Saturday, December 5th
NEW SHOW DATE ANNOUNCED! Join us December 5th as we step out of the recording studio to debut some of our new material. We'll be introducing the newest member of the TSP, Jim Mara on sax. Show starts at 9pm. Vanessa Brown opening!
November 23, 2009 Perspectives, our 2006 release, is featured this week on Music Tampa Bay. Also, there is an article on Rick Crandall and Music Tampa Bay in the November 24 issue of the St. Petersburg Times. Be sure to check it out! Big thanks to Rick for featuring Perspectives.
Monday, November 8, 2009
Free download of "We Are All We Need"
Through November 15, get a free download of "We Are All We Need," the latest track fresh out of the studio from Sheila Kirsten Hughes and the TSP Orchestra, when you visit www.sheilaandthetsp.com.
Monday, November 2, 2009
New Song on USF Bulls Radio
Yesterday James and Trey, hosts of the "Grassroots Groove" on USF Bulls Radio, played a rough mix of one of our new songs on their show. If you missed it, you can listen to a free podcast of yesterday's show here: Sheila and the TSP on "Grassroots Groove"
Monday, November 2, 2009 Podcast
We're on in the first 15 minutes of the show, right after Dave Matthews Band's "Ants Marching."
October 1, 2009
My Take on Seal's "Crazy" I decided to put my version of Seal's "Crazy" back up on YouTube after I got requests for it.
September 29, 2009
Visitors New blog up on WordPress about the making of the new album. This one is called "Visitors"
September 17, 2009
Today we are celebrating as we passed the 100,000-combined-views mark on our YouTube Channel. Thank you for watching and listening to our videos over this past year. Sure has meant a lot to us. Stay tuned for more videos and info on the album we're working on...
August 13, 2009
NEW BLOG: An intelligent, malleable force
Check out my latest blog entry in "The TSP Report"—now with quantum physics. (I did that so y'all wouldn't think I was all slow-like and stuff.) Plus, I talk about how quantum physics played a role in bringing us Jim Mara, the newest addition to the TSP Orchestra. Alright team!! LOL.
August 10, 2009
Now on Facebook!
Become a fan of Sheila Kirsten Hughes and the TSP Orchestra on Facebook and join in on the fun.
August 6, 2009
New YouTube Video In her latest YouTube video, Sheila covers one of her favorite's, Sting's "Fields of Gold."
July 15, 2009
Check out "The TSP Report," our new blog! http://sheilaandthetsp.wordpress.com/
Be sure to subscribe by email while you're there so you're sure to stay up to date on our latest happenings.
June 16, 2009
Message from Sheila
Hey all! Just wanted to keep you guys up to date on what we've got going on this summer. We're working on some new music. Not sure when it will be ready, but so far Chris, Alex, and I are having a great time. I'm really loving what's coming out of our jamming sessions so far. We'll definitely keep you posted on our progress.
Besides recording, we've got several other projects in the works including a children's book, a trip to Alaska, and family visiting from Denmark. So, it's going to be a really busy time for us. But we'll be back out this fall. Stay tuned...
Hugs,
Sheila
May 11, 2009
Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band appears live on USF's WBUL 1620AM. Did you miss the Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band's live performance on WBUL 1620 AM? Download a podcast of their performance and interview here: http://wbul.usf.edu/podcasts/grassroots-groove-0
Songs in order performed:
"Man of the Hour"
"Madison Street"
"Perspectives"
APRIL 15, 2009
Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band is TBT's Artist of the Day What better way to celebrate tax day than with the honor of being named TBT's "Artist of the Day" (tbt.com). (Anybody need some tea? We've got lots of it. LOL.) THANK YOU TBT! We really appreciate it!
APRIL 9, 2009
Sheila featured on Willie Nelson's website!
The folks at Willie Nelson's PRI website are at it again. They contacted Sheila a few days ago to ask if they could feature "The War," a song Sheila wrote about her brother, on Willie's website. It's an honor to be able to contribute to Willie's peace project once again. willienelsonpri.com
APRIL 2, 2009
"Fly" YouTube Video There's so much negativity and gloom and doom out there in the media right now that it seemed like a good time to put a video of "Fly" up here.
APRIL 2, 2009
"Forever We Shall Be" YouTube Video A celtic-style song.
MARCH 25, 2009
"Madison Street" Makes March Quarter-Finals on OurStage Thank you to everyone who voted for "Madison Street" in the March Quarter-Finals on OurStage. It got as high as #2 in the "Acoustic" genre, but finished at #11.
