Tabachneck takes the stage at Backstage Bar tonight

By Pitt News Staff

Paul…Paul Tabachneck Tonight, 5 to 7:30 Backstage Bar 655 Penn Ave. Free admission

Ever since guitarist Paul Tabachneck began playing music 16 years ago, he hasn’t stopped changing his scene. He performed with a variety of bands in styles ranging from power pop to moody folk rock before eventually touring and recording as a solo artist.

Tabachneck could call Pittsburgh his home, since he’s often found on the Steel City’s stages, but he also spends some living and performing time in and around New York City.

Tonight, Tabachneck will be playing at Pittsburgh’s Backstage Bar, just one stop in a tour dedicated to promoting his latest album, Boy Meets Girl. He is not a newcomer to the recording world, though: The album is Tabachneck’s fifth full-length and, in his opinion, his best yet.

“It’s been about six or seven years since I put out an album. I wanted to think about my song writing process, and I took voice lessons for a couple years to get myself in shape,” he said.

“This album is an upgrade to the others. There are some songs that I repeated because I had a better voice and better way of arranging things.”

Working with relationship-themed lyrics and savvy guitar strums, Tabachneck aims to create interconnecting waves of romance and heartbreak through his music.

He uses the more intimate venues to his advantage, always trying to establish a connection between his emotional songwriting and the audience.

“I pretty much sing about relationships because I think it’s something that everyone can relate to,” he explained. “They see something of themselves in my songs and can get through things. People have told me that my songs help them find clarity.”

Tabachneck describes his solo act to be a work in progress. He has already begun working out ideas for a future album and a new level of songwriting.

The goal is to replace the love themes that are strung throughout Boy Meets Girl with a more “Boy Meets World” attitude.

“I don’t have to be the next Bob Dylan,” he said. “I’ve just been trying to concentrate on the world around me and explore other themes to write about.”