Pittsburgh native Gene Stovall returns from overseas for hometown performances

From performing onstage at age 12 in a Pittsburgh Public Theater production of “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone,” to winning talent showcases as a teenager, to moving across the Atlantic Ocean to pursue music full time, Gene Stovall has a passion for performance.

“I’ve been wanting this for my whole life, so being a musician is all that I think about and do,” said Stovall, 45, who grew up in Pittsburgh and now lives in his wife’s hometown of Cologne, Germany.

“I met her in Pittsburgh back in 2011,” he said. “(When we moved), I was ready for the new challenge of being musician/singer-songwriter away from Pittsburgh, and I was interested in learning about a different culture, especially my wife’s.”

Stovall is back in his native Pittsburgh this week, with a full-band show at 6 p.m. Tuesday at Con Alma (5884 Ellsworth Ave., Shadyside) and a solo set at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Fermata Brewing Co. (918 Merchant St., Ambridge). Con Alma is not far from the former Shadow Lounge in East Liberty, where Stovall was a mainstay during his college years.

Stovall, whose music regularly crosses genres and blends acoustic singer-songwriter tunes with hip-hop, soul and more, spoke with the Tribune-Review about his musical journey and his return home. This interview has been edited for length.

Q: You record and perform under a number of different aliases — what will be the main musical focus of your show back here in Pittsburgh?

A: I was a huge fan of hip-hop, so I listened to albums like “Midnight Marauders” by A Tribe Called Quest, “Illmatic” by Nas, “Resurrection” by Common Sense, “Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde” by The Pharcyde, “Enter the Wu-Tang: 36 Chambers” by Wu-Tang Clan, and even the first Wu-Tang solo recording efforts. … What these albums have that I found interesting was that the rap artists would refer to themselves as different variations of who they felt like they were as artists. They would reimagine themselves as different versions of themselves, all depending on the situation that they found themselves into within the story that they were telling. This is why I became fond of using aliases. My last alias was “Geenpool,” which was created back in 2019 and used for the release of my album “In the Bleak.” Nowadays, I list myself as “Gene Stovall x Geenpool” when I record music.

Q: What do you think has contributed to your love of so many different musical styles?

A: My love for musical styles comes from my exposure to MTV as a young child. I’m a day-one MTV guy because my older siblings were crazy about the idea of music television. That’s where it all starts for me. I also grew up singing in choirs, so I’m all about seasonal and holiday songs. With every season, the music reflects our life and times. I’m influenced by everything and everyone.

Q: What’s the biggest challenge in organizing not just a trip back to the region where you grew up, but also organizing a gig at the same time?

A: The whole process is tough. It’s important to check on flights at least twice a day on sites like Kayak as soon as you even think about traveling. Always think about buses, trains and cab services as well. The gigs help to pay for all of the travel costs. Trust me, it’s pure excitement thinking about performing in my hometown. My good friends helped me book all of my events.

For more, see GeenStovall.bandcamp.com and Geenpool.com.