Brian Baker (born February 25, 1965) is an American punk rock musician. He is best known as one of the founding members of the hardcore punk band Minor Threat, and as a guitarist in Bad Religion since 1994 alongside Greg Hetson. In Minor Threat, he originally played bass guitar before switching to guitar in 1982 when Steve Hansgen joined the band, and then moved back to bass after Hansgen's departure. He also founded Dag Nasty in 1985, was part of the original line-up of Samhain, and has had stints in Doggy Style, The Meatmen (with fellow Minor Threat member Lyle Preslar), Government Issue, and Junkyard (a hard rock band).
In 1994, he was offered a touring spot with R.E.M. but declined, opting instead to join Bad Religion as Brett Gurewitz's replacement. In early 2000, he was asked to audition for Guns N' Roses by Tommy Stinson but he declined, saying that he would stay in Bad Religion no matter how much money he was offered. He has also in the past experimented with a more pop direction influenced by U2, with a band called 400. Baker briefly toured with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes in 2005 and appeared on Canadian punk band Penelope's second album (Face au silence du monde).
Famous quotes containing the words brian and/or baker:
“Brian O’Linn was a gentleman born,
He lived at a time when no clothes they were worn.”
—Unknown. Brian O’Linn (l. 1–2)
“The meeting, in spite of my attempt to decline it, appointed me one of the delegates, so that in getting Baker the nomination, I shall be “fixed” a good deal like a fellow who is made groomsman to the man what has cut him out, and is marrying his own dear “gal.””
—Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865)