Logan Richard
February 16, 2023
The Carleton, Halifax, NS
To celebrate Valentine’s Week, PEI singer-songwriter Logan Richard performed a special love show at The Carleton in Halifax, NS, on Thursday, February 16th. The night was full of love songs–many of which they don’t usually perform–be it covers or original songs.
With no opening performer, Logan Richard, Sam Langille, Josh Langille, and Ben Aitken hit the stage at 7:30 pm. Despite not having the comfy couch setup they had in their hometown of Charlottetown on actual Valentine’s Day, Richard said the vibe was still to be happy, fun, cozy, and lighthearted. “Better Than a Breakup” was the saddest it got all night, which is a song about the end of a breakup when you know it’s time to “turn the page,” but you’re at a comfortable spot. “Girlfriend Material” was one of the first songs of the night, although it’s about a different sort of relationship – one where you enjoy spending time with the person but know you won’t necessarily ever love them. This song was written with award-winning songwriter, artist, and producer Chris Kirby as well as folk-pop singer-songwriter Dave Sampson–both from Nova Scotia.
It was time for Sam Langille to sing his favourite love song, which was “Tougher Than the Rest” by Bruce Springsteen. It should also be mentioned that Sam and Josh are in a band together called Absolute Losers. Logan Richard and the band also performed songs such as James Taylor’s “How Sweet It Is,” “Walls” by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and of course, “Love is all you Need” by The Beatles, which included a sing-along before the band took a short break in the set.
After the break, it seemed the crowd was warmed up, and much more energized to keep the night going. The band performed more love covers, including “You Are The Best Thing” by Ray LaMontagne, Van Morrison’s “Crazy Love,” and Bob Dylan’s “Corrina, Corrina.” During this song, Richard broke out his harmonica, which is exactly what I was thinking the blues cover needed! They went on to perform more Logan Richard originals, such as “I Think I’m In Love” and “I Think We Might Have Something.” Logan had a bunch of CDs from his car that he was trying to sell since many people don’t use CDs anymore. Upon mentioning this, one man from the audience immediately got up to purchase one, and Logan was beyond happy. Keyboardist Ben Aitken chose a love song to perform and sing, which was “Beyond” by Leon Bridges, and it was dedicated to the man who purchased the CD. They also went on to perform a more modern cover– of “Late Night Talking” by Harry Styles.
Logan Richard has a new 3-song EP coming out on March 1st called Learning to Love. He performed the title track, which is about learning to love and appreciate the things you have around you in your life before they’re gone. The last song of the set was Shania Twain’s “You’re Still the One.” The room was quick to cheer for an encore, so before leaving the stage, they also performed Logan’s favourite love song, “Ain’t No Sunshine,” originally by Bill Withers.
It was a night packed full of love songs! Logan Richard and Josh Langille will be at Patchwork House Concerts in Bedford on April 1st to celebrate the release of his EP if anyone in the Halifax area missed out on this night. The first time I heard Logan Richard was when he opened for Marianas Trench in February of 2020, and I have followed him on Spotify since. So I highly recommend catching a show if you’re able!