MARCH 20, 2009
TBT Ultimate Local Music Guide Thanks TBT for the blurb in the 2009 Ultimate Local Music Guide (pg.35).
JANUARY 28, 2009 A young lady struggling with an eating disorder asked me if I'd write a song about it. Jenny, this is for you...
JANUARY 12, 2009
New YouTube Video
Sheila performs "Behind My Eyes," a song she wrote with the help of Sting...
OCTOBER 1, 2008
Sheila is featured on YouTube in Australia and New Zealand today!
We're very excited to announce that Sheila is featured on YouTube in Australia and New Zealand today (Wednesday, October 1, 2008.) Why Australia and New Zealand? Sheila's friend Doug Payne (youtube.com/coomadoug) asked if she'd consider covering one of his tunes. Doug happens to live in Australia. So Sheila made a video of "Modern Life" and uploaded it to YouTube. From their, friends and other YouTube channels contacted the powers that be at YouTube to recommend it for a feature.
As of this morning, it's received these honors:
#1 - Featured - Australia
#1 - Featured - New Zealand
#2 - Featured - Music - Australia
#2 - Featured - Music - New Zealand
#92 - Most Viewed (This Week) - Music - Australia
SEPTEMBER 17, 2008
New YouTube Video
Sheila performs "Scarborough Fair" (celtic style)
AUGUST 2, 2008
Willie Nelson's "A Peaceful Solution"
We've completed production of "A Peaceful Solution," a song we were asked to cover by Willie Nelson's PRI website (www.willienelsonpri.com) Check out the video, then get your FREE mp3 (instructions below). The video is now featured on Willie Nelson's PRI website.
Download your FREE mp3:
PC USERS:
Right click on the link 'A Peaceful Solution" mp3' below, then select the option to save it to your hard drive or the option to open it with your mp3 software.
MAC USERS:
Ctrl click or right click (if you have the option) on the 'A Peaceful Solution" mp3' link below, and select the option to save the mp3 to your hard drive, or open it with iTunes or another mp3 player.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Willie Nelson's "A Peaceful Solution"
We were contacted by Willie Nelson's PRI site (www.willienelsonpri.com) a couple of weeks ago. They asked us to cover "A Peaceful Solution," a song Willie Nelson wrote with his daughter Amy Nelson on his tour bus in California. We wrapped up recording and shooting with JWG Productions over this past weekend and we're really excited to share our version of the song with you, along with the video. We hope to have it ready for Willie Nelson's PRI site sometime next week. We'll keep you posted. In the meantime, check out of slideshow from our video shoot:
Monday, June 9, 2008 "Different People," our first-ever music video
In this gripping music video for the original song "Different People," the Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band has teamed up with JWG Productions (James Geiger and Wesley Greene) to shine the light on society's forgotten, misunderstood, and unwanted.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Thank you so much for making our "Different People" Video Premiere at Sacred Grounds last night a success! What an amazing night! Thank you so much.
Check out this footage from our Friday Extra Concert performance on April 11, 2008
"We Are All We Need"
This is our very first live performance of our brand new song "We Are All We Need." I wrote it about a week before this concert. Our performance isn't polished, but I wanted to share it with you anyways.
"Man of the Hour"
When I wrote this song, I wasn't sure who I'm implying to be the 'man of the hour.' I've since decided that it's not up to me to decide who the man of the hour is I sing of. It's up to you.
"Let It Rain Down"
March 30, 2008
"Different People" gets its voice
We have started shooting a music video for "Different People." This would not be happening if not for our new and dear friend, James Gieger. We'd like to introduce you to James. He is an inspiration...
James contacted us after a gig we did back in January. The chance encounter has lead us down a path filled with beautiful suprises. Please read more about this in our myspace blog.
April 8, 2008
"Let It Rain Down" is #1 again this week on Music Tampa Bay The Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band song "Let It Rain Down" is #1 two weeks in a row on Music Tampa Bay.
March 31, 2008
"Let It Rain Down" hits #1 on Music Tampa Bay The Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band scored their first #1 hit today on Music Tampa Bay with "Let It Rain Down."
Watch our January 4, 2008 Live-Performance Segment on Studio 10!
