The flawless Country legend, Dolly Parton burst onto the stage at Jack’s Cincinnati Casino on Saturday night in a blaze of gold and rhinestones. The sold out crowd was more than ready to bask in her greatness. Besides a few glitches (the line to get in went fast, but circled around the block and those not fortunate enough to have close seats only were able to see the top of Dolly’s head when on their tippy toes), the show went off without a hitch.
Dolly Parton is a consummate professional and has a natural gift of storytelling. She made the audience feel like old friends, telling tales of her mother, father, and growing up in the Smokey Mountains with her eleven siblings. She also talked about her recent 50-year anniversary with her husband, “The secret to my good marriage is that I was gone 45 of those years,” Dolly joked.
Dolly Parton’s tour is called “Pure & Simple” which coincides with the name of her album coming out in August. She debuted a handful of the songs off the new album for the Cincinnati crowd. Dolly stated that she hopes that these songs will be around for years to come.
Towards the middle of the concert, she broke out into a protest medley of folk songs, “You know, I have been thinking about running for President…we need some more boobs in office, right?” The crowd roared.
During “Little Sparrow” fireworks could be heard in the background from a Reds win at The Great American Ballpark. After the song, Dolly joked that she thought perhaps there was a drive by shooting nearby and hopefully the sparrow’s wings would take her to safety.
Towards the end of the show, Dolly delighted with her megahits, “Islands in the Stream” and “9 to 5.” She acted as if she was going to call it a night but quickly came back for her first encore, “I Will Always Love You.” She professed her love for the legend Whitney Houston and proclaimed, “Needless to say, I will always love Whitney Houston. She can take credit for the song, I just want the cash!”
Dolly Parton is a treasure. Her stories, Dolly-isms, “Be proud of yourself and where you came from,” and self-deprecation, “I’ve always thought my heart was good, it’s the only real thing on me” truly make up the legend that she is.
Check out pics from the show HERE!
Setlist:
Train, Train
Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That
Jolene
Pure and Simple
Precious Memories
My Tennessee Mountain Home
Coat of Many Colors
Smoky Mountain Memories
Applejack
Rocky Top
Banks of the Ohio
American Pie/If I Had a Hammer/Blowing in the Wind/Dust in the Wind/The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down
The Seeker
I'll Fly Away
Baby, I'm Burning
Standing Outside Your Door
The Grass Is Blue
Those Memories
Do I Ever Cross Your Mind
Little Sparrow
Two Doors Down
Islands in the Stream
9 to 5
Encore:
I Will Always Love You
Encore 2:
Hello God
