Blog

HughShows Blog has featured thousands of original live band photos and has conducted over 1000 musician interviews (including Brian Wilson, Mavis Staples, and Bruce Hornsby) since starting. With the original ‘First/Last’ questionnaire, you get a sense of where the musician has come from and where they are going with their artistic expression.

First/Last – Sol Persona

“The experimentally minded Sol Persona project seems interested in reinvigorating music by foregrounding various constructions of subjecthood and the various rigors of the human condition. Sol Persona’s compositions are magnetic and ethereal; they’re often…

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First/Last – William Matheny

“The 11 songs featured on his pending debut, Strange Constellations, contain echoes of the hard won wit and wisdom of Loudon Wainwright, the guitar prowess of James Burton, and the tensile anger of a young Paul Westerberg. But crucially, Matheny’s is a new …

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First/Last – Franny Moon

“Franny sometimes goes by her borderline name of Xera. She has been farming this summer and makes homegrown moon and star country road, rollin’ ,tumblin’ buzz-rock sing-a-longs & folk ballads. Franny incubated and inoculated these songs in her bone-cold love shack dreaming of her native southern air all winter long and when she stumbled out of the shack under the skies of Uptown,Soho Pittsburgh, PA (the paris of appl at cha’), and gathered some moon shiners and recorded some songs. and the faucet keeps running. Both on her own with an acoustic guitar or with a band of wild cards (members of Robin Vote, Ghost Guts & Raul & the Lumber Jerks recorded & have played & play with her).”…

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HughShows Weekend Independent Music Guide September 2-4, 2016

  There are always shows happening in Pittsburgh over the weekend that are worthy of your attention and may not be widely advertised in our traditional media outlets with full page color ads. Please go out to #SupportPGHMusic! Friday September 2, 2016   – Bayardstown Happy Hours : the Turpentiners – VRIL/Bat Zuppel @ First […]

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First/Last – Come Holy Spirit

Posted on August 31, 2016

“The project of Gina Favano with Sam Pace (Gangwish) and Aaron Lindberg (Lungs Face Feet) backing her up. Polyrhythms and semitones bring a non-Western feel to much of this release; Favano’s singing often rests between incantation and spiritual…

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First/Last – Dori Cameron

Posted on August 29, 2016

“Dori Cameron is a singer-songwriter who is native to Pittsburgh, PA and now lives in Boston, MA. For years, her instrument was a pen, but she has finally fused her love for writing and singing into songwriting. Her carefully-crafted lyrics and strong voice often capture difficult, yet universal themes that any audience can relate to. Her expression of emotions such as guilt, longing, and hope are not just accepted, but embraced. She uses vivid imagery to tell stories and ask questions that we’ve all asked ourselves. Her songs create a space for conversation to those who are willing to express themselves as well.”…

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HughShows Weekend Independent Music Guide August 26-28, 2016

Posted on August 26, 2016

  There are always shows happening in Pittsburgh over the weekend that are worthy of your attention and may not be widely advertised in our traditional media outlets with full page color ads. Please go out to #SupportPGHMusic! Friday August 26, 2016   – FEST FEST FEST! – The String Theory @ Seven Springs Wine […]

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First/Last – Tiny Rhymes

Posted on August 25, 2016

“Featuring tight vocal harmonies, richly melodic string lines, and the introspective songwriting of leader Sharon Mok, the group has received favorable press from its native Buffalo and beyond. Artvoice (Buffalo) writes, “Some people like to write songs while others tell stories. Vocalist/guitarist Sharon Mok tells her audience a story. Her voice floats beautifully above the acoustic sounds of her “chamber-folk” band only to be matched with the soothing sounds of cello and violin.
Tiny Rhymes offers listeners tranquility and leisure and it’s clear they’re here to stay.”…

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HughShows Weekend Independent Music Guide August 12-14, 2016

Posted on August 19, 2016

There are always shows happening in Pittsburgh over the weekend that are worthy of your attention and may not be widely advertised in our traditional media outlets with full page color ads. Please go out to #SupportPGHMusic! Friday August 19, 2016 – Little Italy Days at Howlers – Bayardstown Friday Happy Hours : Grand Piano […]

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R.A.N.T. 2016 Schedule and Set Times

