Initial career (1980–1990)

Rubinstein and Bakija attended Forest Hills High School, the same as that of the Ramones, when they formed their band. After rehearsals under the name Pus with a varying rhythm section, the group changed its name to Reagan Youth shortly before playing its first gig on August 22, 1980, with bassist Andy Bryan (Andy Apathy) and drummer Charlie Bonet (Charlie Tripper). Reagan Youth quickly gained a following and were soon playing the punk clubs of Manhattan. Bakija's physics teacher shaved his head at CBGB's one night and after that became associated with the band, hauling equipment in his Dodge Dart.^[2] After the band recorded a four-song demo in 1981, Bryan was replaced by Al Pike. Bonet departed soon after; after the band briefly rehearsed with Rubinstein filling in on drums, Steve Weissman joined full-time. They signed to the R Radical imprint.

After graduation and the release of their first record, the seven-song Youth Anthems for the New Order EP, they began touring nationally and were regulars at the Sunday afternoon hardcore matinee shows at CBGB. In 1984, prior to a significant US tour, Pike and Weissman left the group, with Pike going on to join a formative version of Glenn Danzig's group Samhain briefly around this time. They were replaced by Victor Dominicis (Vic Venom) and Rick Griffith (Rick Royale) respectively. Griffith was later replaced in 1985 by Javier Madriaga (Johnny Aztec), who has also played drums in Lujuria, A.P.P.L.E., and Heart Attack.

By the late 1980s the extensive touring had taken its toll on the group. Despite the many shows played and the relatively large album sales for a hardcore punk band, they continually found themselves broke. When Ronald Reagan left office in 1989, the band split up. Despite their decision to disband, the group attracted the attention of the burgeoning punk label New Red Archives, with whom they signed a two-album deal. New Red Archives first re-released Youth Anthems for the New World Order with three additional outtakes as the Volume 1 LP. In 1990, Bakija (playing both guitar and bass), Madriaga, and Rubinstein recorded a final album, Volume 2.

Post-breakup (1990–2006)

Dominicis went on to play guitar in Nausea while Bakija, Madriaga, and Rubinstein continued making music together, briefly performing in a psychedelic rock group called House of God that was derailed by Rubinstein's increasing drug and health problems.^[3] House of God recorded a 7-song demo, an unmixed version of which can be found online.

By 1990 Rubinstein had become a heroin user and occasional dealer. In a conflict with another dealer, he was severely beaten with a baseball bat, requiring weeks of hospitalization. In 1993 he began dating Tiffany Bresciani, who supported both of their drug habits by prostitution.^[4] This same year, Rubinstein's mother was killed in a car accident. Soon after, he and Bresciani were on Houston Street looking for customers and drugs. A familiar customer in a truck hired Bresciani and the two of them disappeared. A few days later, police on Long Island stopped the same truck and discovered Bresciani's slain body in the back. The driver was Joel Rifkin, later convicted as a serial killer responsible for the murder of several sex workers.^[5] Despondent over his continuing drug addiction and the loss of his girlfriend and mother, Rubinstein committed suicide shortly thereafter.^[6]

This same year, New Red Archives issued A Collection of Pop Classics, which collected both Volume 1 and Volume 2 on a single CD.

In 1998, New Red Archives released Live & Rare, a CD compiling highlights from New York City-area Reagan Youth sets from the early 1980s with the Pike/Weissman lineup, along with tracks from the band's initial demo and a brief demo for Volume 2. Pike and New Red Archives owner Nicky Garratt, also the guitarist for the British band the UK Subs, contributed liner notes for this release.

In 2002, plans for a reunion set at CBGB featuring Bakija, Bryan and Bonet were shattered by Bryan's sudden, fatal heart attack. ^[7]

Reformation (2006–present)

In 2006, Reagan Youth officially reformed around Bakija, Pike, Madriaga, and new vocalist Pat McGowen (Pat Distraction). They initially intended only to play a single show but opted to continue after the project "took on a life of its own."^[8] They played several additional local and regional tours, and embarked on the "Resurrection Tour" in August 2007 with Boston hardcore band Mouth Sewn Shut.

