Pinhead Gunpowder is an American
punk rock band that formed in
East Bay,
California, in 1990. The band has consisted of
Aaron Cometbus (
drums,
lyrics),
Bill Schneider (
bass),
Billie Joe Armstrong (
guitar,
vocals) and
Jason White (
guitar,
vocals) for the majority of its existence. Sarah Kirsch (
guitar,
vocals), formerly known as Mike Kirsch, was the original guitarist, in place of White, but left the band citing personal differences with
Green Day (the band for which Billie Joe Armstrong is most famous) and their major label debut album
Dookie (1994). The band's name comes from a brand of "high octane" green tea served at the
Arcata co-op and discovered by Aaron Cometbus during one of his many
dumpster diving adventures.