Parr stamps mark on Signature Series
Good friends — a full house of them, old and new, gathered at the Mid West Music Store on Thursday, January 19, to listen to a solo set from Charlie Parr and kickoff the Store’s Signature Series.
Parr has earned a loyal following in Winona through many performances at Ed’s No Name and the Boats & Bluegrass and Mid West Music festivals; the 75 tickets were sold and the show’s hosts hustled to accommodate late arrivals.
The Signature Series, held at the storefront shop at 168 E. 3rd st., was conceived when Parr’s Duluth friend Gaelynn Lea performed at the store last October. That show’s success led store proprietor and Mid West Music Festival founder Sam Brown and Jacob Grippen, MWMF’s board chair, to launch the Signature Series, bringing top tier talent for ticketed shows in an intimate setting that can be enjoyed by all ages of the Winona community.
Tickets for the series have been $10 in advance and $15 the day of the show.
Gaelynn Lea performed a second sold out show at the Music Store after a session at Riverway school on January 12. That show and the Store were recently profiled in a story on MPR’s The Current’s “local current” blog.
At the living room styled show, the crowd assembled to hang out and chat at 7;00, and at 7:40 there was a 20 minute Q & A session with Parr taking questions from the audience on his travels, folk music, recent work and his local connections.
Parr sometimes speaks of the folk process: how songs get passed between performers. how each musician brings their own energy to a piece, and how the songs live their own lives, never finished, never the same song twice for player or listener.
Putting this process to work in a crisply paced single set, Parr, looking focused and relaxed, worked his way through a mixture of some of his best known songs and more recent compositions with a blues cover or two woven in and alternated between a 12 string acoustic and his National Resonator.
Some of the songs, in no order here, included the following:
“1922,” if Parr has a signature song this may be it, or at least 300,000 youtubers think so.
“Jubilee,” at Ed’s this is a stomper, in this setting it took on an earnest tone that highlighted the energy in Charlie’s move to a two finger picking style.
“Cheap Wine,” during murder ballad week at songwriting school they teach this right after “Delia” and “Hey Joe.”
“Badger” a gem from childhood memory that seems to be a first cousin once removed to Vic Chestnut’s “Rabbit Box”, which Charlie covered for a project, and after performing Parr quipped “My mom said I didn’t write that one, I just wrote it down.”
“Mastodon”, like Mr. Parr, these beasts have been known to traverse western Wisconsin
“Over the Red Cedar,” when you hear “he got duallies on the pickup” you know you’re up north, check out the Boats & Bluegrass “Latsch Sessions: Volume 1” version.
“Hog Kill Blues,” Is Tim O’Brien’s “On the Rainy River” still the best short story set in Austin? Maybe.
“King Earl,” hard times on the west bank, Mr. Blues still a good man feeling bad.
‘Not Dead Yet ,” title track to new record. If you’re sensing a theme, it’s fair to say that at the feel good buffet Charlie just takes a nibble — his holiday song is “Christmas on the Lam, ” though Slim does get potatoes and ham.
“Falcon,” if you walked to see Jeremiah Johnson at your hometown theater this one’s for you.
“Hobo,” another diamond, what Robert Hunter has done with card sharps, Charlie is doing with train hoppers.
“Remember Me If I Forget,” had special resonance for an octogenarian in the house.
“Good Friends” – an apt closer, and if you believe liner notes, a locally inspired number that sums up the night and the goal of the series: a good night shared with good friends and good music.
The crowd reflected the Store’s goal to reach the whole community, with fans as young as 10 and into their mid-80s present.
Alanna Pelowski was impressed with the space and show. “I heard about the show when I was at the store for Dr. Bob’s “A Christmas Carol” and since I’ve seen Charlie Parr a few times, I knew this small, intimate setting would sell out quick. I follow him on Facebook and read his stories; he is such a great story teller! I liked the idea of mingling with performers and I introduced myself and shook his hand before the show. I liked the question-answer format; I enjoyed the commentary from some of the guys who knew him and used to hang with him on Latsch Island. What a special and small venue.”
Winona music mainstay Matt Marek shared these views. “I’ve been listening to Charlie for the better part of a decade. I heard about the show through Facebook following the Midwest Music Store. I found the set to be thoroughly enjoyable. The song “Cheap Wine” stuck out. Its an incredibly poignant look at humanity. It was a particularly good performance of the piece.”
“It’s a treat to see Charlie in a listening room. It’s rare to see an audience actually sit paying attention to a performer. The Store provides an ambiance that lends itself to this type of show.”
The store also provides a place to get physical copies of local musicians music. As someone that streams a lot, it’s nice to be able to go pay back local artists and get real copies of their hard work,” Marek said.
Parr’s appearance in the series will be followed by Dosh in February and Dave Simonett in March.
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