Charlie Parr - "817 Oakland Avenue" [Official Music Video]

Watch the official music video for "817 Oakland Avenue" by Charlie Parr. The song is featured on his new Smithsonian Folkways album 'Last of the Better Days Ahead,' available on CD, LP, and digital.
Animation by Drew Christie
Stream/purchase:
Smithsonian Folkways: folkways.si.ed...
All other platforms: orcd.co/charli...
Charlie Parr’s newest album, Last of the Better Days Ahead, is a collection of powerful new songs about how one looks back on a life lived, as well as forward on what’s still to come. Its spare production foregrounds Parr’s poetic lyricism, his expressive, gritty voice ringing clear over deft acoustic guitar playing that references folk and blues motifs in Parr’s own exploratory, idiosyncratic style. When it comes to what it all means, Parr says it best:
“Last of the Better Days Ahead is a way for me to refer to the times I’m living in. I’m getting on in years, experiencing a shift in perspective that was once described by my mom as ‘a time when we turn from gazing into the future to gazing back at the past, as if we’re adrift in the current, slowly turning around.’ Some songs came from meditations on the fact that the portion of our brain devoted to memory is also the portion responsible for imagination, and what that entails for the collected experiences that we refer to as our lives. Other songs are cultivated primarily from the imagination, but also contain memories of what may be a real landscape, or at least one inspired by vivid dreaming. The album represents one full rotation of the boat in which we are adrift-looking ahead for a last look at the better days to come, then being turned around to see the leading edge of the past as it fades into the foggy dreamscape of our real and imagined histories.”
Charlie Parr: www.charlieparr...
Facebook: / charlie.parr.music
Twitter: / thecharlieparr
Instagram: / charlie.parr
Drew Christie: www.drewchristi...
Twitter: / drewmchristie
Instagram: / drewmchristie
Vimeo: vimeo.com/drew...
Smithsonian Folkways: folkways.si.edu
Facebook: / smithsonianfolkwaysrec...
Twitter: / folkways
Instagram: / smithsonianfolkways
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[@mungunna]

A troubadour of the highest calibre

[@chriscarroll6176]

Oakland Ave intersects through my hometown of Austin MN. Charlie is a bright light from our hometown.

[@IlaughedIcried]

Just listened to this song for the first time...weeping now. So absolutely beautiful and generous. I wish I was filled with light. I wish I had joy to spread around. I wish I was on that side of the equation, with all my heart. Someday. Someday, I hope.

[@wilbertholley8830]

Once again Charlie touches me where it counts and stays.....WHERE I LIVE ......how I live.....while I live. Thanx, Charlie et al

[@GabrielDouglas]

What an amazing visual companion to a beautiful and poignant song. Thank you Charlie and Drew. Truly brilliant.

[@drewmchristie]

Thank you Gabriel!

[@brokendownheroes]

Amazing work Drew and Charlie. I can’t stop watching and listening.

[@drewmchristie]

@@brokendownheroes Thank you!

[@earltheruralsquirrel6248]

This song always reminds of the music playing during the end of a movie where it has a montage of everyone's conclusions.

[@johnlittle3430]

You should watch this week's episode of Better Things. As soon as I heard this incredible song I had to see whose it was. What a gift.

[@joshuacox5481]

Uncle Al (gorithm) showed me this. I'm actually grateful for the machine on this one. What an amazing song.

[@Danny-xp6wf]

"Better Things" brought me here. Wonderful. Both.

[@jena-ben2554]

This song touches my soul. Like "Let it Be Me" by the Indigo Girls, it's not just a beautiful piece of music, it's a mantra for how to live life. I listen to both when I'm feeling anxious, scared, or down -- which has been a lot in the past couple of years. I'm so grateful for Charlie Parr's music, especially this song.💗

[@rr9029]

You speak to me Charlie!

[@AndyAlexis]

What a deep and impactful song/video/playing...

[@Sapoguapo]

Phenomenal

[@hornofgabriel3981]

Great song!

[@nolandionne1262]

Fantastic!

[@drewmchristie]

Thank you Nolan.

[@HankMorris-el6jg]

If I was at a party and a guitar was being passed around and some dude played and sang this song and everyone just sat there listening attentively and when he was done passing the guitar to me every one in the room would be like, that’s great man, I would fire up into the nastiest acoustic version of la grange by ZZ Top and melt all the dirty hippie faces in the room, then I would drink all there beer, piss on the fire and get in my truck and drive off into the sun set.

[@rayflintmunny4799]

absolute legend

[@hobocode]

thank you. this song helps me.

[@letmegoletmego]

There be lyrics in them thar hills

[@christopherhenderson7303]

Really digging the song and the video! Thanks for sharing!

[@drewmchristie]

Thanks Christopher!

[@bendummitt888]

Good ol' Charlie...

[@MJ-dq8ik]

Great song. Great animation. Thanks, Charlie

[@bycarolbarber]

I love this song so much

[@joaquinhartigan]

Daleeee!!👌💓

[@francismanno3822]

Yes charlie

[@CellocasterPaul]

Hey Man, beautiful song!

[@kalanyou3275]

That first lyric..

[@deankempe8933]

Hey Du

[@megodzillaudeadable]

Great music, folkways is an incredibly stupid and horrible example of newspeak though.

[@user-rm9zx7ln9i]

A group of popular folk artists are an assailable propaganda ring in your opinion? Come on. Not even the other trolls believe your shit.