After recording one album (Youth Anthems for the New Order, 1984, R Records) the original band disintegrated amid drug abuse and suicide. As an influence, the original Reagan Youth brought hardcore punk rock to the East Coast while commenting on the similarities of President Reagan’s policies, the ideologies of hate groups and the conservative right. They were also largely responsible for introducing a brazen satirical humor to punk that made it difficult for naysayers of the music to dismiss it as “just noise.” The name of the band is actually a swipe at the young conservatives who supported Reagan in the 1980s, and is a play on the Nazi-era “Hitler youth.”
After reforming several times while constantly touring the current version of the group, dubbed “the last Reagan Youth,” now features vocalist Trey Oswald, LGBT ally Tibble-X on bass, Stip Whisper on drums and the sole remaining original member, Paul Bakija, on guitar.
The night got off to a fast and furious start with sets by Boston rockers Burning Streets and local bands Ultrahazard, Ugly Bones and The Bollweevils. After a good three hours of hard, fast punk (and slam dancing) Reagan Youth hit the stage and tore through such classics as “Urban Savages,” “What will the Neighbors Think?,” “Reagan Youth” and “U.S.A.”