If you missed our live performacne on Studio 10 you can watch it online on their website from anywhere in the world. Just click on the link below:
I've gotten several emails from those who DID get to watch. Many complained that they cut off our last song "Man of the Hour." Well, great news! The good folks at Studio 10 liked "Man of the Hour" enough to record us performing it after the show and said they'd air it sometime next week. They're supposed to let us know exactly when, so stay tuned. We'll let you know as soon as we know something. In the meantime, enjoy the entire performance of "Man of the Hour" on Studio 10's website!
Also, thanks to everyone who helped make the "Living With War Today" Peace Benefit Concert at Sacred Grounds last night a success. We had such a great time! It was definitely one of the best gigs we've done in a long time!
Peace,
-Sheila & Chris
www.skhughes.com
Thursday • April 3, 2008
Songwriter's Night 1-Year Anniversary Show Tre Amici @ Ybor Bunker
7:00pm-10:00pm
1907 19th St. N.
Ybor City Join us at Tre Amici at Ybor Bunker this Thursday for their 1st Anniversary Songwriter's Night Show. Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band performs at 8:00pm. Nine of the Tampa Bay area's most celebrated artists come together in one night, including Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band, Chucky Luv, Christie Lenee, Rebekah Pulley, and more!
Friday, March 28, 2008
Music for Peace/Veterans for Peace
Benefit Concert
The Globe Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band performs at 9:30pm.
December 31, 2007
Help us get "The War" to #1 on Neil Young's Living With War Today Website
Our raw-acoustic video of "The War" debuted at #24 on Neil Young's "Living With War Today" website. The following week, it jumped to #22. It's now at #35. You can help us get it to #1. The more you click on the link below, the higher it climbs on the charts. Perhaps you can consider watching it again and again...
"The War" by Sheila Kirsten Hughes
December 2, 2007
2007 Singer/Songwriter Awards
Honorable Mention - "Let It Rain Down"
Our song "Let It Rain Down" off our latest CD Perspectives received an Honorable Mention in the 2007 Singer/Songwriter Awards, an international songwriting competition based out of London, England.
January 5, 2008
"Living With War in Tampa Bay" concert at Sacred Grounds
We'll be performing our song "The War," as well as several other songs along with several other artists featured on Neil Young's "Living With War Today" website. This week, we're ranked #29 on Living With War Today. Check out the video:
"The War" by Sheila Kirsten Hughes
December 18, 2007
"Girls with Guitars" at Whistle Stop Grill
Hosted by Rebekah Pulley
Rebekah Pulley has invited us to come play a set for the "Girls with Guitars" Series at Whistle Stop Grill in Safety Harbor. We're on at 9:20pm.
December 17, 2007
"The War" jumps to #22 on Neil Young's Living With War Today
Our raw-acoustic video of "The War" jumped two slots this week from #24 to #22 on Neil Young's Living With War Today Website! Help us get it to #1 by watching it now:
"The War" by Sheila Kirsten Hughes
TONIGHT
December 13, 2007
Tre Amici @ Ybor Bunker - Songwriter's Night
We'll be debuting several new songs tonight at Tre Amici Songwriter's Night. We're on from 8:00pm - 8:30pm. Located at 1907 19th St N in Ybor City. This is one of the coolest, coziest, artsy-fartsy hangouts in Tampa.
December 10, 2007
"The War" hits #24 on Neil Young's Living With War Today!
You can imagine our shock when we discovered today that our raw acoustic video of "The War" has hit #24 of the 360 videos on Neil Young's Living with War Today website. THANK YOU!! Your clicks are clearly making a difference!!! If you haven't seen "The War" yet, here's your chance: "The War" by Sheila Kirsten Hughes
You'll be forwarded through Neil Young's site over to YouTube. Every time you click on the link above, "The War" climbs the charts. HUGE THANKS!!!
December 3, 2007
Neil Young's Living With War Today website adds Sheila Kirsten Hughes video of "The War"
We recently made a raw acoustic video of Sheila's song "The War" from her first album and put it up on YouTube. We just found out that "The War" has been added to Neil Young's Living with War Today website.
The more you click on the link above, the higher our video will rank on Neil Young's website. The link will actually forward you over to YouTube to watch the video, but Living With War Today keeps track of the clicks. So, click as often as you like. :)
Kudos to Neil Young for using his fame to provide this wonderful outlet for so many musicians!
You can also go directly to Neil Young's Living With War Today website at: www.neilyoung.com/lwwtoday
Click on the Protest Videos link on the left ("LWW Top 350 Videos - View Here"). Once your on the Protest Videos page, look at the top right column for 'The War' - Sheila Kirsten Hughes under "New."
