As we barrel towards midsummer, East Lansing begins to sound a little desolate. After the student population disperses to hometowns, vacations and study abroad trips, an uncanny quiet drapes over the town. The nightly pulse of rave beats subsides, vague garage-guitars vanish and shows stall to a halt. And yet, if you know where to look, you can find life. Ironically, I found it most recently at a local venue — The Kript.

After a wild showing, which my partner and friends described as the “Zappa-meets-B52s mayhem” from the first act, “F*** Them Crabs,” local band “Go!” took the stage. After a brief introduction, the three-piece band barreled into “Your Cage,” a rollicking original which had evidently undergone a name change since its last appearance (if you know, you know…). It boasted blistering, Unrest-esque guitar lines spun by Andrew Wade under hilarious lyrics delivered with fantastic sincerity by bassist Sofi Levi.

After kicking off raucous and bullet-speed, the set continued with “Jam 2,” a tight and minimal session of live improv by the trio. It was mainly led by Andrew Wade, who pivoted into a more focused mode of playing while still maintaining a frenetic, garage-y quality. Ned Bryant’s drumming held the jam together as he worked to intuit his bandmates’ moves, complete with a smattering of understated but rhythmically impressive fills.

Before moving on, one of the remarkable factors of the band’s performance was that they were not actually accustomed to being a trio, playing while down secondary guitarist and lyricist, Sasha Wade. Generating such a full sound with just three members, it’s exciting to imagine how the reunited band will sound.

Next was “Sofi’s Dream,” which forsook the twisted grooves of the two former songs in favor of plodding, atmospheric instrumentation. With just the three instruments and Sofi Levi’s hushed, spoken-word lyrics, the song seemed to expand and echo into something far larger than the sum of its parts. It was difficult not to be lulled into a hypnotized sway, only occasionally broken by colorful guitar flourishes in between vocal passages. Surreal and beautiful, it proved a lyrical highlight even against the covers that followed.

Diving back into improvisational territory, the band continued with “Jam 2.” This time, led by Sofi, it sustained a rolling rhythm, building and building towards a chorused-up bass solo around the four and a half minute mark. Filled with what felt like a jazz musician’s intuition, dark and smartly atonal, it ended with a series of hoots and hollers from the crowd.

The set ended with two midwestern covers: Defiance, Ohio’s “The Condition” and Paul Baribeau’s “I Miss That Band.” As Go!’s bread and butter, they were both heartfelt and joyful, with the latter featuring Ned Bryant standing up from the drumset and taking the microphone— rounding it out such that each member had the opportunity to play vocalist. It was followed by impressive and consistent showings by The Scooter & Liam Band and New Troy, packing the basement with passionate fans.

Throughout the 40-some minute set, the band proved themselves dynamic, musically sound and infinitely committed to visibly having fun. While that may sound trite, East Lansing has developed a niche for crushing, internal, angsty rock, and there’s a unique joy in seeing a band with as many smiles as Go! They were visible everywhere — in nods of approval when a solo went over flawlessly, chuckles at minor flubs and beaming grins before and after the set was done. With a real degree of genuine musicianship to boot, you should keep your eyes on Go! Especially anticipating the return of their fourth member, this band has potential.