Joe McHugh telling story

Joe McHugh telling a story

Joe McHugh is a fiddler and storyteller whose powers of imagination and infectious sense of humor hearken back to the likes of Mark Twain and Will Rogers. 

Paula McHugh is a gifted visual artist and musician whose paintings are inspired by the titles of American folks songs.

Through their unique blend of music, storytelling, and projected images of original artwork, The Time Travelers offer up a host of colorful characters who each played their part in the great American story: frontier trailblazers, pioneer homesteaders, pony express riders, Civil War soldiers, gold seekers, underground railroad conductors, Indian warriors, a saucy saloon performer, a cow-punching gunfighter, flat-boatmen, medicine show pitchmen, a cruel rail yard “bull,” dust bowl refugees…

Add to this a “courting” dulcimer, fiddlesticks, some remarkable clog dolls—perhaps even a ghost story to quicken the pulse—and you have a feast for the ears and eyes that is bound to kindle the imagination and nourish the soul.

The Time Travelers Joe and Paula McHugh

Fiddles, banjos, dulcimers, stories and art.

I'll Fly Away - Artist Paula McHugh

I’ll Fly Away – Oil on Panel
Artist – Paula McHugh

“One of the finest storytellers in North America.”

~U. Utah Phillips

“It was wonderful having The Time Travelers perform at The State Theater. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the performance. Overall, every patron was very enthusiastic, the show was well paced, and extremely informative.”

~ Abel Cornejo, Auburn-Placer Performing Arts Center, The State Theatre Operations Manager, Auburn, CA

“Joe and Paula charmed us with an evening of rib-tickling stories, haunting Appalachian melodies, beautifully projected artwork, and a ghost story worthy of any great American campfire gathering. Rarely does one find two artists who connect with their audience on such a personal level. I would invite Joe and Paula back anytime.”

~ John Robbins - Performing Arts Director, Evergreen State College