Saturday, November 10, 2007
"Set the Night on Fire"
A Tribute to The Doors
Skipper's Smokehouse
4:00pm - Midnight
Are YOU ready to “set the night on fire?” Seventeen (yes — 17!) of the area’s finest will offer up their renditions of the classics as Skipper’s takes a trip back through time, turning into a psychedelic road house complete with a light show, film projections, pretty colors and hopefully, some stage fog.
The reunion of the legendary Beaux Arts Collective promises to be especially memorable. Jim Morrison, among other luminaries, used to read and perform at the Beaux Arts Gallery in St. Petersburg.
$12 in advance, $15 at the door, ages 12 & under free. Call @ 813-238-8001 or visit WMNF for ticket info. Also available at all WMNF ticket outlets.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Entertainment and the Arts Interview on TanTalk 1340AM
Tune into TanTalk 1340AM on Sunday, October 28, 2007 at 7:00pm EST. We'll be special guests on Entertainment and the Arts with hosts Brenda Martin and Rich Aront. If you don't live in the Clearwater, Florida, you can tune in form anywhere in the world at www.tantalk1340.com. Click on the "Listen Now" button at the top left of the page.
Friday, October 5, 2007
We just got back from a quick stop in Nashville and the Performing Arts Exchange Conference that took place in Louisville. Fuel in Nashville was awesome! Special thanks to Joy Collins for booking us. We got to hear some amazing talent there. Check out Andrew James at myspace.com/andrewjamesmusic. He was amazing! Also, Jane Brock is another artist to check out at myspace.com/janebrock.
The conference was a big blur. Our showcase went well, and we made a good number of contacts. So, good things should come out of the experience. Big thanks to Leigh Humes ("GoLeigh") for helping keep the experience sane.
And super big thanks to Lee Tyler Post for sharing his amazing talents at our Nubzilla Records Showcase at PAE. You ROCK!
Performing Arts Exchange
Independent Showcase
Friday, Sept. 28, 2007 • 5pm-1am
We'll be showcasing all night long at the Louisville Marriott Downtown - Bluegrass I & II.
PAE '07 Video Showcase!
The Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band has been selected for a Video Showcase by the Southern Arts Federation. This opportunity puts their music in front of hundreds of performing arts organizations attending this year's Performing Arts Exchange Conference in Louisville, Kentucky September 26-29, 2007.
Tuesday• Sept. 25, 2007 • 5pm-9pm
Fuel in Nashville
We've been invited to play the "Fuel Your Fire" Songwriter's Night in Nashville. We'll perform 3 songs sometime between 5pm-9pm. See our tour page for more information.
Friday • Sept. 14, 2007 • 7pm
"Work-in-Progress" Benefit Show
Smith Black Box Theatre @ Tampa Prep Come see our "work-in-progress" show benefiting the Theater Department at Tampa Preparatory School. This is your chance to see us totally screw up as we debut elements of the new show we've been working on. (Or, if we do it right, it will totally kick butt!) There will be some familiar elements, too, for anyone who has seen us perform acoustically. Tickets are $15 at the door. Click here for directions.
August 20, 2007 - La Casa Dolce Singer/Songwriter Nights
Join us on Monday at La Casa Dolce for their first first "Singer/Songwriter Nights" series. We'll do an acoustic set at 9:00pm. La Casa Dolce is located at 406 S. Howard Avenue in Tampa.
August 10, 2007 - Sheila Kirsten Huhges Band Semifinalists in the Indpendent Music World Series!
It is with great honor we announce the Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band was selected as Semifinalists in Disc Makers 2007 Independent Music World Series.
July 3, 2007 - Music Business Radio Review Got another positive review in. This one comes from Music Business Radio out of Nashville: "…everything about it was great…"
Read the full review on our Reviews page.
June 19, 2007
Artist Enhancement Grant Award Big thanks to the Florida Arts Council for once again awarding Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band with the Artist Enhancement Grant this year! Their continued support helps make bigger and brighter things possible.
June 8, 2007 - Tampa Tribune Friday Extra Check out the cover of today's Tampa Tribune. Look at the top right. You'll see a blurb about their Friday Extra cover story, "Listen Up!" We happen to be part of that cover story. Open up the Friday Extra to pages 18 and 19 and you'll see a nice little piece on our new album "Perspectives."
April 23, 2007 - New live videos added Check out the new live-performance videos we've just added to our music page of "Not Givin' Up" and "Behind My Eyes". Click here to watch now.
