Twenty Years of Punk Rock and BYO

Article By Social E
Photos by Jenifer Hanen

Backstage at the Troubadour, crammed into a narrow dressing room, Adam, Mark and Shawn Stern sit among the ashtrays, girlfriends, hair gel and plastic tubs of lukewarm beer to discuss the Better Youth Organization, the group the three brothers founded in 1982 as a watershed for Southern California's new, and often misunderstood punk scene.

According to the official "company line," the BYO was founded two decades ago as a reaction against police violence, outside exploitation and a general negative outlook held against the punk/alternative music scene in Los Angeles. "But it was really just a way to get kids together, put on shows and, in the end, help try and create some semblance of a scene," Shawn explains between gulps of his cocktail. "It was all built around having fun."

BYO and the Sterns received publicity early on, perhaps most notably in Peter Stuart and Adam Small's landmark 1982 punk rockumentary Another State of Mind. Interestingly, while the hairs have perhaps grayed a bit, the Stern brothers' outlook and philosophy towards BYO, and their band, Youth Brigade, haven't changed a hell of a lot in two decades. They still retain a youthful exuberance, tainted perhaps with a little healthy cynicism from living twenty years of punk rock and seeing all of its ups and downs. But the trio remains hopeful for what the future holds.

"We never thought that we'd still be playing music and doing this when we were thirty, much less forty," remarks Mark Stern, looking suddenly pensive, as if realizing he has dated himself.

Shawn pipes in. "Yeah, who knew, but fuck, it's all we know and we still love it as much as we did when we were twenty. How many people can say that about what THEY do for a living?"

Over the last twenty years, BYO has grown to become a respected record label, with a repertoire of bands that includes The Unseen, Kosher, Filthy Thieving Bastards, Welt, Pistol Grip, Pinhead Circus, Leatherface, and Manic Hispanic. In 2001, BYO began issuing a series of "split" records, each featuring two bands covering a selection of the other's songs. Youth Brigade and the Swingin' Utters both did a stint, and punk rock juggernauts Rancid and NOFX recently gave this formula their own take for the latest issue of the Split Series.

When asked about the mission and vision of BYO, the Sterns downplay the business end. "It's always been about having fun," notes Shawn. "Twenty years ago we just wanted to do a record and at that time there weren't any other options other than to do it yourself. That attitude has always been central to BYO. We feel that if we can help give bands a start, and give them a foundation on which they can grow and develop, then we have contributed something."

Over the past two decades, BYO and the Sterns have weathered the rollercoaster ride that the punk genre has experienced. Both Adam and Mark left Youth Brigade for a time to help found the Royal Crown Revue, which, for a time, became the cornerstone of a swing resurgence. But with that now run its course, the brothers are back doing their band and their label and seem hopeful for what the future holds. "As with any music that gets popular for a time," explains Shawn, "the big labels always try to get a piece for themselves and water it down or twist it for public consumption. Sadly, in the end, it always comes down to money. We have always tried to just let the genre be what it is."

All three brothers feel emphatic that punk is still relevant today, perhaps even more so in the wake of political and economic upheavals of late. "Punk has always been about being an individual, and that hasn't changed," notes Mark. "If anything, as the genre matures and has to compete against so many other outside corporate influences, it's actually harder for kids today than it was for us."

"But," injects Shawn, "there are a lot more resources available. The internet has completely changed everything. And if anything, technology has become a great equalizer. Nowadays, if someone wants to do something themselves - put out a record, promote a show, start a label - there are a ton of resources that can make that happen. There really isn't an excuse anymore of why kids today can't do what we've been doing for twenty years. If you really believe in something, and have heart and soul behind it - anything is possible."

While Shawn pontificates the idealism of punk, his brothers note that BYO is still a business. "We all have families now," Mark proclaims, "and while it's always going to be important to remain true to the ideals on which BYO is founded, we have employees to look after and, for some of us, children to support, and you can't do that without some sort of business sense."

Shawn has great hopes for the latest split record featuring Rancid and NOFX, and to be sure, the notoriety of both bands will certainly help the bottom line, but the brothers note that getting rich has never been on the list of BYO priorities. "We just want BYO to keep doing what it has always done - put out records, develop bands, and put on shows. No one's getting rich here. But if we can take an up and coming band and help them put out a polished record, and give them the support they need to go out and play for the kids, then we've done our job. That attitude has paid our rent for twenty years, and I hope that it will continue to for another twenty."