This Friday night, Allie Hughes has a concert at the El Mocambo. You might not have heard of this homegrown singer-songwriter yet, but maybe you will sometime soon. Hughes has a dynamite voice that she can effortlessly shift from a gentle coo to an operatic cry while she sits at her keyboard, presiding over her rockin' little band. Her songs bridge an adorable gap between sassy and poignant, and the general vibe is along the lines of a better-dressed and somewhat less crazy Sarah Slean. (Just kidding, Sleaners! Sarah has some good outfits.)

Hughes is a graduate of Sheridan's musical theatre program, so it's no surprise to hear that she counts Kurt Weill and Stephen Sondheim among her diverse list of influences (that also includes Chopin, Brahms, and plenty of Rufus). How did she get started in music? Says Hughes, "I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t singing. One of my earliest memories is being in the bathtub and swishing around as the water drained out and singing “Part of Your World” from The Little Mermaid. I think my desire to be a performer comes from my need to have attention and other people’s approval. There is no greater love than a standing ovation and a screaming crowd. I have always wanted to be a performer, and that’s fortunate because I’m not really good at anything else."

So, if you've ever sat in a bathtub playing Ariel (and don't even pretend that you haven't, guys) and you don't have anything better to do this Friday, you could do a lot worse than stopping by the El Mo to catch the show.

Photo by David Leyes.