Posted on August 12, 2016

The 2016 Rock All Night Tour takes over Lawrenceville this weekend and there is way more than enough music to satisfy any fan. Follow the link for the complete band/venue list and set times…

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HughShows Weekend Independent Music Guide August 12-14, 2016

Posted on August 12, 2016

There are always shows happening in Pittsburgh over the weekend that are worthy of your attention and may not be widely advertised in our traditional media outlets with full page color ads. Please go out to #SupportPGHMusic! Friday August 12, 2016 – JAVA JAMS – West Holliday Trip with Jenny (Hunt) Roden! – RAVEN from […]

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First/Last – Ganemyde

Posted on August 10, 2016

“Sounds like: Your senses feel. Questions. Your first kiss. Dreams. Possibility. The universe. The tiny moments. Nature. What you see when you close your eyes. Love. Filtered light. Fear. Feelings without words. The unknown. The mysteries of deep science. Hope. Connection. Time. Attraction. Meteor Showers. The death of a friend. The Deep. Space. Memory. Another life. Perspective.”…

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First/Last – Flock of Walri

Posted on August 9, 2016

Flock of Walri is a Pittsburgh turbo-prog funk rock trio who will be participating in R.A.N.T. this weekend playing Spirit Lodge Downstairs on Saturday (8/13). I want to thank Mike Mast (Drums) for not only participating in this edition of First/Last, but being only one of two people out of a thousand who took the time to actually write down his answers to the Q&A!…

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HughShows Weekend Independent Music Guide August 5-7, 2016

Posted on August 5, 2016

There are always shows happening in Pittsburgh over the weekend that are worthy of your attention and may not be widely advertised in our traditional media outlets with full page color ads. Please go out to #SupportPGHMusic! Friday August 5, 2016 – DreamOn Festival 2016 – 2016 Flood City Music Festival – 1st Friday at […]

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First/Last – The Hang Lows

Posted on August 4, 2016

“No Front Man. No Eye Makeup. No Labels. No Boys in Girl Pants. No Pop Disney Bullsh#t. Disgruntled with the business of main-stream music, the Hang Lows dance to the beat of their own drums and offer their music for free (or pay what you want). Songs about getting old, fornication, drug abuse, philosophy, and of course their own genitalia are well represented.”,,,

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First/Last – Spinning Jenny

Posted on August 3, 2016

Spinning Jenny was formed in 2011 after playing their first gig at a family reunion. Thanks to the kindness of John DiCarlo, frontman of the U.S. Kids, Spinning Jenny was then asked to open for the U.S. Kids at a benefit show held in Steubenville, Ohio. That became not only their first public gig, but the launchpad of nearly three years of playing and making music. Spinning Jenny is proud to say they are a family, with the group consisting of Dr. John Balzano and his three daughters, Julia (18), Talia (15) and Angelina (13)…

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First/Last – Glo Phase

Posted on August 1, 2016

“Tunnels for Star Veins” combines multiple genres, spanning from house, hip hop, ambient, downtempo, disco and more. While based in synthesizers and electronics Rusnak regularly incorporates drums, guitar, bass and vocals into his recordings. Computer-less live sets include improvised song forms on analog gear and luminous butterflies.” Glo Phase is the is the solo electronic […]

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First/Last – Whitney Ann Jenkins and her Platonic Guy Friends

Posted on July 27, 2016

“Originally from the picturesque landscape of West Virginia, Whitney Ann grew up in a household that nurtured creativity. Her father, Junior, would play guitar in his knowledge of seeming solitude and she would hide around the corner and listen with admiration. Her love of performing resulted in soaking up every opportunity that presented itself.”…

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First/Last – Brad Byrd

Posted on July 26, 2016

“Indie-rock/folk singer/songwriter Brad Byrd has been crafting hooky, timeless, left-of-center pop songs since 2003. His body of work has been described as both “haunting” and “soulful”, and he was recently sited as “One of the top artists from the Cape Ann, MA area alongside Paula Cole” in Boston’s popular music rag – “The Noise” (July 2012). With penetrating melodies, and lyrical imagery that effortlessly deciphers the human condition the “on the verge” indie-rock singer/songwriter has been delighting crowds in the local bar/club, coffee shop scenes from LA, to NYC and all over New England.”…

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