When I wrote a feature on Entrance three years back, the Baltimore based outsider electric warrior described what he did as "hardcore blues". At the time, he was mostly playing self-penned acoustic tunes that borrowed liberally from old blues standards and covers of old blues standards shot thru layers of lite fuzz and low grade moonshine. But as they say, it used to be like that, but now it goes like this.
Last night, the recently electrified Entrance visited NY with his new band, The Entrance Band, a confident three piece consisting of Blakeslee, bass and drums. As a guitar player and a band leader, Entrance's sound is very distinct, a mix of near eastern drones with slippery licks and stabbing rhythmic attacks. He plays his guitar upside and strung in reverse, with the low E on the bottom, rather than the top. One song in, anyone at the show last night could tell he could make a living off of playing guitar alone if it were not for the fact that he wants to take things further. If something should be a crackle, he tries to make it into a firecracker.