"Not Givin' Up"
"Behind My Eyes"
April 7, 2007 Just performed at Tre Amici in Ybor City 2 nights in a row and it was awesome! We're looking forward to doing more shows over there in the future. They called our performance "pure genius." Thought that was pretty cool! Read their full review of their inaugural Songwriter's Night by clicking here.
March 12, 2007
New reviews are in! We've been getting some great feedback on Perspectives, including a 5-star review by the Great American Music Hour. Click here to read the latest!
Thursday - February 15, 2007 8:00pm
Larry Edwards Show on Back Stage Pass Radio We will be the special guests on the Larry Edwards Show this Thursday, February 15. Tune in via Back Stage Pass Internet Radio, www.bspass.com, at 8:00pm this Thursday. Choose WBSP from the homepage.
February 9, 2007 Accent on Tampa Bay Magazine Spotlight
Accent on Tampa Bay Magazine (pictured left), the Bay area’s largest Bi-monthly Arts, Entertainment and Sports publication, has spotlighted the Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band and their new album, Perspectives, in their January/February 2007 issue. It's on streets now. Turn to page 13 and you'll see the article! Or click here to view the article in PDF format (Acrobat Reader plug-in required).
January 22, 2007
Great American Music Hour Feature Our song "Madison Street" is featured this week, (January 22) on the Great American Music Hour. Check it out: www.greatamericanmusichour.com
Big thanks to Jerry Jodice for selecting our track, and thanks to our good friend Lee Tyler Post for recommending us.
Check out the new photos in the Gallery!
Pictured from left to right:
Chris Hughes, Tomi, Dave Eichenberger, Sheila Kirsten Hughes, Chucky Luv, Alex Wolfe Parnes, Tom Dean
We've just added photos from our December 5 Perspectives CD Release show at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center. Click here to check them out now!
December 13, 2006 - 8:00pm EST
1-hour feature on Back Stage Pass Radio
Back Stage Pass Internet Radio will be doing a 1-hour feature on the music from our new album, Perspectives! Tune in at www.bspass.com (click "Tampa Bay Indies") on Wednesday, December 13 at 8:00pm EST. Big thanks to the folks at Back Stage Pass for putting this on.
December 6, 2006 Perspectives CD Release Concert
The CD Release Concert last night at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center was awesome! Big thanks to Chucky Luv, Alex Wolfe Parnes, Tomi, Dave Eichenberger, and Tom Dean for a stellar performance. We had such a great time and hope you all did, too! Thanks to all for helping us make it such a successful and fun evening. We'll have pictures up soon!
Tuesday, December 5, 2006
Remember, Remember the 5th of December!
Join us for an unforgettable evening of sight and sound as we unleash Perspectives, our eagerly-anticipated new album that's been more than 4 years in the making! Click here to find out more about the show and to buy tickets.
We'll be joined by an incredible line-up of talent including the ball of energy known as Chucky Luv, guitarist extraordinaire Dave Eichenberger, king of cool Tomi, plus kickin’ beats by Alex Wolfe Parnes and Tom Dean.
The show starts at 7pm on December 5, 2006 at the Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center - TECO Theater. Even though tickets have not yet gone on sale, more than a third of the tickets are gone through advanced reservations. So, don't delay! Tickets will go on sale to the general public in a couple of days at The Center Box Office. Admission is just $29 and includes a FREE Perspectives CD.
Yes, after months of poking and prodding from friends, we've finally done it. And we officially have "3" friends. Woohoo! (Losers! Ha, ha!) We haven't put any music on myspace yet either. Mu ha ha ha ha *cough cough* ha ha ha! *cough*. (Drinks water to clear throught). Wait, that's not how you spell "throat." Oh well. I'm too lazy to backspace to fix it. I'll just keep typing and hopefully eventually the letters will all come togethertoformactualwords.
July 10, 2006
I figure it's time for an update. As I write this, Chris is in the studio working on percussion and bass to a song called "I Will Not Go Down." It's one of our favorite songs on the album. It's one of those big rock ballads. Starts out all slow, then builds and builds until BAM! Let's just say "Stairway to Heaven" had some influence when I was writing it. I read this book a couple years back called Walking On Water by Madeleine L'Engle (the lady who wrote A Wrinkle In Time). There's a chapter in the book where she talks about how youths are discouraged discouraged from questioning the "truths" we have come to believe and live by. Asking questions is often considered disrespectful, or flat out rude to some. Yet it is doubt that often leads us closer to the truth, not farther away. If what we believe is in fact true, then it will stand up to questioning. If what we believe is untrue – if it's just man's rigid idea of the truth, then our questions will expose us to a deeper truth than we've known before.
