Not to be confused with the short-lived early Minor Threat offshoot band, Los Angeles’s Youth Brigade is the influential hardcore band that emerged from the city’s Punk heyday. Starting in 1980 with brothers Mark, Adam, and Shawn Stern, Youth Brigade has experienced the complete cycle most punks must go through. After starting the band together, Youth Brigade quickly underwent several lineup changes, with Shawn and Mark being the only two consistent members throughout the band’s storied career. While the trio of brothers has banded back together over the years, the impact Youth Brigade had on the hardcore movement reaches far beyond its rotating members.
Their influence can be heard in fellow punk legends like the Circle Jerks, who used Youth Brigade’s Hollywood home base and recording studio as a practice space. The same house is credited as the spot where bands like No Crisis got their start. For this Golden Age Thursday, we look at Youth Brigade just before the band took their hiatus from 1987 to 1991. We have another terrific concert video from the famous Video Louis Elovitz, who captured a 1986 Youth Brigade performance in Los Angeles. The video captures the band’s musical prowess as they intertwine interactions with the crowd into their relentless onslaught of pure punk fury. You can check out the full video below.
