Dolly Parton at Mohegan - Baby Was Burning

[Rickypt]

I might have to post this in pieces. I also have some pics that I'll post when my friend uploads them.

So, the drive from Boston to Norwich, CT. was actually quite pretty. It gave me a chance to see some fall foliage and I was surprised how rural it got just a few minutes outside Boston.

My friend would not stop every 10 minutes at Dunkin' Donuts.

We checked into the Comfort Suites Norwich, which was at the end of a road and behind a Feed Supply warehouse. I am so glad I wasn't alone, as I would have been afraid and depressed and probably would have just popped ativan and skipped the concert.

As we waited for our free shuttle to the Mohegan, we had a "cocktail" at the hotel lounge (called "Bob's Place"). I use quotes because I am used to San Francisco drinks and that pseudo-vodka-cran didn't even begin to cause a buzz.

Arrived at Mohegan Sun. I enjoy cheesy casinos, but this one is just intimidating and butt ugly. I guess they intentionally make sure you get hopelessly lost so you just give up and keep spending money. We downed about 3 glasses of free wine, I won $20 on slots, and we went to use our free buffet coupon. Free is about all that was worth.

Anyway....boring....let's talk Dolly.

[carrie721]

i was wondering when this would show up! but you didn't call it "dolly parton kicked ass"!

[JazmenFlowers]

more more more!

[Rickypt]

So the concert started at 7:30. Which anywhere else means 8:00 or later, right? We got to the arena and were in line for more wine when I heard screaming and the sound of a fiddle. The goddamn show was already starting!

We ran to our section as I screamed at my friend that I could not miss Dolly's entrance. Fortunately, the first five minutes of the show was her band warming up (by playing "Hello Dolly" ). The minute we sat down, she came down a HUGE staircase.

Here's the thrill: she opened with "Baby I'm Burning"!!! This is one of my all-time favorite Dolly songs. She used to open with it during the late 70's and 80's, but stopped doing it before I started seeing her live. I thought I was going to pass out when she launched into it.

The thrill was slightly tempered by the AWFUL sound. I guess I should have known by looking at the seat chart (and by the word "arena" in Mohegan Sun Arena), but I was expected a musical theater. Instead it was like a basketball stadium. With horrible, horrible, horrible sound. It got a little better during the night, but not much.

Anyway, I was not going to let that stop me from having a blast. Next post is song-by-song. I won't put "spoiler" because she's not on tour so it's not really spoiling anything.

[Rickypt]

Oh--I loved Dolly's dress. Normally she wears really colorful outfits, but this was a very simple white dress and spiked heels. Very classy and looked great with the stage (the stage was all white and gold).

[Rickypt]

Originally Posted by carrie721

i was wondering when this would show up! but you didn't call it "dolly parton kicked ass"!

[DrummerDeanna]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

Oh--I loved Dolly's dress. Normally she wears really colorful outfits, but this was a very simple white dress and spiked heels. Very classy and looked great with the stage (the stage was all white and gold).

I thought Dolly was wearing Reeboks these days..oh. Wait. Wrong blonde


So excited to hear about this....more please!!

[Rickypt]

Set-list with comments. I might be a little off on the order.

Baby I'm Burning--already discussed

Dolly chats with audience for a few minutes. She was a little flustered because she had been told to hold off starting the show for 10 minutes and then suddenly heard the band warming up. So she had to run up to the top of the stairs to make her cue. She then said "I hope you're all getting rich at this casino, 'cuz I sure am. And it takes a lot of money to look this cheap". (she says this at every show, but I laugh and laugh everytime.

Then she said...."Hey...there's a party in here....and it sounds like it's Two Doors Down". Which, of course, led to Two Doors Down. This is when I noticed the average age in the audience was about 127 years old and that no one would be standing. Hopefully just staying awake.

Jolene: Dolly tells the story behind the song (I think it's all a myth, but a fun story). She said several years ago she noticed her husband was always going to the bank, which was odd because they had no money. So one day she followed him and realized he was going to flirt with a beautiful redhead named Jolene.

Okay, my friend's dinner guests have arrived, so will finish later.

[ryan8472]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

This is when I noticed the average age in the audience was about 127 years old and that no one would be standing. Hopefully just staying awake.

I'm sorry Connecticut sucks ass. As a resident, I appologize for it.

But I want more dirt on the concert! I hope it was awesome.

[Rickypt]

The Grass Is Blue: Dolly talked about the tribute album made for her a few years ago and that she particularly liked Norah Jones' version of this song. So she did this one a little jazzy and played the piano (she said "I don't play the piano as well as Norah...but then again, she didn't write this song". ).

Shine: I love this song! She started out at the piano, then came center stage and sang at the standing mic. Everytime she sang "heaven let your light shine down", she'd raise her hands and look up at the spotlight. Goosebumps.

Little Sparrow: This was the highlight of the show. She did Little Sparrow a capella, with just some help from backing vocalists. Her voice ranged from whispers to belting to pleading. This song was when my friend realized he was witnessing something very special.