After I was exposed to this concept, my creative juices started flowing. Suddenly my rebellious nature seemed to serve a greater purpose. The phrase that popped into mind is "There's an answer in the questions." From there, "I Will Not Go Down" was born. I am really happy with the results.
I finished recording all of the cello for the album a couple weeks ago. I'm by no means a professional cellist, but I had a lot of fun recording it. But I think the most fun I had was forcing myself to play lead guitar on the tracks. Once I got the hang of it, I LOVED it! But I'm all done with lead for now, so I'll have to wait to have that kinda fun for a little while. Right now I'm finishing up lead vocals. Only 2 more songs left, then I've gotta get creative and do some more backing vocals on a handful of the songs. If I have time, I'll pull out the violin and add it here and there, but I'm a bit rusty, so if it doesn't make it onto this album, I won't shed any tears. I'll put it on the next album.
We're planning on doing a CD release party. Don't have a date yet, but it's probably gonna be November/December. We're heading to the Performing Arts Exchange Conference (PAE) in Baltimore in September, and with all the prep we have left for that, we just won't be able to squeeze in the release party beforehand.
Speaking of PAE, we got a grant from the State of Florida to help us with marketing materials. We just got a big, huge 8ft x 8ft poly-satin banner made to use in our booth and live shows, too, plus some orange accent banners that are 8ft tall by 2ft wide to go with it (they look just like the background of our website with the writing on it). They are so very cool!!! It's really gonna help us look professional.
Well, as soon as we have something mixed down enough to present to the public from Perspectives, I will post it here for your listening pleasure. We did release a preliminary single of a song called "Change" exclusively for the Larry Edwards Radio show a couple weeks ago. Thanks to Al Alvarez of JPDF, we were fortunate enough to have it played for nearly 1 million listeners. The response has been very positive, so it's very encouraging to us.
As soon as we nail down a release date, I'll let you know.
Thanks for believing in us you guys!!! You are the energy that keeps us going.
–Sheila
May 28, 2006
Welcome to our new website! Though our new album Perspectives is not yet complete, it seems it has already created a bit of a buzz. So, we decided to go ahead and put our new image forward now. The release of Perspectives will follow within the next few months. We are so proud of it!
We hope you enjoy what you find here. Have a look around, then come back often because we'll have lots more cool stuff here for you as we get closer to releasing the album. We'd love to know what you think of everything. So go to the "Contact" page to email us and let us know.
Perspectives release date and tour dates TBA. Thank you all for all of your continued support!
-Chris and Sheila
March 4, 2006:
Wow! Gasparilla Festival of the Arts started out really tough with glitches in power every 5 seconds, but by the end of the night, everything was gelling great! Pat Fenda, the booking agent for the gig, said she got great response on us!
February 10, 2006:
We'll be popping out from under our rock to perform on March 3rd at the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts Artist Party. This is officially our 1st booking that came as a result of the connections we made at last years Performing Arts Exchange Conference in Memphis. This is very exciting for us since it was our first year attending the conference. We did exhibit, but were really only there to observe and learn, not book. What do ya' know. . .
December 18, 2005:
We'll be hiding under a rock over the next several months so we can focus our efforts on recording. We've gotten such great feedback on the tracks we've completed for the new album thus far and it's very exciting to us to see all the genuine enthusiasm. Thanks for your continued support and encouragement! We may pop out on a rare occasion to perform, but for the most part we will be out of touch until we're finished. We'll keep you posted as things develop.
December 12, 2005:
Chris and I had the great pleasure of accompanying Steve and Leigh Humes as the "Transhypnotic Orchestra" at the 2005 Just Plain Folks Holiday Party! I played cello, Chris upright bass. What an awesome opportunity that was! The night had many challenges, especially with sound. So, we decided we'd overcome the challenges by doing our set acoustically in the front of the stage and it could not have turned out any better! Wow, what an awesome thing that was! Transhypnotic indeed! Thanks Leigh and Steve for letting us join you. Hope we get more opportunites like that.
December 3, 2005:
Thank you Lee Tyler Post for letting me try out my cello chops on stage with you at the house concert and at Hot Acoustic nights. That was super, super awesome! Of all the people I'd ever want to play cello for, you're definitely one of them. It was great having you and Jackie. Can't wait to see you guys again!
