Wasted Youth (American band)

Wasted Youth
Wasted Youth
Also known as	LA's Wasted Youth
Origin	Los Angeles, California,U.S.
Genres	Hardcore punk; Crossover thrash(later)
Years active	1981–1988
Past members	Chett Lehrer; Jeff Long; Allen Stiritz; Danny Spira; Paul Rossi; Tim Gallegos; Jay Bentley; Jeff Dahlgren; Dave Kushner; Joey Castillo

Wasted Youth(also known asLA's Wasted Youth) was an early 1980shardcore punkband from Los Angeles, California. The band followed in the footsteps ofBlack Flagand theCircle Jerks.It was a prominent and popular act among the Los Angeles punkunderground.Other bands active in the early 1980s Los Angeles punk scene wereThe Adolescents,T.S.O.L.,Social Distortion,Bad Religion,Agent Orange,andThe Stains.

Footage of the original lineup (1981–1983) can be seen in the filmSlog Movie,which is a film documenting theOrange Countypunk scene.

History

The original members of Wasted Youth were Chett Lehrer, Jeff Long, Allen Stiritz, and Danny Spira.^[1]

Reagan's In

The band's first albumReagan's In,is in the earlyWest Coasthardcore punkmusicstyle.^[2]It is known for thePushead artworkofRonald Reaganon the front cover.^[1]The back of the album featuresEdward Colver's photograph of an upside down stagediver in midair. Though thisalbumconsists of tentracks,it is less than fifteen minutes long.

Get Out of My Yard

Jeff Dahlgren,front man after Allah Akhbar (1983–1985), left the band. His work was re-recorded by Paolo Rossi co-produced with Darin Scheff and titled "Get out of My Yard". Paolo Rossi (the last generation of Wasted Youth front men) went on to start an indie label "Open Circle Records" inGlendale, California(Open Circle releasedGet Out of My YardLP). Wasted Youth led a successful "Crack Across America Tour" in the late 1980s to support "Get Out of My Yard." Michael Licalsi, a club and show promoter from the SF Bay Area, served as their manager, with Louis (VideoLouis) Elovitz taking part in management for a period of time as well. Wasted Youth performed with bands such as Bad Brains, The Ramones, and Circle Jerks on this final tour.

Black Daze

The band's later releases moved towards aheavy metalsound, including a cover of Van Halen's "On Fire". The more advanced musical and lyrical development on Black Daze brought Wasted Youth to new thrash metal audiences. The video for the album's "Good Day For a Hanging" depicts a motorcycle spinning amongst concert-goers in a mud-pit.

Aftermath

Members went on to perform in the tribal-industrialgroupSavage Republic;Joey Castillobecame a drummer forDanzigfrom 1994 to 2002, and laterQueens of the Stone Agefrom 2002 to 2012 and is now the drummer forThe Circle Jerksas of July 2021; whileDave Kushner,who played bass onBlack Daze,went on to become a member ofVelvet Revolverfrom 2002 to 2008.^[1]

References

^^a ^b ^cCogan, Brian (2008).The Encyclopedia of Punk.Sterling. p. 356.ISBN 978-1-4027-5960-4.
^Blush, Steven(2010).George Petros(ed.).American Hardcore: A Tribal History Second Edition.Feral House.pp. 90–91.ISBN 978-0-922915-71-2.

[Wasted_Youth-1] Cogan, Brian (2008).The Encyclopedia of Punk.Sterling. p. 356.ISBN 978-1-4027-5960-4.

[American_Hardcore-2] Blush, Steven(2010).George Petros(ed.).American Hardcore: A Tribal History Second Edition.Feral House.pp. 90–91.ISBN 978-0-922915-71-2.

[1]

[2]