Now, going to see Dolly Parton this was unexpected. However, reflecting back it makes sense, she’s a Country legend in her own right. She arguably invented the genre of pop-country. Since the 1960’s she’s made a name for herself as a singer, songwriter, actress, and c’mon she owns her own amusement park. An ovation, I was surprised, but it seems fair – hell one could not help but get caught up in it.The audience was strange and varied at the Chicago Theater on this Friday night; an eclectic mix of bikers, drag queens, and a group I like to refer to as the early-bird special crowd. The doors opened late, and there were not nearly enough ushers to seat people. There are no directions or maps posted anywhere in the venue, and with the elderly out, there was a lot of confusion, and crabbiness until everyone got seated.
Dolly Parton opened huge. A satin curtain dropped to reveal the stage, a staircase in the center with pedestals scattered around holding up moving lights. Her band (a 10 piece) welcomed Dolly to the stage with a triumphant version of Those Were the Days, the title track off her new album, a collection of covers of 1960’s and 1970’s rock classics.
The majority of the show comprised of the covers that make up her new album, “Crimson & Clover,” “Me & Bobby McGee,” “Turn Turn Turn,” “Blowing in the Wind,” and what ended up being the encore John Lennon’s “Imagine.” This was a great surprise, because honestly I’m not too versed in the Parton catalog. These songs I know and love, and Dolly added her feminine bluegrassy touch to them all.
Dolly also played her big hits, “Jolene,” “I Will Always Love You,” and “9 to 5,” which, she adds, the latter is in the works to become a Broadway play. She also showcased some of her earlier work. She played a series of songs about her family and growing up one of twelve children as poor farmers in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee.
These older songs are personal and relatable, and Dolly took time between each one to share stories about their meaning. She spoke with sincerity, and it’s obvious, though, that Dolly Parton has grown up on stage. The stage is where she is truly most comfortable.
In many ways a Dolly Parton show is pretty corny. It felt like Branson or Vegas. Dolly tells one-liners, “it takes a lot of money to look this cheap”, and “in the ’60s it was acid, now it’s antacid.” (Cue the rimshot). The show felt scripted, and the band seemed over-rehearsed. It felt more like a Broadway play than a concert, but it was a hell of a play, and now I can say I’ve seen another legend of American music: Dolly Parton.
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