The band began expressing interest in writing and recording a third record, and suggested that it would be about the life and times of Dave Insurgent.^[8] The band continued to tour extensively, including their first shows in Germany and Belgium in 2008 and a European tour in 2009.

In early 2010 McGowen was let go and after a year of inactivity, the band resumed performed live in late 2010 with new singer Kenny Young, with drummer Mike Sabatino replacing Madriaga. Bassist Dave Manzullo replaced Pike shortly thereafter due to Pike's health concerns. They released the new recording "Lucky 7" through free Internet outlets in 2011. But Young's drug addiction led to his replacement by Jim Diesel and Tibbie X replaced Dave Manzullo as well as becoming the permanent bassist. Diesel was let go and was replaced by Paul Rye. Paul Rye and Sabatino were soon after replaced by drummer Felipe Torres who introduced the band to his student Stig Whisper and Trey Oswald. That lineup remained intact until Trey Oswald ran off stage in Vancouver at which time the band replaced them with Jeff Penalty (ex-Dead Kennedys) on vocals and Rick Contreras on drums. Penalty was soon replaced by A.J. DeFeo.

Guitarist Paul Cripple noticed that none of the band mates besides Tibbie X were interested in recording Volume III with the band mates always using the excuse of how their real band recordings were the only important recordings. So Paul went out to Germany and recorded five songs with German Max Motherfucker and drummer Bjorn Irlinger from the band Oxymoron where they toured and recorded five new songs with Kevin Knuckles singing because Max Motherfucker refused to. The recordings was subsequently destroyed by Bjorn Irlinger who dropped out of the tour with all the band’s money.

Paul returned to the states and had Spike Polite on vocals while Kevin Knuckles played drums but was soon replaced by Vince Solecito on drums and David Luna on vocals. The band eventually got their original drummer Charlie Bonet back into the fold and has remain as a drummer since. Luna was replaced by Neil Patterson who at least sang ‘Lucky 7’ live when the song was released on vinyl lacking a B side.

The band recent line up consisted of Scott Sturgeon of Leftover Crack, Choking Victim and Star Fucking Hipsters as singer. Paul Cripple played a few shows with this lineup. The band is no longer playing live shows due to health reasons and will be focusing on recording only.

Lyrical content

Reagan Youth is an aggressively anarchist, socialist, and anti-racist band, and often utilized Ku Klux Klan and Nazi Party imagery for satirical effect. In their original 1980s incarnation, they sought to address the parallels between the policies of Ronald Reagan, the Christian Right and American conservatism, and the beliefs of the hate groups.^[2] Their self-titled song, "Reagan Youth", uses a tongue-in-cheek rhetoric to draw parallels between Young Republicans who rallied to the cause of Ronald Reagan, and the Hitler Youth of Nazi Germany, ushering in an era of songs about Ronald Reagan in American punk music. The band expressed its left-wing politics through irony, using images from hate groups for their album/CD covers.

Musical style

Musically, the band was firmly rooted in the early hardcore/punk crossover tradition, but moved deeper into waters uncharted by their punk rock contemporaries as their career progressed. While their 1983 debut is an accomplished work squarely in keeping with hardcore punk convention, their 1990 followup features dense guitar work replete with solos and overdubs, diversified tempos and several sonic experiments, leading it to draw comparisons to Black Sabbath and 1970s album-oriented rock.

Timeline

CDs and vinyl

• Youth Anthems for the New Order (1984)
• Volume 1 (1989)
• Volume 2 (1990)
• A Collection of Pop Classics (1994)
• Live & Rare (1998)
• Punk Rock New York (2007)
• The Complete Youth Anthems for the New Order 7" box set (2016)

Bootlegs

• Live at CBGBs August 7, 1982
• Live at CBGBs November 20, 1982 (Ratcage Records Benefit)^[9]
• Live at CBGBs Vol. One 7"^[10]

Appearances

• Hardcore Breakout USA (1990)
• Hardcore Breakout USA Volume 2 (1995)
• The Punk, The Bad & The Ugly (1997)
• At War With Society (1998)
• At War With Society II (1999)
• Mighty Attack (1999)
• Justified, pilot episode – song "USA" (2010)