Nearing 6 p.m. Saturday night, a mass of flannel, tight jeans and neon-tipped mohawks swarms around the metal barrier in Chicago’s Congress Theater. Screams of “Fuck You” and “I Hate My Life” echo throughout the massive room, suggesting that the stereotypical angry attitude of punk kids is a reality, but in fact they’re simply shouting Youth Brigade song titles. As the band members start playing, the audience erupts in cheers. From the response of the young crowd, not to mention the name of the band, you might think that a bunch of 20-somethings just hit the stage. But in reality, these guys are still very active in the punk scene now well into their 40s.

So who are these guys? From Los Angeles, California, Shawn and Adam Stern are not only musicians, but also businessmen. As a way to show a more positive take on the punk scene, the Stern brothers started their own record label in 1981, called BYO Records (for Better Youth Organization), at the tender ages of 19 and 20. In addition to BYO, the brothers also ran the Godzilla Nightclub, which housed both local and national punk acts.

The Stern brothers’ goal was to get all of the punks involved in an ethic of “do it yourself”, or DIY. A Gandhi-like ideal, the point of DIY is simple: No one is going to change the world for you, so you have to do it yourself.

Youth Brigade performed this past weekend as a part of Riot Fest, a three-day punk rock festival in multiple venues across Chicago. In addition to their set, Youth Brigade also screened a film called Let Them Know, which celebrates the birth of BYO Records and the band that has influenced so many others to this day.

Shawn Stern, the lead vocalist and founding member of Youth Brigade and BYO, sat down with us to discuss the film and the release of the band’s new box set, which celebrates the more than 25 years of influence that the band has had on the punk scene

Tell us about the box set. What is in it, and why did you choose to release it?

Well, it was our 25-year anniversary coming up (this was a few years ago), and me and my brother were talking [about what we should do]. We started the label [BYO Records] with a compilation and we thought, “Let’s do a compilation; that’s a great idea.” Bands tend to not want to give you brand-new songs, even though that would be ideal, so we said, let’s ask everybody to cover a song from our catalog — it’s gotta be, I don’t know, a thousand songs, right? Then of course all labels these days are faced with the problem [...] of everybody’s downloading music, so labels are kind of obsolete. And we thought, what could we do to try and make something that kids can’t download, make it something new. And then we thought, “Let’s make it a book. A coffee table book, with two LPs shoved inside.”

What is it like being in a literal band of brothers?

(Laughs) Well, it’s just me and Mark now because Adam’s busy doing stuff. He went to Parsons, he’s a really good illustrator. But that was back in the 80s, and then he started learning all of the computer stuff, and so that’s what he does now, computer CGI. He worked on that movie, Pan’s Labyrinth, and that HBO John Adams special that they won an Emmy for.

The film Let Them Know was screened as a part of Riot Fest this weekend. Tell us about the film and what you hope to accomplish with it.

We saw films and books over the last 15 years and they all tend to focus on London and New York. Everyone ignores LA, but the fact is, LA has had the largest punk rock scene since the 80s. Most films are made by fans, and that’s great, but they weren’t there, you know, they weren’t a part of the band. So we came up with the idea of this documentary on the label. We’re good friends with Bouncing Souls, we just did 12 shows with them in Canada, and they did one, and the guys who made it did a really good job, so we started talking about it with them.

What is punk to you?

Punk is just about thinking for yourself and looking around the world and seeing what’s wrong with it, and trying to change things. Back when we started, DIY (do it yourself) wasn’t a term, we just did it. We didn’t think about it. Punk isn’t just a fashion statement, it’s a way of living, and trying to change the world around you.

You guys grew up in California. How did the atmosphere there impact the kind of music you make?

We were surfers. We learned how to surf when we were 12 or 13 years old. Surfing has always had such a rebel culture connected to it, and I think that’s what influenced us. You know, skateboarding came out of surfing, and there’s this culture of rebellion connected with that today.

You have been involved in the punk scene for about three decades. How do you feel about that?

Lucky that I’m still able to do this and that people are still interested. I never thought I’d still be doing this into my 30s and 40s.

How has music changed since you started?

It’s comparing apples and oranges. It’s hard because it seems like everything’s been done before. It’s amazing, the quality. Back then no one had any piercings or crazy hair, and now everyone does. There weren’t very many bands, but they were all good. Now you have thousands of bands, but they all sound generic. But a lot of that has to do with electronic recording. Everyone can do it, but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. I find punk to be more intelligent music; it has a message behind it, not like all the generic pop out there.

Youth Brigade was one of the first bands to break into the European underground music scene. How does the concert atmosphere compare between Europe and the United States?

Well, they drink a lot more (laughs). It’s not so much about Europe as a whole, because every country is different there. But overall, it’s just so much more laid back in Europe. There’s too much police shit here.

Does Youth Brigade have any plans or goals for the future?

Our plans are always to go out and play shows in cities where we can surf. Other than that, hopefully I can write some new music. We’re going to come out with a new record soon, ‘cause it’s been a long fucking time.

What do you hope fans get from Youth Brigade and other bands on the BYO label?

I hope they have a good time, because that’s always important. But if you feel inspired listening to our music, if you feel like you can change things that you see wrong in the world, then I think we’ve accomplished what we’re trying to do.