Pro Skaters Get ‘Wild in the Streets’ in New Vid for Circle Jerks Classic

To mark the 40th anniversary of Circle Jerks’ sophomore LP, Wild in the Streets, a team of veteran and up-and-coming pro skaters hit the streets of Hollywood to film a new video for the album’s raucous title track.

The video, directed by photographer and skateboarder Atiba Jefferson, intersperses footage of a Circle Jerks performance from 1982 and clips of skaters — including Tony Hawk, Lance Mountain, Eric Koston, Kevin “Spanky” Long and more — tearing up the pavement of modern-day Los Angeles.

“I grew up on Wild In The Streets, so to be asked to direct this video was a huge honor,” Jefferson said in a release. “I wanted to capture and preserve 40 years of history but also celebrate 40 years of punk rock and skateboarding history.”

Formed by ex-Black Flag vocalist Keith Morris, Circle Jerks’ early output positioned the band as one of the preeminent players in the burgeoning Southern California hardcore punk scene — and the group’s impact on the punk ethos lingers to this day. Jefferson’s video pays homage to this longstanding connection between the band and the Southern California underground, with featured skaters rocking Circle Jerks merch and filming taking place in many of the same Hollywood neighborhoods where the Jerks and other LA punk stalwarts played shows in the early 1980s.

The new “Wild in the Streets” video comes in advance of an upcoming deluxe reissue of the eponymous album, out Feb. 18 on Trust Records. Included with the remastered album are live recordings from 1982, a full-color booklet of vintage photographs and flyers, and new interviews with founding band members Keith Morris, Greg Heston, and Lucky Lehrer. This month, Circle Jerks will also embark on their first North American tour in over 15 years, which kicks off Feb. 18 in San Diego.