I drove to the Replay to see a quintessential Hillsiders show. I worry I've become too predictable. We can make this quick.

Arc Flash continue to be gloriously weird. This three-piece incarnation with James Thomblison (vocals/guitar), Josh Hartranft (bass), and Nick Fredrickson (drums) is fire. What was once one-dimensional psych defined almost entirely by Thomblison's twitchy guitar lines has grown into a ferocious garage-fueled post-punk act. That ham-fisted, anything-but-nimble guitar still lurches to Fredrickson's drums, but Hartranft's bass now pushes everything forward, adding real danger and consequence. I'm convinced that the way he strums that thing legally qualifies as assault. How dancers found the rhythm in that no-wave track is a mystery to me but bless the kids at the Replay. I keep coming back to see what's next.

It's like Flamin' Ghoulies are determined to fail. Frontman Jack Goodrich provides the band with a host of catchy power-pop songs, but live they are twisted and stressed to the point of breaking. Jackie Bryan (bass) and Guthrie Bricker (drums) each take Goodrich's guitar for a tune or two, offering alternate versions of the band. On this night the lead guitarist wasn't there. Is he still a member? Alex Kroenke is always there, sitting in the back, playing shakers, mostly unseen and certainly unheard. The project's current moniker is a barely passable pun, it's not active on social media, and it won't record a proper release. Really, what the hell is wrong with these kids? Don't they know they could be tamed and remade into the next big thing? I bet they do. And I bet that sounds horrible to them. The Flamin' Ghoulies are all about the energy, the experimentation, the DIY ethos, and that's why I keep going to see them.

Heat Seger is another slow-burning band making it up as it goes along. Pete Mouton or Joey Montanaro each write classic mid-'70s power pop songs. They both sing lead. Montanaro handles most of the guitar leads and solos. Drummer Vincent Lawhon plays a small kit devoid of any cymbals. He keeps it loose, mostly meshing with bassist Brian Klein. Jake Cardwell is always the wildcard, offering auxiliary percussion. Sometimes that means stomping on tambourines. He started every number seated but always popped up in excitement. The musicians didn't like the monitors, but the vocal harmonies sounded excellent to me. Especially in the new songs. Someday Heat Seger will record them and I'll be able to listen at home. Until then you can only hear the act live. And I'll keep doing that no matter where the show is.