Coming from Santa Maria, California, The 1st Line has a restless attitude and sound that could make an Old-School Chicagoan take note. Anyone familiar with Chicago greats such as Pegboy, Naked Raygun, or 88 Fingers Louie will instantly appreciate the resonance of T1stL (The 1st Line). Their energetic live performances are fueled by ferocious drums, aggressive guitars, and the Levins brothers battling in a Fugazi-like vocal duel.
T1stL’s sound actually started in the mid 1990’s with a band that is simply referred to today in local circles as “Custom.” Custom Made Ear-Ache Project started as a 3-piece punk band which originally united guitarist/singer Danial “Danny D” Levins and drummer Dominique Atoigue. Custom had all the elements that T1stL considers as its foundation: the classic Levins’ guitar sound, catchy lyrics, and drumbeats played with soul. Although Custom had a short lifespan of only a few years, it saw the addition of Kevin Levins (2nd guitar and vocals), and as the band was put to rest, the members always kept the influence of Custom close at heart with hopes of reuniting eventually.
Between 1997 and 2005, Dominique, Kevin, and Danny D moved throughout the U.S., and started careers and families. However, their friendship remained strong and they all continued to stay active in writing music. To say the least, this period was filled with many CDs, tapes and home-recorded acoustic tracks exchanged among themselves.
In 2006, Kevin and Dominique started the T1stL project with absolutely no clue how serious the band would eventually become! Danny was contributing some music and lyrics for the band while living in Michigan, and when he moved back to California’s Central Coast in 2008 he instantly had a spot in the band that he helped create and inspire. In 2009, the allstar line-up was officially complete when longtime friend and musician Justin Abernethy took over the bass responsiblities.
In June 2009, The 1st Line's debut album 'What’s New To The Old You?' was released by Northeast Records, a label that seems to have a knack for releasing debut albums of bands with amazing potential (i.e., The Briggs and The Ignorant). 'What’s New To The Old You?' is loaded with 13 tracks of pure dynamite that will make you want to put your fist in the air and wonder why you haven’t heard of these guys before. If you are a fan of Rise Against, Pegboy, or Face to Face, you will be captivated by The 1st Line.
I HAVE 8 - 40 MIN SPOTS OPEN ON SEPT 19TH STARTING AT 1PM ENDING AROUND 5:15PM AT CAL POLY MUSTANG VILLAGE FREE ALL AGE SHOW CONTACT ME FOR MORE INFO!!
Yeah Dom you SOB. Let me know when you guys want to make your way down to SD for a show, i'll set one up. Or we can do a "The Stupids" reunion show in Nadare's parents garage! ha.
You have a a blastin 4th of July
And don't forget the reasons why
And remember the heros who have died
And pray for those who will survive
And thank God for our stars and stripes
And as you go about your daily life
Take a minute to realize
Freedom didn't come cheap for you and I
Stare in wonder at the midnight sky
And be grateful for each day that passes by
Cause you never know when you will have to say goodbye
To all you know and all you love
And all you had and all you shared
So give back with all you have
And give love with all you've got
And remember who you are and who you're not
And remember where you came from and how you got where you are
And if you see a shooting star
Wish for something genuine
Like wisdom, truth and honor
And world peace and the end of hunger
And at the end of your days
Your good karma will touch everyone like the sun's glorious rays
And God will not forget you at the end of these counted days
So let me get a wooop wooop and an Amen
For all the children, women and men who lost their lives
So that there can be freedom for you and I
Sup Fellas. We've been layin low for a while sorting out the bass player thing. But now we got one, he's awesome, and we're busting out brand new stuff. We'll stay in touch for some future shows.
WORD! The CD rocks!! I am hooked- let me tell you! The back cover is sweet! Thanks for some T1stL goodies- where do I get a T-shirt? Hope to see you play some day. Any of you fans that are reading this right now and haven't gotten your copy of the CD my only question is WHAT IS THE HOLD UP!? Seriously- the CD is AWESOME :) Kev- miss you old friend
Hi guys! I got the album in the mail today...love it and thanks! The artwork and pic on the back kicks ass. Also, I'm super surprised and stoked that you guy's thanked me inside the cover, that's awesome! Anyway, I rock your t-shirts in the LBC all the time. Looking forward to seeing you guys play again next time im in town.
The New Album is some great stuff. I mean... I can't say it's better than my favorite album of all time, New Kids on the Block, but they had the right stuff. Anyways, great job guys. I'll make it to another show here soon when you can plan one around my vacation time. Rock the CD Release party though... I'm already shedding a tear I can't be there.