Initial career (1980–1990) David Rubinstein and Paul Bakija met in Russel Sage JrHS and together attended
Forest Hills High School, the same high school
Simon and Garfunkel and the
Ramones attended when they began. 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 at FHHS attended a Queens basement rehearsal. And he then attended a show at CBGB's; where once he had his head shaved; he became associated with the band at times hauling Paul's amps and equipment into the city from Queens 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, 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. After
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. 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. 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. Despondent over his continuing drug addiction and the loss of his girlfriend and mother, Rubinstein committed suicide shortly thereafter. 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.
Reformation (2006–2024) In 2006, founding member, guitarist Paul Bakija reformed Reagan Youth with original members Al Pike (bass) and Javier "Johnny Aztec" Madriaga (drums), alongside new vocalist Pat McGowan (a.k.a. Pat Distraction). Initially intended as a one-off performance, the reunion soon “took on a life of its own,” with the band continuing to perform locally and regionally. In August 2007, they launched the
Resurrection Tour with Boston hardcore band
Mouth Sewn Shut. Between 2008 and 2009, Reagan Youth toured internationally, including shows in
Germany,
Belgium, and across
Europe. In 2023, Bakija began work on
Volume III, a concept album about the life of late frontman Dave Insurgent. He was joined by vocalist Madame St. Beatrice and drummer Mark Zapata. The album was completed in 2024 while Bakija was in hospice at Calvary Hospital. Bakija died of cancer on September 21, 2024.
Volume III was released posthumously on February 28, 2025, via Cleopatra Records. == Music ==