Reagan Youth
Encyclopedia
Reagan Youth is an American punk rock
band formed by singer Dave Rubinstein
(Dave Insurgent) and guitarist Paul Bakija (Paul Cripple) in Queens
, New York in early 1980. They are known for introducing the style of hardcore punk
to the East Coast punk scene, but were also a part of the peace punk movement. As strident radical
anarchists
, their name is a play on Hitler Youth
.
Their initial career lasted until 1990, and singer Rubinstein committed suicide three years later following a series of tragic events. In 2006, Bakija reformed the band with bassist Al Pike
, drummer Javier Madriaga, and several new members.
An important group in the New York hardcore scene, they performed regularly at CBGB
and toured the U.S. extensively, often with other early punk bands such as the Dead Kennedys
, Bad Brains
, The Misfits and the Beastie Boys
.
, 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. 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
E.P., 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.
group called House of God, but were quickly derailed by Rubinstein's increasing drug and health problems and failed to record. Dominicis played in the band Nausea
, whose fast and metallic sound helped define the crust punk
genre.
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
. 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 prostitutes. Despondent over his continuing drug addiction and the loss of his girlfriend and recently deceased mother, Rubinstein committed suicide shortly thereafter.
A version of their song "Degenerated" was used as a song performed by The Lone Rangers, the fictional rock band portrayed in the 1994 comedy Airheads
. 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 '80s with the Pike/Weinstein 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 and Bryan were shattered by Bryan's sudden, fatal heart attack. In the years following, Bakija played a few live sets of Reagan Youth material with other musicians.
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. 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 left the group. After nearly a year of inactivity, the band resumed performing live in late 2010 with new singer Kenny Young, and drummer Mike Sabatino replacing Madriaga. Bassist Dave Manzullo replaced Pike shortly thereafter due to Pike's health concerns, and the new lineup continued work on a new record. They released the new recording "Lucky 7" through free Internet outlets in 2011. Young was replaced by Jim "Diesel" Pepe later that summer, in time for their West Coast tour.
and Nazi Party imagery for satirical effect. In their original 1980s incarnation, they sought to address the perceived parallels between the policies of Ronald Reagan
, the Christian Right
and American conservatism, and the beliefs of the hate groups. The band expressed its left-wing politics
through irony, using images from hate groups for their album/CD covers. The fact that Rubinstein's parents were Holocaust survivors added to the urgency of the band's message.
and 1970s album-oriented rock
.
Former members
in 1989. This album eventually sold 40,000 copies. A second album, titled Volume 2, was completed and released in 1990, after the official breakup of the band. Both are still available on vinyl, as well as a CD titled A Collection of Pop Classics that combines both records. A collection of live recordings was issued in 1998 as Live and Rare.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band formed by singer Dave Rubinstein
Dave Rubinstein
David Rubinstein was an American musician, the co-founder of the influential New York-based punk rock group Reagan Youth. He founded the group with guitarist Paul Bakija when both were in Forest Hills High School in Forest Hills, Queens...
(Dave Insurgent) and guitarist Paul Bakija (Paul Cripple) in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, New York in early 1980. They are known for introducing the style of hardcore punk
Hardcore punk
Hardcore punk is an underground music genre that originated in the late 1970s, following the mainstream success of punk rock. Hardcore is generally faster, thicker, and heavier than earlier punk rock. The origin of the term "hardcore punk" is uncertain. The Vancouver-based band D.O.A...
to the East Coast punk scene, but were also a part of the peace punk movement. As strident radical
Political radicalism
The term political radicalism denotes political principles focused on altering social structures through revolutionary means and changing value systems in fundamental ways...
anarchists
Anarchism
Anarchism is generally defined as the political philosophy which holds the state to be undesirable, unnecessary, and harmful, or alternatively as opposing authority in the conduct of human relations...
, their name is a play on Hitler Youth
Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
.
