Newsflash: Three bands playing meat-and-potatoes, punk-inspired rock with guitars, basses, drums, and vocals in one night can lead to monotony (the Funhouse’s perpetually poor sound certainly didn’t help matters). Which isn’t to say locals the Lights and Unnatural Helpers, and San Francisco’s Hank IV were bad; on the contrary, they’re all good, tight groups with a grip of catchy songs. But, cumulatively, they were too similar in approach and tone, making the night a one-dimensional grind. 1+1+1=1, rather than 3.

The most interesting moment during these three bands’ time onstage came when I went to the head to take a leak while Unnatural Helpers were covering the Lollipop Shoppe’s “You Must Be a Witch”; on the bathroom wall was scrawled DEAD MOON—who feature Fred Cole of the Lollipop Shoppe. I mean, what are the odds?

The other highlight was when Hank IV frontman Bob McDonald introduced one number, “This is a song about a thing that’s about another thing… that’s about my knee.” They then broke into another high-energy garage-rock nugget. For non-descript middle-aged men, they made a tuneful ruckus. But again, too little variation from track to track detracted from their overall effect.

After Hank IV left the stage, AFCGT guitarist Jeffery Taylor told me, “I have to learn how to play guitar in the next 10 minutes.” An auspicious omen. When headliners AFCGT came on, minus guitarist Robert Millis, I was hungry for something, anything different.

Thankfully, AFCGT delivered a chaostrophic, tinnitus-inducing set—using, yes, guitars, bass, and drums (but no vocals)—that was like a nuclear attack obliterating all that came before it. Faith. Restored.