Today we’d like to introduce you to “Tall” Paul Bobal.
Hi, “Tall” Paul; so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I began traveling around playing music after college and eventually settled in Nashville, TN. after a couple of years, I started playing college towns throughout the southeast. I found a large and enthusiastic fan base in Knoxville, TN. I played there so often people began to assume I lived there. I still play there more than in other places, and many folks still think I live there. Early on, I began playing on “the Strip” near the University of Tennessee every Monday night, where it was normal for me to have 400-800 rowdy college students packed into a bar called the Library. Once word started to spread, students from surrounding colleges also started showing up. I played on the Strip for a few decades, building a fan base that follows me today! I also played every Sunday night in west Knoxville at a restaurant/bar called Darryl’s. Within a month, Sundays became their busiest night of the week, and that lasted for the next decade or so. These days when I am not touring with my singer/songwriter wife Kristie Bobal, I still spend many weekends playing in the clubs around Knoxville.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Being a full-time working musician is a lot of work. Your audience sees the best 3 or 4 hours of your day and often assumes that all you do is show up and play. Building a following, maintaining your skills, managing your bookings, advertising, maintaining and upgrading your gear, driving, setting up, and tearing down your gear at shows (and did I mention driving?) all happen behind the curtain and take endless hours of work. Venues close, booking agents quit or double book you or quit because they double booked you again. Some managers/agents love you others tolerate you as long as you keep filling their venue. You learn to cope with these things. The short answer is that my road has been smoother than many and has also presented struggles. Relationships are more difficult, but I have been luckier than most. I have always wanted to encourage and teach aspiring musicians. Once their musician skills begin to blossom, I always add lessons on the business of being a working musician. This can be the key to their success.
Thanks for sharing that. Can you tell us more about your work next?
I am an entertainer. I have a vast knowledge of popular music from the classic rock era and can perform those songs almost spontaneously during a show. I am a better-than-average fingerstyle guitarist and a good rhythm guitarist and singer. I am a songwriter and the husband of an incredible (I’m biased) singer/songwriter named Kristie Bobal. I read an audience well and can adapt the songs in my show to the crowd in front of me. I am proud of the amazing, funny, loyal, caring group of people I call my Virtual Family. These people do so much more than attend shows. They help Kristie and me raise money for charities, they help each other and their communities in times of need, spread the word about our music and performances, and are just good people!
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I learned that people can still come together in times of crisis.
Contact Info:
- Website: tallpaul.com/calendar
- Instagram: @thetallpaul
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thetallone
- Twitter: @thetallpaul
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/tallpaultn
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/thetallpaul/sets/whiskey-wine
Image Credits
Surfdog Photography, Ron Horne Photography, Sports & Entertainment Media