Their initial career lasted until 1990, and singer Rubinstein committed suicide three years later following a series of tragic events. In 2006, Bakija reformed the band with bassist Al Pike
Al Pike
Al Pike is an American musician, best known as the bassist of the hardcore punk band Reagan Youth, as well as briefly being a member of Samhain.-Musical career:...
, drummer Javier Madriaga, and several new members.
An important group in the New York hardcore scene, they performed regularly at CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
and toured the U.S. extensively, often with other early punk bands such as the Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys
Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band formed in San Francisco, California in 1978. The band became part of the American hardcore punk movement of the early 1980s. They gained a large underground fanbase in the international punk music scene....
, Bad Brains
Bad Brains
Bad Brains is an American hardcore punk band formed in Washington, D.C., in 1977. They are widely regarded as among the pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members objected to this term to describe their music. They are also an adept reggae band, while later recordings featured elements of...
, The Misfits and the Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys
Beastie Boys are an American hip hop trio from New York City. The group consists of Mike D who plays the drums, MCA who plays the bass, and Ad-Rock who plays the guitar....
.
Initial career (1980–1990)
Rubinstein and Bakija attended Forest Hills High SchoolForest Hills High School
Forest Hills High School , dedicated in 1937, is a public secondary school in Queens, New York City. It educates students in grades 9–12 and is operated by the New York City Department of Education.- Location :...
, the same as that of the Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
, 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
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
. 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. After the band recorded a four-song demo in 1981, Bryan was replaced by Al Pike
Al Pike
Al Pike is an American musician, best known as the bassist of the hardcore punk band Reagan Youth, as well as briefly being a member of Samhain.-Musical career:...
. 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
Youth Anthems for the New Order
Youth Anthems for the New Order is the first album by punk band Reagan Youth. Recorded at High 5 Studios, NYC in 1983-1984, the album was released folded in a large two sided poster instead of a traditional album cover...
E.P., they began touring nationally and were regulars at the Sunday afternoon hardcore matinee shows at CBGB
CBGB
CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the...
. 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
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
's group Samhain
Samhain (band)
Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...
briefly around this time. They were replaced by Victor Dominicis
Victor Dominicis
Victor Dominicis is a New York punk rock guitarist known for the bands Nausea and Reagan Youth. He is notable for being a pioneer in the American crust punk style blending punk and heavy metal. His influence can be seen in countless metal and punk bands that have followed...
(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
Heart Attack (band)
Heart Attack was an early New York hardcore band, formed in 1980 and active until 1984.-History:Formed in the suburban area of Whitestone, Queens, they were probably the youngest punk band in the NYC area at the time, according to some flyers and fanzines, as the first line up was formed by people...
.
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
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
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
New Red Archives
New Red Archives is an independent record label based in San Francisco, mainly home to punk rock bands. Started in 1987, the label began by releasing punk and hardcore records on coloured vinyl...
, 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)
Bakija, Madriaga, and Rubinstein continued making music together, performing in a psychedelic rockPsychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
group called House of God, but were quickly derailed by Rubinstein's increasing drug and health problems and failed to record. Dominicis played in the band Nausea
Nausea (band)
Nausea was an American crust punk band from New York City in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, active from 1985-1992. Nausea is usually cited as being integral in the rise of American crust punk, a fusion of anarcho-punk and thrash metal styles....
, whose fast and metallic sound helped define the crust punk
Crust punk
Crust punk is a form of music influenced by anarcho-punk, hardcore punk and extreme metal. The style, which evolved in the mid-1980s in England, often has songs with dark and pessimistic lyrics that linger on political and social ills...
genre.
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
Prostitution
Prostitution is the act or practice of providing sexual services to another person in return for payment. The person who receives payment for sexual services is called a prostitute and the person who receives such services is known by a multitude of terms, including a "john". Prostitution is one of...
. 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
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
stopped the same truck and discovered Bresciani's slain body in the back. The driver was Joel Rifkin
Joel Rifkin
Joel David Rifkin is an American serial killer convicted of the murder of nine women , mostly drug addicted prostitutes, between 1989 and 1993 in New York City...
