Toronto – Why have I never seen Allie Hughes before?
This was the question I posed to myself as I watched Toronto’s self proclaimed wierdo pop princess play an absolutely fun and splendid set Thursday night at the Wrongbar.
Known for throwing theatrics into her shows, Allie Hughes has had various themes such as weddings and proms in her previous Toronto shows and for North By Northeast, the theme appeared to be German of some sort with Hughes doing band introductions in German while wearing school teacher glasses.
Bringing along a full band featuring violinists, guitarists, two backup singers and some dudes on sythnesizers, Allie Hughes showed off her immense talent as a performer. Theatrically trained, Allie looks perfectly at home performing in front of an audience, not only can she hit all her notes, but the way she delivers the vocals, the way she dances and the facial expressions she has for each note really help in telling the stories that each song has. It’s very refreshing to see someone who doesn’t hide behind their instruments during a set. Allie Hughes just reaches out and grabs your attention and never lets go. The music was quirky and fun, much like the show itself. Who knew musical theater mashed up with indie pop would make for a good marriage? Good times.
