Dolly Parton @ Artpark, Lewiston, NY 6-12-16

Well, we all have a bucket list of artists we would like to see at some point. The last year has been filled with artists who have been unexpectedly passing and it seems that list is growing. Well, Dolly Parton was one of my bucket list artists and the show I personally was looking forward to the most this summer. She kicked off at Artpark for the 2016 season this past Sunday night.

Parton’s list of accomplishments are astounding and some of them should be mentioned here. She accumulated 25 number 1 songs on the Billboard country charts, won eight Grammy awards, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame and has composed over a whopping 3000 songs. Basically what I’m trying to say in the words of one Ron Burgandy is that Dolly Parton is kind of a big deal!

Taking the stage in a white rhinestone outfit with more bling than you can imagine, the ever so delightful Parton arrived during what else…”Hello Dolly!” Parton looked great and made sure she acknowledged all areas of the crowd who came to see her.

Another reason this is a special show is the fact that this was the first time Parton has been to the Western New York area in well over 20 years. Parton hasn’t done a big tour in a number of years as well but with the new record “Pure and Simple” Parton felt it was a great time to go out and reconnect with her fans.

What made this show special (outside of the wonderful assortment of songs she performed), was her storytelling throughout. This included not only how some songs came to light, but how she grew up in a loving family of 12 in the Smokey Mountains in East Tennessee.

Parton’s musical talents were also on display as she played a guitar, dulcimer, piano, banjo and just about anything else she could get her hands on. It was a treat to her the banjo on “Applejack” and a thrill to see Parton tickle the ivories on the song “Grass is Blue.” All of her band came together at the end of the stage towards the closing of the 1st set.

She took a 20 minute break in between sets and came out with something similar she wore in the 1st set except it was in black. Heaters accompanied both sides of the stage as she did state how cold she was and that being it was an unusual cold day in June for the area. She trudged on and gave suitable renditions of her biggest hits in ” Here You Come Again” and “9 to 5.”

All in all, it was a wonderful personal performance by Parton. She made you feel right at home and that’s the appeal of her. Being her self-deprecating self throughout the show made for the audience to embrace her even more. Parton left us wanting more and when an artist does that, they have done their job!

Setlist:

1st set:

Intro: Helly Dolly (played by her band)

Train, Train (Blackfoot cover)

Pure & Simple

Why’d You Come Here Lookin Like That?

Jolene

Precious Memories (John Wright cover)

My Tennessee Mountain Home

Coat of Many Colors

Smoky Mountain Memories

Applejack