, later convicted as a serial killer
Serial killer
A serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
responsible for the murder of several prostitutes. Despondent over his continuing drug addiction and the loss of his girlfriend and recently deceased mother, Rubinstein committed suicide shortly thereafter.
A version of their song "Degenerated" was used as a song performed by The Lone Rangers, the fictional rock band portrayed in the 1994 comedy Airheads
Airheads
Airheads is a 1994 American comedy film written by Rich Wilkes and directed by Michael Lehmann. It stars Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi and Adam Sandler as a band of loser musicians called "The Lone Rangers" who take a radio station hostage, just so that their song would get played on the radio...
. This same year, New Red Archives issued A Collection of Pop Classics
A Collection of Pop Classics
- Personnel :* Dave Rubinstein – vocals * Paul Bakija – guitar ; bass * Al Pike – bass * Steve Weinstein – drums * Javier Madriaga – drums...
, which collected both Volume 1 and Volume 2 on a single CD.
In 1998, New Red Archives released Live & Rare
Live & Rare (Reagan Youth album)
Live & Rare is an album by punk band Reagan Youth. It was released after the break-up of the band in 1989 and the suicide of lead singer Dave Rubinstein in 1993.-Track listing:#"It's a Beautiful Day" – 3:53#"Degenerated" – 2:18#"Go Nowhere" – 1:22...
, a CD compiling highlights from New York City-area Reagan Youth sets from the early '80s with the Pike/Weinstein 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
UK Subs
The U.K. Subs are an English punk rock band, among the earliest in the first wave of British punk. Formed in 1976, the mainstay of the band has been vocalist Charlie Harper, originally a singer in Britain's R&B scene. They were also one of the first street punk bands.-Career:The U.K...
, contributed liner notes for this release.
In 2002, plans for a reunion set at CBGB featuring Bakija and Bryan were shattered by Bryan's sudden, fatal heart attack. In the years following, Bakija played a few live sets of Reagan Youth material with other musicians.
Reformation (2006–present)
In 2006, Reagan Youth officially reformed around Bakija, Pike, Madriaga and new vocalist Pat McGowen (Pat SpEd). They initially intended only to play a single show, but opted to continue after the project "took on a life of its own." They played several additional local and regional tours, and embarked on the "Resurrection Tour" in August 2007, with BostonBoston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
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. 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 left the group. After nearly a year of inactivity, the band resumed performing live in late 2010 with new singer Kenny Young, and drummer Mike Sabatino replacing Madriaga. Bassist Dave Manzullo replaced Pike shortly thereafter due to Pike's health concerns, and the new lineup continued work on a new record. They released the new recording "Lucky 7" through free Internet outlets in 2011. Young was replaced by Jim "Diesel" Pepe later that summer, in time for their West Coast tour.
Lyrical content
Reagan Youth is an aggressively anarchist, socialist, and anti-racist band, and often utilized Ku Klux KlanKu Klux Klan
Ku Klux Klan, often abbreviated KKK and informally known as the Klan, is the name of three distinct past and present far-right organizations in the United States, which have advocated extremist reactionary currents such as white supremacy, white nationalism, and anti-immigration, historically...
and Nazi Party imagery for satirical effect. In their original 1980s incarnation, they sought to address the perceived parallels between the policies of Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
, the Christian Right
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
and American conservatism, and the beliefs of the hate groups. The band expressed its left-wing politics
Left-wing politics
In politics, Left, left-wing and leftist generally refer to support for social change to create a more egalitarian society...
through irony, using images from hate groups for their album/CD covers. The fact that Rubinstein's parents were Holocaust survivors added to the urgency of the band's message.
