Which sparkled more: Dolly’s outfits, the guitar she played while opening the show, or the woman herself? The answer isn’t easy. Don’t we all love her as much for her musicality as we do her glitz but also her giggle? There was plenty of all three Friday night.

She kicked off the show strumming that rhinestone-studded guitar and belting out Train Train, quickly followed by Why’d You Come in Here, her voice as strong and clear as it ever has been. Amongst her high energy songs, she embedded ballads, gospel, and a medley of folk cover songs she titled, "A Slice of American Pie" (American Pie, Blowing in the Wind, If I had a Hammer, Dust in the Wind and The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down). She acknowledged the applause for Jolene with, "I’m glad you remember Jolene; I’ve been trying to forget her for 50 years!" Insert patented Dolly giggle.

After a 20-minute intermission, Dolly returned in her second flashy outfit: a fiery red jumpsuit. This half of the show would have appealed most to those looking for a typical concert experience with hit after hit almost uninterrupted: Here You Come Again, Islands in the Stream, ending with 9 to 5. She returned for two encore songs, including the required I will Always Love You which, with true Dolly grace, she dedicated to the audience.

It was the first half of the show, however, where Dolly made us feel as though we were gathered at her home to reminisce with an old friend. She briefly plugged her new CD, "Pure and Simple." The stage was simple and pure with only large white curtains as a backdrop. She invited us to join her on her porch, a basic set where she sat and talked and played, backed by her three-piece band. She pointed out the space where the drummer should be and highlighted the drum machine, which she had proudly "paid $400 for instead of the $40,000 [she] would have had to pay the drummer." She showcased her musical diversity playing guitar, auto harp, fiddle, saxophone (WITH rhinestones, she emphasized), harmonica and banjo.

Dolly is the queen of storytelling. Though her songs ARE the stories, she introduced and wove them together with anecdotes of her Smoky Mountain upbringing and her quest for success. Her stories were poignant (her mother making "stone soup" out of stones gathered and cleaned by Dolly and her siblings), and of course funny. She explained the reason behind her image: as a child she wanted to emulate the beautiful "lady" of her hometown who walked the streets with her big hair, red fingernails and tight dresses. She mocked herself ("It costs a lot of money to look this cheap!" and "I think I should run for president; they could use a couple more boobs in the race!"), giggling at her own jokes which in turn made the audience laugh even harder.  She played tributes to her father, and to "Applejack." But most of all, the crowd was waiting, at times begging, for Coat of Many Colors. Several years ago I sang Coat of Many Colors at my mother’s funeral because that story is also my story. When she emphasized that "...having a good mama is one of the greatest gifts you could have," the crowd erupted in anticipatory applause and I cried. And then she sang the song. No, she told the story...in the form of a song.

As she herself joked, the only thing real about her is her heart but to me her heart is as big as her... hair. Through her songs and stories, she gave her heart to us. Her heart shines more brightly than the rhinestones, pure and simple.

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Contributor Lorna Stuber |

Person Dolly Parton |

Topic Concert Review |