LANESBORO, MN – Lanesboro Arts presents an evening with Charlie Parr at the historic St. Mane Theatre in downtown Lanesboro on Friday, January 24 at 8 p.m. Following a sold-out 2018 performance, Charlie returns to Lanesboro with new music from his recently released self-titled album.
Charlie Parr is the eponymous new album by the Minnesota-based folk blues artist the same name. The album is a collection of new songs and new studio versions of classics/audience favorites from throughout Parr’s career. Recorded at Pachyderm Studio in Canon Falls, Minn., CHARLIE PARR features Charlie’s trademark resonator guitar and 12-string with co-producer Liz Draper on bass, longtime collaborator Mikkel Beckmen on percussion, Jeff Mitchell on electric guitar, accordion, organ, backing vocals, and Dave Hundrieser on harmonica. The album is an honest and raw recording of Parr reflecting on himself and his career up to this point. It’s a musical reckoning that came after a freak accident in 2018 that forced him to relearn how to play guitar, causing him to take stock of the songs he’s written over his lifetime. CHARLIE PARR is a stunning folk record that will surely stand the test of time, just like the man himself.
By the time Parr hit the road again after his accident, he was reinvigorated to play music in a way he had not been for some time. He started digging out songs from early in his career. Parr had never really stopped playing those songs completely and, along the way, they had matured along with him. He wanted a chance to record them again to capture what they had become.
By 2020, Parr is back on his grueling international tour schedule, covering the entire country alone in his car, occasionally cooking his vegan meals on his car manifold. It’s a lonely existence that leaves a lot of time for reflection and reminiscing. Charlie Parr is the first album — and there are 13 others — that Parr he felt like putting his name on. It’s a bit of the new, a bit of the old, and a bit of what’s motivated and moved him. Most importantly, it’s an audio tour of his life and career to date and a celebration of more songs and stories to come.
Come early to enjoy a screening of the 2013 documentary film “Meeting Charlie Parr,” directed by François-xavier Dubois & Charles Dubois, at the St. Mane Theatre on Friday, January 24 at 5:30 p.m. “Meeting Charlie Parr” is a compilation of moments spent with Charlie at home, in his daily life, on the road and during concerts. Admission to the film screening is freewill donation, but advance registration is recommended. The screening is happening in conjunction with the ninth annual Frozen River Film Festival Lanesboro Preview Event. The 2020 Frozen River Film Festival (FRFF) takes place February 5–9 in Winona, Minn. The documentary film screening at 5:30 p.m. and the Charlie Parr concert at 8 p.m. are separate events. Tickets to one event does not include admission to the other.
This event is presented by Lanesboro Arts and sponsored by the Wisconsin Public Radio, Commonweal Theatre, Inspire(d) Magazine, High Court Pub and Granny’s Liquor. Tickets for An Evening with Charlie Parr are $20/$18 for Lanesboro Arts members and are sold online at www.lanesboroarts.org; at Lanesboro Arts Gallery, (507) 467-2446; and at the St. Mane Theatre box office beginning at 4:30 p.m. on the night of the concert. The St. Mane Theatre is located at 206 Parkway Ave N. in Lanesboro, Minn.
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