The Linecutters - Long Wong's - 2/14/14

The Linecutters Long Wong's 2/14/14

Although its always hard to tell how far any new band will go -- and even harder when said band comprises high school juniors -- local punkers The Linecutters seem to have it. The Gilbert-based thrash trio have been around only since September, but they already have a nice 14-song set of about 10 originals, most of which are good and include two clear hits.

Friday night, The Linecutters took that 14-song set to Long Wong's in Tempe to open for Fairy Bones for what amounts to the first bona fide bar show the nascent punk band has played. (Before Friday, save for one battle of the bands at Club Red, all the shows The Linecutters previously had performed were of the backyard/DIY variety.) And it went splendidly for them.

In their first appearance at the Tempe music venue, The Linecutters drew more than 30 people, and, judging by the sound of the applause, they impressed most of them.

The group just has the right look, the right sound, and the right attitude, and appear to be able to survive the trials and tribulations of being a band while still in high school.

Their look, in particular, is of three 17-year-old punkers. Smith wears a classic denim patch vest, drummer John Heiligenthal brings a looming feeling of metal with his skull sticker on his drum kit, and guitarist Marce Festa has that snotty punk rock face that half of you wants to punch and the other half cannot look away from.

Their sound, which blasted out of Long Wong's new-and-improved sound system, is a bold (and loud) blend of punk, ska and metal. For now, it's obvious that they're emulating their favorites, but with some more seasoning and time to resonate, they will undoubtedly develop and find their own sound. And when that happens, you can bet that it will get much attention in the local punk scene.

Their tracks "Assimilation," and "Yolocaust" are obvious singles, on par with any of the great punk I've ever heard.

"Assimilation," being a fairly obvious ode to their distaste with American culture, and "Yolocaust" take a jab at the bullies and cool kids in school who still only live once. Some of their other tracks dive into consumerism, education, and war, while others are just about being 16, getting fucked up, and making mistakes.

The attitude The Linecutters bring with them, however, is their biggest asset. For the time being, they can still count the number of shows they have played on two hands, but that doesn't stop them from sounding extremely tight. Though they may not play out a lot, because of the dearth of places where 17-year-olds can play, they're constantly practicing.

Their current goal, besides finishing recording on their upcoming self-titled debut EP, is to help contribute to the building of the Phoenix punk scene.

"There is just not enough good punk bands out here," says Smith.

And The Linecutters are just the sort of people needed to solidify the punk scene.

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