Photos by Kelly Hueseman
The Scene: A plethora of cowboy boots, glittery hats, denim on denim, and even Dolly Parton look-a-likes dotted the stairs leading into the infamous Red Rocks Amphitheater on Wednesday night. It was one of the longest lines of cars I’d seen making the trek up through the park, as Dolly Parton’s fans had been waiting their whole lives to see her take the stage in Colorado. Tonight’s sold-out show was just one stop on Parton’s Pure & Simple Tour, which is being billed as her largest North American tour in 20+ years.
Dolly Parton: With no opening act, Parton took the stage just as the sun started to set, welcomed by her backing band singing “Hello Dolly.” Her bright white outfit, adorned with rhinestones and fringe, not only fit her like a glove, but also fit the persona of Dolly Parton that has made her just as memorable as her music. While Parton joked that “It costs a lot of money to look this cheap,” she looked far from cheap as she commanded the stage with grace, humor, and style. Dolly Parton can only be described as pure gold.
Parton kicked things off fast with “Train, Train,” “Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That,” and crowd-favorite “Jolene.” After warming up the crowd, she took a seat center-stage and began her storytelling, which would last the rest of the evening. Almost every song was introduced by a sweet memory of what inspired her to write those lyrics, and many of her stories centered around growing up with little money in the backwoods of Tennessee. Parton’s stories were perfectly peppered with one-liners that would get the crowd laughing, such as “We were a family of twelve. We weren’t Catholic, and we weren’t Mormon; just some regular old hillbillies from Tennessee!”
Amidst Parton’s many stories throughout the night, she spoke of the importance of having a good mom, followed by a beautiful rendition of “Coat of Many Colors.” Parton also acknowledged the tumultuous state of the world today and how it reminded her of the 1960s. In her sweet voice, she told the crowd to remember, “Everything’s gonna be okay,” and then kicked off a medley of music from that infamous era that included “American Pie,” “Dust in the Wind,” and “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down.”
I got a good laugh when a fellow in the crowd yelled out “I love you, Dolly!” and she returned with a quick-witted “I love you too, but I told you to wait in the truck!” Her show was a combination of music, storytelling, and big laughs. She thrilled us all, playing a handful of instruments including harmonica, acoustic guitar, saxophone, mandolin, and violin.
Dolly Parton proved that age is just a number as she knocked out a 26-song set, taking a quick break in the middle of the show. Her second set included “Outside Your Door” from her 43rd studio album, Pure and Simple, but she mostly covered old favorites including “Do I Ever Cross Your Mind,” “Islands in the Stream,” and “9 to 5.” It seemed Parton could have gone all night as she stepped back onstage for a two-song encore of “I Will Always Love You” and “Hello God / He’s Alive.”
There are many sides to Dolly Parton – she’s funny, she’s smart, she’s beautiful, she’s honest, she’s a talented musician, she’s a great inspiration to many…but one thing that really stands out is how well she represents America. She’s purely and simply Dolly, one of a kind, and a true legend.
Energy: A-
Musicianship: A-
Sound: A+
Stage Presence: A
Set/Light Show: A+
Overall: A
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