October 2, 2005:
Al & Becky Alvarez's house concert
Wow! What a turnout! I've always dreamed of being part of a production like this, and big thanks go Al & Becky, I can scratch that wish off the list since it became a reality last night. This was, hands down, the best show we've ever had the pleasure of being a part of! HUGE thanks to James Hawkins for mentioning us when Al inquired as to who should join him, and also HUGE thanks to the 70+ people in attendance. It was everything I dreamed of and more! Thanks for making it such a wonderful night. Perfect weather, too!
September 29, 2005: Nashville and Memphis
What a wildly exciting time we had gigging in Nashville and at the Performing Arts Exchange booking conference in Memphis. It was great! We could so seriously do this for a living. It was really hard to come home, but I did miss my doggies A LOT!
Our first stop was the French Quarter in Nashville on Friday, September 16th where we had the great pleasure of sharing a writer's round with Shannon Cain and Mike Oakley (thanks to my buddy Lee Tyler Post). It was a really tough room, but we won the audience over by our third (and last) song. We did Let it Rain Down. There is something wonderfully captivating about that song. Seems to work on audiences of all ages. Thank God, because for a few minutes there, I was thinking, "man, this sucks!" Ha, ha! Just kidding. No, it was cool.
Next stop: the famous Bluebird Café. . . or maybe not. We didn't perform. What a terribly disappointing surprise that was. It's a long story. . .
Tuesday night, September 20th made the whole trip worth it. Debi Champion was kind enough to host us as the featured act at the Commodore Sports Bar & Grill. It was a huge success! Huge thanks to Debi for giving us a home with her and to my friend Shannon Cain for hooking the whole thing up. Very, very cool!
Right after Debi Champion's, we headed over to Crossroads for another writer's round with Shannon Cain and Mike Oakley (thanks again to Lee Tyler Post). That was really fun, too. Crossroads has a really cool, laid back vibe, but it's perfect for revving things up a bit, so we did. That set went really well too. Even made some new connections for the next time we come. Big thanks to Lee Rascone for having us.
Next was the Performing Arts Exchange booking conference in Memphis, September 22-25. We were not activilely booking for the 2005-2006 touring season. Just went to get a feel for how things work so we're prepared next time we go. We were told not to expect anyone to visit our booth the first year we exhibited at PAE, but I was pleasantly suprised at the amount of traffic we got, and by the genuine interest the Presenters had in our developing show. I'll just say things look really good for the 2007-2008 season. We had a blast and met so many great people. Can't wait to go again next year! Just want to mention, big thanks to our good buddy Richard Haerther, also to Suzanne Willett, and to the Florida Arts Council for helping to make PAE possible for us this year. You're awesome!
Memphis had such a cool vibe. Beale Street was especially awesome. We stopped by BB King's Blues Club and watched Marcia Ball perform. She was wonderful and so was the couple that got everyone dancing. Gosh, they were great. Put a big huge smile on our faces!
We also made it over to the legendary Sun Studio, "the birthplace of Rock N' Roll." For those not familiar, this is where cool cats like Elvis and Johnny Cash got their start. It was pretty cool. I was hoping some of that legendary essence would seep into my blood as we perused through the halls and the corridors. I don't feel any different, but who knows. Wait a minute. . . actually, when we got home, I swear we couldn't recognize our own home. We walked through it as if I was visiting it for the first time. It was really bizarre. Things tha make you go hmmmmm. . .
June 2, 2005
Show with two Nashville acts:
Barking Spiders Bistro in Clearwater, FL.
Sheila Kirsten Hughes joins two amazing Nashville acts: Lee Tyler Post & Shannon Cain.
January 2005: 2004 Year in Review
"Happy new year everyone! Wow! What a year it has been. I've had so many great opportunties come my way in 2004. I got to the chance to perform in some great shows like the Hot Acoustic Nights series (thanks Carl), the Third Thursday Cafe series and the Nubzilla's Café Artist Showcase where I got to share the stage with several talented artists, including the phenominal Chucky Luv. Gosh, he's awesome! I hooked up with some great new venues like Sacred Grounds, Elevate Coffeehouse, and Javatropolis. I got to do some fun stuff with WMNF 88.5FM Community Radio which included a performance on Bill Dudley's Live Music Showcase in June, and a performance at the massive benefit/tribute concert Anarchy in the FLA. I also hooked up with the Tampa Bay Chapter of the Just Plain Folks songwriting organization, which gave Chris and me an award for our contributions to the Tampa Bay Music Scene through Nubzilla's Café and for our achievements as Performing Songwriters. And I must mention how awesome it was to share the stage with Lee Tyler Post who came all the way from Nashville to do some shows in the Bay area. Wow! What a voice! Lee is amazing! I just want to say a big "THANKS" to everyone who was involved in making this such a successful year!