Thank God I'm A Country Girl: Her version of the John Denver classic. She really tried to work the crowd with this one, playing banjo, harmonica, and guitar. Plus bringing out a hunky male dancer, which pleased us gay guys (the crowd was either really old married couples or gay guys around my age).

God's Coloring Book: I didn't know this song. It sounded a lot like "Coat of Many Colors". Dolly introduced it by saying that she's been spending a lot of time at home in the Smoky Mountains lately and when she looks at the beautiful scenery during the fall she knows it had to have been made by God. One thing I love about Dolly is that she is very religious but never uses it against other people or in a hateful way.

Kenny Rogers skit: Okay, this needs to be dropped from the show pronto. Dolly talked about the hits she had with Kenny and that she used to have him on a big screen behind her during older shows, but found that to be too impersonal. So she brought out a Kenny "lookalike" and they proceeded to engage in dumb variety-show banter. Finally they sang two rounds of the "Islands In The Stream" chorus. That was it. A total waste of time. I give Dolly credit because she clearly wants to put on a "show", but I just think she's too talented to resort to this kind of schtick. At least sing the entire song if you're gonna do it.

more in a sec

[Rickypt]

Tennessee Mountain Home: Dolly did a few songs about her life in the Smoky Mountains, including this great classic. She said she had 12 brothers and sisters. People would ask if she came from a Catholic family and she replies "no, just horny hillbillies". She said that they put their mother on a pedestal--they had to, it was the only way to keep her from daddy. She did this song on a dulcimer.

Coat of Many Colors: This song always makes me cry. Dolly talked about how her parents both died in the last few years. Her father's death made me grieve for years, but not so much with her mother. That bothered her, but then she realized that she is so much like her mother that she feels like she is still alive.

Marry Me/Apple Jack: Great medley of two of my favorite Dolly songs. She talked about how "Marry Me" was on the Sweet Home Alabama soundtrack. She played banjo for these two and finally the lame crowd started to stir a little bit.


Here You Come Again: What can I say. Jim and I sang along to this one.

Crimson and Clover: This is one of my least favorites from her "Those Were The Days" album, so we went to get more wine. Caught the end of it, and she was playing electric guitar!

[Rickypt]

Me and Bobby McGee: Now is this one of my favorites from "Those Were The Days". She nailed it. A huge crowdpleaser.

9 to 5: FINALLY the crowd woke up. About 5 people in the front row stood up and danced. Someone gave her a red feather boa that she put on and did little "strip dance" moves. After the song, she walked up to the woman and said "do you want this back, or is this a gift"? Then she talked to her for a few minutes. Great moment.

Last Night I Dreamed of Elvis: I wasn't familiar with this song. I would drop this one from the set also, as out came yet another impersonator, this time of Elvis. I just can't get into this variety-show thing. During the song, they sang a few lines of "I Will Always Love You" and thought oh please, this can't be all we hear of this beautiful song.

I Will Always Love You: Whew. Elvis left and Dolly said "now I'd like to do that song in its entirety. This is always her set closer, Dolly's "Edge" if you will, so I knew we were coming to an end. She thanked Whitney for recording the song and making her a barrel of money, and then thanked us for helping a poor country girl make her dreams come true. She delivered a lovely version of IWALY. At the end, it sped up into a bluegrass version and she thanked us, walked up the stairs and through the curtains.

Amazingly, about 1/3 of the audience got up and started fleeing for the exit. Maybe it was past their bedtime (it was 8:50, after all), or they needed another fix at the buffet? Crazy. We screamed and screamed for Dolly. I had no idea what she would do for the encore, and to my great surprise it was


TRAVELIN' THRU!!

The song that should have won the Grammy this year. She reworked it a bit, kind of Celtic-sounding and those of us who stayed clapped along. She did a little riverdancing in the middle. Then she took her bow, went back up the stairs, and there she went.

After the show, we got some more free wine. I asked how I could send Dolly a drink to her room, but no one seemed to know.

Anyway...I'm still high from that great show. I can't wait for next year's tour!!

Pics coming soon.

[Rickypt]

Originally Posted by ryan8472

I'm sorry Connecticut sucks ass.

I thought CT was quite pretty, what I saw of it. The Mohegan crowd, though....frightening.

[ryan8472]

Originally Posted by Rickypt

I thought CT was quite pretty, what I saw of it. The Mohegan crowd, though....frightening.

From what I hear, almost every concert at Mohegan is like that. I've never been to one, myself though. A friend of mine said she went to see Aerosmith there, and a lot of the people just sat and tapped their feet. AEROSMITH!

When I go to a concert, I like to have the crowd into it like I am. Otherwise I feel like a freak.

I'm glad you thought the rest of CT was nice tho! Even though you must have taken the scenic routes.

[Rickypt]

Originally Posted by ryan8472

A friend of mine said she went to see Aerosmith there, and a lot of the people just sat and tapped their feet

Well, that's more than Dolly got. I'm glad I went, but I'd never go to another show at Mohegan. The horrible sound alone is enough to keep me away.