Dolly-licious, Dolly-lectable, Dolly-lightful

I am happy to report that I get to check one more item off the "Do Before You Die" list having just seen an in-the-D-cup-flesh concert of Dolly Parton last night as part of her "Vintage" tour. Yep, Dolly did indeed do Dallas, and lucky me was perched high in recesses of Nokia Theatre to take it all in (a big thank you to my personal activities director Ted for pulling it all together). Actually, I prefer to call our seating section the misanthrope mezzanine, since we didn't have to sit near any other concert goers making the evening even more delightful.

Appropriately enough, we began our evening with the Smokey Mountain chanteuse in a Wal-mart parking lot. That's where we met our friend Kevin to carpool to Grand Prairie for the fun. As we pulled up to find him leaning against his car, I couldn't resist a wolf whistle and the gratuitous "hey sailor, new in town." After all, it isn't everyday you get to pick up men in Wal-mart parking lot.

The concert itself was like a big ol' plate of comfort food - maybe meat loaf or mash potatoes. There's just something so warm and familiar about Dolly. I don't know if it's because I grew up listening to her music and her almost-naughty booby banter, or because I continue to avidly listen to her music to this day. Either way, I feel like we go way back.

She opened the concert with Those Were The Days, a crowd sing-a-long favorite which oddly didn't really get our crowd's motor going. But, there were squeals of joy when she transitioned into 9 to 5. She also announced she's working on the score for a broadway musical of 9 to 5. Disgruntled self-empowered secretaries, showtunes and Dolly - sounds like nirvana to me. Here's a link to the full story.

Next up was Jolene. According to Dolly, there really was a Jolene. She worked as a bank teller and tried to woo Dolly's husband away. Guess the song worked, because Dolly and her hubby are still together and going strong 40 years later.

The hits kept coming all night along, there was Tennessee Mountain Home, Appalachian Memories and the gets-stuck-in-your-head for eternity Here you Come Again. Each one had a great set up and personal story to go with it that felt like Dolly was sitting in your living room and telling it over a cup of coffee. The highlight of the evening though was when Dolly prepared to play the harmonica (one of many instruments at which she excels). A wayward hair had found its way into her lip gloss, and as she plucked the hair from her head she said "it ain't gonna hurt me none, but somewhere in Korea some girls cryin'." Ahhh wig humor from a Double D celebrity in a bugle bead covered gown - does it get any better?

I can't wrap up my Dolly blog without commenting on her rendention of Coat of Many Colors - my all-time favorite Dolly song. She did a very simple version on a mandolin and, as predicted, I cried like a school girl the whole way through. The only thing missing from the evening was a performance of Islands in the Stream or Hard Candy Christmas - two more favorites.

Love, Love

love as tiny-waisted and ample-bosomed as the iconic Dolly Parton

Love Jef