record by the band that uses a drum machine. Drummer
Mac McNeilly, formerly of
Phantom 309, was recruited and the band played its first live show on July 1, 1989. Albini recorded the band's next four albums –
Head (1990),
Goat (1991),
Liar (1992), and
Down (1994). During this era the group also released a live record,
Show, and a split single with Nirvana,
Puss/Oh, the Guilt.
Capitol years and breakup (1995–1999) The band signed to
Capitol Records in 1995, recording the song "Panic in Cicero" for the
Clerks soundtrack and making appearances at
Lollapalooza shortly thereafter. Impressed by his work on
The Melvins'
Stoner Witch album, the band hired producer
Garth Richardson to record their next record,
Shot, the following year. While rumors that Albini refused to work with the band due to their involvement with a major label persisted, both Albini and the group have stated this to be false. McNeilly left the band in late 1996, citing exhaustion from touring and the desire to spend more time with his family. He was replaced by
Jim Kimball, of
Mule and Denison's side project,
The Denison/Kimball Trio. After more heavy touring the following year, this lineup recorded 1998's
self-titled EP, their only record whose title is not a four-letter word, on
Jetset Records. The EP featured production and engineering by
Andy Gill of
Gang of Four,
John Cale, and
Jim O'Rourke. Later that year, the band released the album
Blue, also recorded by Gill. A departure, the record explored their experimental instincts previously hinted at on earlier songs like "Happy Bunny Goes Fluff-Fluff Along" and "White Hole". In August 1998 Kimball left the group and was replaced by Chicago-based drummer Brendan Murphy, formerly of the
Wesley Willis Fiasco. They embarked on several more months of heavy touring, playing the final gig of their initial career at the
Umeå Open festival in
Umeå,
Sweden, on March 27, 1999. After being dropped from Capitol Records mid-contract, the band announced its split the following June.
Post-breakup (2000–2007) In 2000, Touch & Go issued
Bang, a CD of 7" tracks and rarities. The members remained musically active: Denison began performing with
Tomahawk, continued to play with Kimball in
The Denison/Kimball Trio, and backed
Hank Williams III on tour. In 2006, he also formed
U.S.S.A. with bassist
Paul Barker (ex-
Ministry). McNeilly played drums in
P.W. Long's Reelfoot recording "Push Me Again", and continued to play along with his wife in their band Mouse. He recorded with
Steve Albini in February 2007 for Denison's Fuzz label mate Greg Garing. In 2006, Yow and Sims reformed Scratch Acid, along with original members
Rey Washam (also of
Rapeman, Ministry) and Brett Bradford (also of Sangre de Toro) for the Touch & Go Records 25th Anniversary Festival in Chicago. A week before the Touch & Go Festival, the reunited Scratch Acid played to a sold-out crowd at
Emo's in their hometown of Austin. Sims relocated to
New York City, began working as an accountant, and maintained his solo project Dangerpuss. Denison relocated to Nashville. Yow moved to
Los Angeles, working in graphic design for an advertising agency and joining the band
Qui, before pursuing an acting career and briefly joining
Flipper on vocals.
Reunion tour (2008–2010) The Jesus Lizard reformed in 2008 with McNeilly drumming, and began playing concerts the next year. These shows included appearances at the
Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago, and
All Tomorrow's Parties music festivals in England and New York. On October 6, all of the band's Touch & Go studio albums were re-released with improved sound and bonus tracks. The albums were remastered by Albini and
Bob Weston and packaged with new liner notes and gatefold artwork. Following the tour, the individual members returned to other projects and stated that this run of activity was "probably [their] last."
Post-reunion tour (2010–2016) In August 2011 MVD released
Club, a concert DVD and double LP of the band's Nashville performance at Exit/In from the 2009 tour. In 2013, Yow released
Tonight You Look Like a Spider, a solo album that had been in production for almost 15 years on
Joyful Noise Recordings. Yow stated that he'd been inspired to do the album by
Mike Patton, and described his compositional process by stating, "I rented a saxophone for 2 months, I borrowed some guitars and some drums, I rummaged through the kitchen, I squeezed a fat cat, I poked and prodded and ended up with my very own music." In October 2013, the Jesus Lizard was set to play at the All Tomorrow's Parties event Release the Bats in Melbourne, Australia. They canceled this show due to 'unforeseen circumstances'.
Second reunion and Rack (2017–present) In September 2017, the band announced their second reunion. The band undertook their first tour in eight years that December. They went on a tour in September 2018 and would play
Riot Fest 2018 in Chicago that same month. In June 2024, the Jesus Lizard announced their first album in 26 years, revealing the title to be
Rack, simultaneously releasing the first single, "Hide and Seek", to streaming platforms. The album was released on September 13 through
Ipecac Recordings. The band went on tour to play new material: their US and British concerts were praised by the press. ==Musical style and influences==