Brandt Peterson

Brandt Gustav Peterson (born 1966) is an American musician, best known as the original bass player with Heatmiser upon its formation in 1992. He was replaced on the band's final album, 1996's Mic City Sons, by Sam Coomes, after Peterson left the band. From 2000 to 2009, he played bass and percussion with bands in Austin, TX, and Detroit, MI, including the UT Brazilian Ensemble, Lek and The Hosts. Peterson received his Ph.D. from the University of Texas, Austin, and currently teaches social and cultural anthropology at Michigan State University . His teaching style is denoted by a great aptitude in Latin American history, especially Salvadorian history, likely resulting from his extensive ethnographic studies there. Peterson's lectures are also characterized by a clever humor often used to explicate complex cultural ideas surrounding historical facts.