Two Punk Kids And Some Microphones: A Conversation With Brian Baker

There's something to be said for having conversations with people who have made a positive impact in your life in some way: The more opportunities we have to do it, the less separate we become from each other.  We value wisdom and the mass range of experiences; and ideally, the more we converse with those who have inspired us, the more human they become.

It's not unlike someone who donates a kidney, donates blood for crucial transfusions, or sat with you and listened when you were feeling at your lowest.  Music is no different.  

Obviously we do this podcast because Bad Religion is one of our all-time favorite bands; but we want to also humanize the experience.  Whether someone got into them yesterday or has been into them since 1981, all of us are misfits who connect with this band in our own ways.  However, we can't forget that we also have very human experiences- which is why we connect to the music.  

And who comprises of Bad Religion?  A group of humans, who have very human experiences.  jamilah always says they're "imperfect people who make perfect music."

So as we've had teachers, graduate students, preacher's kids, ginormous fans and newbies alike (and more) on this podcast- and we hope this continues-   our door will (also) always be open to the people who inspire all of us in this journey- the band.  

Because guess what?  They are humans too.  

The human who so kindly spent part of his day with us this time is Brian Baker- a man who, if we named every band he was in, it would probably go over the word limit.  To start, he is associated with three bands who have been cited as among the most influential bands in punk/hardcore:  Minor Threat, Dag Nasty and (of course), Bad Religion.  He played on stage with Carlos Santana's band when he was 12.  He is a survivor.  And in this latest iteration of his journey, he is a published author of a photography book.  

In this conversation, Brian and jamilah speak about a wide range of topics:  the power of seeing kids starting their own scenes, the joy of going to shows, support during sobriety, Phil Upchurch & Steve Cropper (RIP), The Denny's Grand Slam, the importance of literacy (and being a good listener), tattoos and more!

Shoutout to Christina and Victoria.

Thank you once again for listening!

To get Brian's book, The Road, go to:  https://www.akashicbooks.com/catalog/the-road/

jamilah's piece on George Carlin:  https://jamilah1.substack.com/p/people-say-they-love-george-carlin

Where you can find the 'Bumblebee' song: https://teodorasfist.bandcamp.com/album/one-day-i-slipped-and-fell-on-a-thought

If you have any queries, comments or critiques, send them here: thispodcaststrikesfirst@gmail.com