Wow, the Entrance Band

It's fitting that the one word so aptly summing up the Entrance Band also happens to be the title of a Led Zeppelin album: presence. Watching the L.A. trio's captivating set at the Cafe Du Nord on Wednesday was akin to bearing witness to perhaps the most truly rock 'n' roll event of this week's Noise Pop! fest. And though they've been around some years, I hadn't even heard of Entrance until learning of the show. Apparently, Entrance is this total guitar guru guy (whose real name is also Guy, Blakeslee for completion's sake) who put together a psychedelic blues rock band with two musicians equal in musical wizardry: Paz Lenchantin on fat, phat bass, from Argentina and A Perfect Circle, and drummer Derek James, pretty much a percussively flawless maniac. Entrance, on guitar and vocals, is the real deal. Playing a right-handed guitar turned 'round with his left hand, his technical proficiency blows minds with effortless, wicked-smooth solos ala Hendrix over utterly rocking Zeppelin hard blues. Though his singing sounds strained at times, it's also vindicated by its guidance from earth, air, fire and water. Judging from the eager headbanging within the Du Nord audience on Wednesday, Entrance already counts a legion of disciples, with my conversion sprouting during a segue into the Nirvana/Shocking Blue classic "Love Buzz." And at the end of the show, we learned that Entrance rock 'n' roll's not all about the sex and many, many drugs (What was that he mumbled into the mic about "sugar cube acid?"), but about politics, and songs for "the liberation of mankind." Mwah. They're badass! Exclamation point worthy. Check "Silence On A Crowded Train" from the '07 Folk Yeah! Fest: