When Todd Richard steps on stage, it's always with energy, grit and style. The country singer's stage presence during a big show is nothing short of dynamic, and his fans love him for it.
But Richard is not just some dime store cowboy crooner. He's a true musician, and a natural storyteller. And that's the side he'll be showing when he performs at Centennial Park next Thursday, July 31, as part of the Twilight Concert Series,
"This will just be an acoustic show," Richard said. "We're changing it up a bit and it's going to be kind of cool. I'll tell some stories and sing some songs."
He'll take the audience back with him to the beginning, to the reasons he stays true to himself and why he's stayed so focused on his music.
"Folks will get to hear some stuff that maybe they don't know about me yet," he said, along with some of the covers that helped shape him as a younger performer.
Richard has just released the first single off his second album. High Time was recorded in Abbotsford's Studio Down Under with the help of Tom McKillip. The studio is a bit of hidden gem, but one that's quickly being discovered by plenty of musicians.
"It's not known very well," Richard said, "But this is the place to go."
While Richard loves writing music and plenty of his own songs are on both his first and second album, High Time was picked by McKillip from a music publishing house down in Nashville, specifically for Richard.
"He thought the song fit my voice, and my image," Richard said. "It fit me perfectly."
He's looking forward to connecting with new fans at events planned throughout the rest of the summer. Some of his bigger local shows include Chilliwack's Party in the Park on Aug. 22, and the Bands on the Beach on Labour Day weekend.
But those will be the big shows.
For those who really want to get to know the man behind the music, Agassiz's Twilight Concert Series is the perfect bill.
The show runs fro 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., at Centennial Park near the Agassiz Agricultural Hall.
After Richard's show, there is one more left in the series; Her Brothers will perform on Aug. 13.
The concerts are free to the community and the performances are for a general audience. A small donation is encouraged at each performance to help offset the performer costs. The Agassiz Fire Department will be there selling hot dogs and cold drinks and operating the ECD Success by Six Bouncy Castle for the kids.
An "art in the park" will be set up, as well.