Reagan Youth was formed in 1980 by founding members Dave Rubinstein (also known as "Dave Insurgent") and Paul Bakija ("Paul Cripple"), while they attended high school in Queens, New York. The band started playing punk clubs around Manhattan; one of their high school teachers was their roadie. They toured cross-country, sharing bills with the Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, and most of the major punk bands of that time.

Reagan Youth's music was political, humorous and direct. They released a few singles and two albums during their existence, which ended when Ronald Reagan left the White House. Afterward, Bakija and Rubinstein formed the rock band "House Of God," which performed infrequently. Rubinstein developed a serious heroin addiction. After his girlfriend was killed by the serial killer Joel Rifkin, he committed suicide in 1993.

Background
Reagan Youth, along with the Misfits and Kraut, were the most influential early Punk bands in the New York area. However in their almost ten years together, they only managed to record 1 album (Youth Anthems For The New Order). This was mostly due to the drug problems that also caused the band's demise and the death of singer Dave Insurgent (nee Rubinstein). The first album was reissued as 'Volume 1' by New Red Archives, remixed by Dave and Nicky Garratt, with extra previously unreleased tracks from the 'Youth Anthems' session. After the band folded, members reunited to record a number of songs which had not been documented. This was released as 'Volume 2'. In recent years, Reagan Youth have become icons in Punk circles with many cover versions of their songs being recorded and even the film 'Airheads' using one of their songs in the sound track.

Biography
David Rubinstein was born in 1964. He formed "Reagan Youth" with guitarist Paul Bakija when both were in high school in Rego Park, Queens. While they were still in high school, the band played the punk clubs of Manhattan. In fact, David's science teacher became a roadie for the band. (That high school teacher was so into the punk scene that he shaved his head and as a result almost got fired by the school administration.)

As the members graduated from high school, Reagan Youth performed regularly at C.B.G.B.'s and became a well-known band. They recorded a single, then an album. They toured cross-country many times, performing with all of the great hard-core punk bands of that era. At the "Rock Against Racism" shows in the early 1980's, Reagan Youth shared the bill with the Dead Kennedys, the Bad Brains, and others.