Review: Dolly Parton, Thackerville, OK, May 31
Written by Steve Crawford, Contributing Writer, RockNYCLiveandRecorded
Photo credit: Webster PR
The calling card of country music has always been its authenticity. The defense/marketing campaign of the genre, specifically compared to the quickly changing fashions and trends of pop music, is that no matter how hokey traditional country music can be, it’s about honest emotion, it comes from the heart, it is the by God genuine REAL DEAL, etc., etc., etc. Dolly Parton may have gotten that memo in 1971, but in 2014 her act is as fake as her wig and her fingernails.
Before the show, I had read several reports that Dolly now heavily relies upon lip-syncing for her concerts. Going back to 2004, Dolly admitted that, “Yes, there are portions of the songs in the show that are pre-recorded. It’s an effort to entertain by being able to have a bigger production and, hopefully, a better sound.’” In a review of a 2011 performance on the No Depression website, writer Melody Walker noted, “It was clear by the end that Dolly had lip-synced at least half of the concert and had pantomimed playing almost every instrument known to man.” During last night’s show, at one point she was “playing” some ridiculous power chords to her version of the Fine Young Cannibals’ “She Drives Me Crazy” (with the lyric changed to “You Drive Me Crazy”). Later in the song, she “played” the same power chords, but no sound came from her guitar. The tour manager then stopped for several minutes due to “sound difficulties.”
I was nowhere near the stage, so I couldn’t tell how much of the vocals were pre-recorded. She would take several obvious gasps and deep breaths during her lengthy song introductions, but that never happened when she was “singing.” From her whispers to her screams, she didn’t hit a wrong note all night. Even when she was moving her handhold microphone or clapping on it, the tone and the volume of the vocals did not change. As I left the show, I heard several people gush in amazement about both the vocals and how many instruments she played. Her “solos” on a miniature saxophone were so obviously faked that it came across more as kitschy than an attempt to fool the audience.
Beyond the fact that the show relied heavily on production tricks, the entire evening looked and sounded more like a Vegas brand of country music than the real thing. The set included the mandatory large video screen that changed images throughout the night. Dolly talked and talked and talked throughout the show. She went heavily into her biography – about her Pentecostal roots and her Grandpa’s disapproval of her makeup (“And I told him, ‘I shouldn’t have to look like hell to get to heaven.’”). She talked about her mother and her father and their large family and the town tramp that she patterned herself after and the Smoky mountains and working in films and she did boob jokes and she pushed the new album and quipped about her greed and it all got kind of exhausting. The show started at about 8:10 and included a thirty-minute intermission (which was longer than scheduled due to “sound issues”) and ended at about 10:45. Thank God there was no opening act.
Ultimately, there was not one moment of the performance that sounded genuine or conveyed any real emotion. There is nothing inherently wrong with glitz, but Dolly has spent so much time focusing on her image and her bank account, that she has no energy left to put any heart into her music. I spent over $150 for two of the cheap seats at the sold out casino gig and in return for my money, I got a lengthy Milli Vanilli tribute show.
Grade – D
Setlist:
Baby I’m Burnin’/This Girl is On Fire
Why’d You Come in Here Lookin’ Like That
Jolene
Blue Smore
Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
Precious Memories
My Mountains, My Home
Gospel Medley
Coat of Many Colors
Smoky Mountain Memories
Rocky Top
Together You and I
Lay Your Hands on Me
Second set:
You Drive Me Crazy
White Limozeen
Banks of the Ohio
Lover Du Jour
Old Flames Can’t Hold a Candle to You/But You Know I Love You/Real Love/Think About Love
Here You Come Again
Two Doors Down
Islands in the Stream
9 to 5
Encore:
I Will Always Love You
Related Posts
Latest News
-
Canadian Indie Rock Trio The Dark Fruits release new LP “Warm Weather Starter Pack”
Award-winning Canadian Indie Rock Trio The Dark Fruits have announced the release...
- Posted December 5, 2023
- 0
-
Night Wilds continue single releases ahead of 2024 ‘All That Should Have Been’ album drop
Night Wilds are a new band, led by Seattle native...
- Posted December 4, 2023
- 0
-
The James McGowan Ensemble release 16-track inner journey, ‘Reaching In’
The James McGowan Ensemble is a 13-piece group consisting of...
- Posted November 29, 2023
- 0
-
Brooklyn-Austria-based power indie rockers superWAV release aTypical, a heady, bluesy EP
Brooklyn-and-Austria-based power indie rock band superWAV are back with aTypical, a heady,...
- Posted November 28, 2023
- 0
-
California Independent songwriter Patrick Ames releases two new powerful singles
At age 69, Songwriter Patrick Ames Grows Ever More Determined...
- Posted November 27, 2023
- 0
-
Ava Della Pietra’s Latest Single ‘talk it out’ – A Heartfelt Exploration of Emotional Connections
Ava Della Pietra, a name swiftly gaining traction in the...
- Posted November 10, 2023
- 0
-
Open Studio Pioneers a New Era in Jazz with the Upcoming Album ‘Peter Martin & Generation S’
Listen to the album’s lead single, “Groove Echo Chamber” Groundbreaking...
- Posted November 6, 2023
- 0
Like us on Facebook
Latest Backstories
-
The Real Story behind the song, “Mr. Bojangles”
In our continuing weekly series, we examine the backstory...
- September 6, 2023
- 0
-
RIP Robbie Robertson.
Canadian, Robbie Robertson, legendary lead guitarist of “The Band”...
- August 9, 2023
- 0
-
Celebrate Good Times: The Story Behind Kool and the Gang’s Hit Song
If you have ever been to a wedding, a...
- July 12, 2023
- 0
-
Gold Dust Woman: The Story Behind Stevie Nicks’ Signature Song
The song was written earlier in her life in...
- July 6, 2023
- 0
-
Stevie Nicks Honors Tom Petty at Emotional Louisville Show
Stevie Nicks, the High Priestess of Rock and Roll...
- June 28, 2023
- 0
Latest Photo Galleries
-
The Zombies in Nashville, Indiana 10.19.23
The Zombies are one of the most enduring and...
- October 20, 2023
- 0
-
Barry Manilow in Louisville, Review and Photos
If you are a fan of pop music, you...
- August 24, 2023
- 0
-
Post Malone delivers in Indianapolis
Ruoff Music Center was electric as Post Malone brought...
- July 10, 2023
- 0
-
Peter Frampton Rocks the House at the PNC Pavilion in Cincinnati
Peter Frampton is a living legend, and he proved...
- June 29, 2023
- 0
-
The Doobie Brothers Celebrate 50 Years of Rocking Down the Highway
The Doobie Brothers have been on the road for...
- June 29, 2023
- 0
0 comments