descendents Fourteen years have passed since the Descendents played a live show in the Los Angeles area. How long ago was that? Titanic was the No. 1 movie at the box office and Star Wars prequels were gonna’ be the coolest things ever! Hard to believe the band is based in California.

The Descendants’ placement on the April 7 triple-punk bill at the Long Beach Arena also looks strange. They are the opening act, beneath fellow old-school punkers Bad Religion and the headlining Rise Against, which is a comparative newcomer, even though they’ve been around since 1999.

But it all makes marketing sense. Rise Against, composed of forward-thinking progressive types from Chicago, has a single, “Help Is On The Way,” that’s been rotating on KROQ for a month. You may also know them for their work endorsing vegan tennis shoes. Yes, really.

The Descendents remain a seminal punk band that has broken up and reformed regularly throughout the years—in part, because the band’s lead singer, Milo Aukerman, has a grown-up job as a full-time research biochemist. In 1982, their first full-length album, “Milo Goes To College,” combined an energy that only pubescence can produce with a gift for melody unheard on other hardcore releases. But now, even when the Descendents do get back together, they don’t play many shows, and that’s a shame—the world would be a better place if more people were listening to them.

Bad Religion came out of the Los Angeles area in the late 1970s/early 1980s, and like the Descendents has been hugely influential to the punk outfits that sprouted after them. You may remember their song, “You” from Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 2. Yeah, now you remember!

Bad Religion is not the force it once was, but the band has never been away too long—although the lineup shifts from time to time (read: all the). This tour boasts three original members, who are in like-new condition.

Although Rise Against’s place at the top of Thursday’s show may seem like sacrilege to some, from another perspective it is a tribute to the legends on the undercard. In particular, Rise Against draws a lot of obvious influence from Bad Religion, both in musical style and in socio-political lyrical content.

Actually, there’s a lot of influence being passed back and forth on this tour. It’s almost like a mini punk history lesson. A fine addition to Long Beach’s storied music legacy (“Scream for me, Long Beach!”).

Just don’t risk missing the Descendents—arrive early.