Charlie Parr at the Codfish Hollow Barn -- May 26.
Sunday, May 26, 8 p.m.
Codfish Hollow Barn, 5013 288th Avenue, Maquoketa IA
Currently touring in support of his March album Little Sun, a work that Americana Highways deemed " a masterful record with stunning production and musicianship of the highest quality," Charlie Parr headlines a May 26 record-release show at Maquoketa's Codfish Hollow Barn, the country and blues-rock singer/songwriter's most recent offering also leading PopMatters to rave that Parr "never betrays his own vision, one that continues to find new routes to explore even 18 albums in."
Born in Austin, Minnesota, Parr spent part of his childhood in Hollandale before starting his music career in Duluth, his musical influences from a young age including Charlie Patton, Bukka White, Reverend Gary Davis, Dave Van Ronk, and Mississippi John Hurt. Throughout the 2000s, the musicians toured constantly and released numerous albums either independently or on small labels, among them his 2002 debut Criminals & Sinners, 2004's King Earl, and 2005's Rooster. In the latter part of the decade, however, Parr became a surprise success in Australia when his song "1922 Blues” was featured in an Australian, New Zealand, and Dutch television advertisement for Vodafone. As a consequence, the artist's 2002 album 1922 was re-released in Australia on the Level 2 record label in Melbourne, and in 2009, Parr toured Australia alongside Paul Kelly. Several of Parr's songs were also featured in 2010's Australian drama Red Hill, including a full rendition of "Just Like Today" in the closing credits, and his music was featured in the background of a commercial for Gerber Gear titled "Hello Trouble."
With more than a dozen records to his credit, both self-released and on small national and international labels, Parr then signed with Grammy-winning folk label Red House Records to release 2015's Stumpjumper, which marked the first time the singer/songwriter and guitarist had recorded a solo record with a full backing band. Following his 2016 EP I Ain't Dead Yet, he returned with 2017's full-length Dog, which led to the 2019 two-fer of CHARLIE PARR (featuring new songs and some re-recorded highlights and fan favorites) and Last of the Better Days Ahead, the latter of which Echoes & Dust called "a brilliant album" that "draws on the strengths of an impressive career and still expands the scope of [the artist's] music." Parr plays a Mule resonator, National resonator guitar, a fretless open-back banjo, and a 12-string guitar, often in the Piedmont-blues style.
Charlie Parr performs his record-release engagement in Maquoketa on May 26, admission to the 8 p.m. concert event is $25, and more information and tickets are available by visiting CodfishHollowBarnstormers.com.