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 SabbathBlack Sabbath
Black Sabbath are an English heavy metal band, formed in Aston, Birmingham in 1969 by Ozzy Osbourne , Tony Iommi , Geezer Butler , and Bill Ward . The band has since experienced multiple line-up changes, with Tony Iommi the only constant presence in the band through the years. A total of 22...
and 1970s album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock
Album-oriented rock is an American FM radio format focusing on album tracks by rock artists.-Music played:Most radio formats are based on a select, tight rotation of hit singles...
.
Band members
Current members- Paul Bakija – guitar (1980–1990, 2006–present)
- Mike Sabatino – drums (2010–present)
- Dave Manzullo – bass (2011–present)
- Kenny Young – vocals, guitar (2010–present)
Former members
- Dave RubinsteinDave RubinsteinDavid Rubinstein was an American musician, the co-founder of the influential New York-based punk rock group Reagan Youth. He founded the group with guitarist Paul Bakija when both were in Forest Hills High School in Forest Hills, Queens...
(deceased) – vocals (1980–1990) - Andy Bryan (deceased) – bass (1980–1981)
- Charlie Bonet – drums (1980–1981, 1982)
- Al PikeAl PikeAl Pike is an American musician, best known as the bassist of the hardcore punk band Reagan Youth, as well as briefly being a member of Samhain.-Musical career:...
– bass (1981–1984, 2006–2011) - Steve Weissman – drums (1982–1984)
- Victor DominicisVictor DominicisVictor Dominicis is a New York punk rock guitarist known for the bands Nausea and Reagan Youth. He is notable for being a pioneer in the American crust punk style blending punk and heavy metal. His influence can be seen in countless metal and punk bands that have followed...
– bass (1984–1990) - Rick Griffith – drums (1984–1985)
- Javier Madriaga – drums (1985–1990, 2006–2010)
- Pat McGowan – vocals (2006–2010)
- Jim "Diesel" Pepe – vocals (2011)
Discography
Reagan Youth released only one album during their existence as a band (in 1984); originally titled Youth Anthems for the New Order, it was re-released as Reagan Youth (Volume 1) by the small independent label New Red ArchivesNew Red Archives
New Red Archives is an independent record label based in San Francisco, mainly home to punk rock bands. Started in 1987, the label began by releasing punk and hardcore records on coloured vinyl...
in 1989. This album eventually sold 40,000 copies. A second album, titled Volume 2, was completed and released in 1990, after the official breakup of the band. Both are still available on vinyl, as well as a CD titled A Collection of Pop Classics that combines both records. A collection of live recordings was issued in 1998 as Live and Rare.
Compact discs and vinyl
- Youth Anthems for the New OrderYouth Anthems for the New OrderYouth Anthems for the New Order is the first album by punk band Reagan Youth. Recorded at High 5 Studios, NYC in 1983-1984, the album was released folded in a large two sided poster instead of a traditional album cover...
(1984) - Volume 1 (1989)
- Volume 2 (1990)
- A Collection of Pop ClassicsA Collection of Pop Classics- Personnel :* Dave Rubinstein – vocals * Paul Bakija – guitar ; bass * Al Pike – bass * Steve Weinstein – drums * Javier Madriaga – drums...
(1994) - Live & RareLive & Rare (Reagan Youth album)Live & Rare is an album by punk band Reagan Youth. It was released after the break-up of the band in 1989 and the suicide of lead singer Dave Rubinstein in 1993.-Track listing:#"It's a Beautiful Day" – 3:53#"Degenerated" – 2:18#"Go Nowhere" – 1:22...
(1998) - Punk Rock New YorkPunk Rock New YorkPunk Rock New York is an album by punk band Reagan Youth. It was released after the break-up of the band in 1989 and the suicide of lead singer Dave Rubinstein in 1993...
(2007)
Bootlegs
- Live At CBGBs August 7, 1982
- Live At CBGBs November 20, 1982 (Ratcage Records Benefit) http://whatwedoissecret.blogspot.com/2003_07_01_archive.html
- Live At CBGBs Vol. One 7" http://homepages.nyu.edu/~cch223/usa/albums/reaganyouth_cbgb.html