Michael Glabicki Click photo for larger image. Michael Glabicki When: 9 tonight. Where: Hard Rock Cafe, Station Square. Tickets: $7; 412-481-7625. Details: The concert is part of Rocktoberfest. Proceeds from the sale of a collectible, limited-edition Hard Rock Cafe Breast Cancer Awareness Pin will be donated to the Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation.

There's little doubt that Rusted Root and The Clarks have been Pittsburgh's two biggest bands of the past decade.

A merger of sorts takes place tonight at the Hard Rock Cafe when Root singer Michael Glabicki unveils a new solo band with Clarks guitarist Rob James by his side.

Glabicki, like the other members of Rusted Root, has been working on solo material for several years and has toured the country as a solo-acoustic act.

This will be his first time out with a full band, which along with James, features drummer Dave Throckmorton (Beam), bassist Tommy Bellin (B.E. Taylor) and guitarist Dirk Miller (Yves John Band).

With this quintet, fans can expect a musical departure from Rusted Root. "It's a little more rock 'n' roll," Glabicki says. "At the same time, it's more introverted and lyrical. Rusted Root tends to be an expression of community and sort of 'out-there' landscapes. This is more personal."

Before you think it's less rhythmic, though, Glabicki says, "Throck lays down some stuff on the drums."

Glabicki just came off what he calls a "highly energized" national tour with Rusted Root (which, by the way, is still a happy unit, and planning to record again at some point). During those shows he would do a solo song acoustically. This time around, he might flip that, and do a Rusted Root song or two acoustically.

The focus, though, is getting the 10 to 20 solo songs in shape for recording early next year.

Of the new band, he says, "I want to really be able to enjoy it. I want a new space for writing music and if it works, keep it. If not, move on. This is Michael in mid-process of writing a record. This is really a different show."

Asked if there are some different influences on his solo material than Rusted Root, Glabicki says, "Yeah. I've been listening to a lot of Neil Young, Radiohead and Bob Dylan."