Exit 2004, enter 2005 where I am no longer "me"… I am "we." Sheila Kirsten Hughes is now a band comprised of myself on vocals, guitar, piano, and fiddle, and my husband Chris Hughes on upright bass. 2005 will usher in some great changes. You'll see a completely redesigned website soon to correlate with the release of Perspectives. New opportunities are popping up, too. This month, I'll be performing with Lorna Bracewell, one of Tampa Bay's most successful musicians, at her God Forbid CD release party. In September, we set our sights on a huge music conference in Memphis and on doing some shows in Nashville. So, 2005 is looking pretty exciting for us. Chris and I will be taking some time out from performing until June (with the exception of a few special gigs) in order to make everything happen and to prepare for what is coming around the bend. Stay tuned. . .
November 24th, 2004 - WMNF Tribute Concert
Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band opens the massive benefit/tribute concert "Anarchy in the FLA" at The Bank in downtown St. Petersburg. 25 of the Bay area's best bands will performed their version of New Wave Hits of the Early 70's and 80's.
November 19-21, 2004 - Lee Tyler Post
Sheila Kirsten Hughes joins national touring artist Lee Tyler Post for two performances. Lee truly has an amazing voice and is a phenominal songwriter as well, so be sure to catch him while he's here.
November 13, 2004 - Nubzilla's Cafe Show
Nubzilla's Cafe Artist Showcase in Downtown Clearwater on Saturday, November 13.
June 2004 - WMNF/Hot Acoustic Nights
Sheila Kirsten Hughes performs on WMNF 88.5FM June 25, 2004 on Bill Dudley's Live Music showcase to promote "Hot Acoustic Nights II" on Saturday, June 26, 2004.
November 23, 2003 - Tour Bus
Sheila Kirsten Hughes buys 1963 GMC Commercial bus to restore and tour in. Click here to see it.
May 2, 2003 - Music for Troops
Sheila Kirsten Hughes' songs "Different People" and "Lay It Down" are featured on the Music for Troops Compilation CD. 10,000 music CD's which have been sent to the American soldiers and our allied forces overseas, thanks to the help of The American Red Cross and Memorex. Other musicians who have also contributed to this project: Lee Tyler Post, Serena Matthews, Lynn Carey Saylor w/ Brian May of Queen, Eddy Free, Zach Duenow, Dino Romanelli, Jeff Hightower, Danny Hamilton, Karen Ires, The Crossing, Mick OD
March 13, 2003 - April 11, 2003
Sheila featured on Jewel's Soul City Café
Sheila Kirsten Hughes featured on Jewel's Soul City Café website, a program for independent artists created by recording artist Jewel! The write-up said:
"A voice that's both powerful and delicate, incredible
range both vocally and stylistically – what's not
to love?…We absolutely must let the world know about
this extraordinary individual!"
October 30, 2002
Sheila Kirsten Hughes makes television debut today with guitarist Tomi on Speak Up Tampa Bay, cable access Channel 19 & Channel 20. The show What's It All About featured an hour performance by Sheila.
October 3, 2002
Sheila Kirsten Hughes makes radio debut with guitarist Tomi on WMNF 88.5 FM Community Radio on the Afternoon Blues Cruise with Cheryl Mogul.
Big thanks to the Florida Arts Council for once again awarding Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band with the Artist Enhancement Grant this year! Their continued support helps make bigger and brighter things possible.
Check out the cover of today's Tampa Tribune. Look at the top right. You'll see a blurb about their Friday Extra cover story, "Listen Up!" We happen to be part of that cover story. Open up the Friday Extra to pages 18 and 19 and you'll see a nice little piece on our new album "Perspectives."
Accent on Tampa Bay Magazine (pictured left), the Bay area’s largest Bi-monthly Arts, Entertainment and Sports publication, has spotlighted the Sheila Kirsten Hughes Band and their new album, Perspectives, in their January/February 2007 issue. It's on streets now. Turn to page 13 and you'll see the article! Or 
