Evan Taubenfeld

by Andrew Leahey Although a competent songwriter, producer, and frontman in his own right, Evan Taubenfeld first entered the pop/rock mainstream as Avril Lavigne's right-hand man. The Baltimore native joined Lavigne's touring band in 2001, serving as her lead guitarist before assuming the dual responsibility of music director. Following a world-wide tour in support of Lavigne's debut effort, Let Go, Taubenfeld and Lavigne retired to the recording studio, where he co-authored several songs on the singer's sophomore release. One of Taubenfeld's contributions, "Don't Tell Me," became a Top 40 hit in 2004, which convinced the young musician to leave Lavigne's touring lineup in pursuit of his own career. Signing with Warner Bros Records, he spent several years crafting his punk-pop debut, Welcome to the Blacklist Club, which he began unveiling in early 2009 with a series of videos and singles.