Dolly Parton at Wolf Trap

By Jordan Campbell

As a light summer breeze blew through the rustic beams of the amphitheater, Dolly Parton stepped out of the sheer curtain and into the spotlight with her iconic blonde cotton candy hair and painted-on white jumpsuit, her rhinestones glistening like a disco ball as she strutted across the stage.

"I just love playing here at Wolf Trap, and y'all look like you're ready to party tonight," she called out to a roaring ovation.

Although this legend of the music industry is nearly 70 years old, her career shows no signs of slowing down. Dolly's current tour, Pure and Simple, made a stop at the Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts' Filene Center on Wednesday to a sold-out crowd. For the first time since 1992, Dolly brought the theater's audience to their feet with her career-defining hits and several new songs.

The Pure and Simple tour is coinciding with the release of Dolly's latest album of the same name, which will include new music and several of her hits we've come to love. "The tour is simple, not many special effects -- and it's pure. It comes from my heart," Dolly explained. "We decided it was a better title than 'Don't Be Tiffed, It's Not Taylor Swift!'"

Any diehard fan of this entertainment icon was energized with pitch-perfect performances of "Jolene," "9 to 5," "Islands in the Stream," "Here You Come Again," and the other hits that have defined the career of this seven-time Grammy Award winner. Yet what was most impressive about the show was that the creative team has woven several of Dolly's lesser-known songs from various stages of her illustrious career -- her "deeper cuts" -- into a beautiful patchwork throughout the evening.

With seamless effort, Dolly transitioned between her signature bluegrass, pop, gospel and country styles. "Why'd You Come In Here Lookin' Like That," the chart-topping hit on her 1989 album "White Limozeen" was followed by "Jolene" and a slew of songs about her humble upbringing in the Great Smoky Mountains.

With the help of her longtime band members Richard Dennison, Kent Wells and Tom Rutledge, the country music superstar also sang a medley of protest songs from the '60s and '70s, including "American Pie," "Blowin' in the Wind," and "If I Had A Hammer." She also shone a spotlight on the critically-acclaimed "Trio," her longstanding folk music collaboration with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris.

Of course, a Dolly Parton concert simply isn't complete without a few 'Dollyisms,' the phrases and stories that have defined her persona over the years. "I'm sure glad y'all spent your hard-earned money on this concert, because you'd be surprised how much money it takes to look this cheap!" Her sense of humor about being a backwoods girl smartly, albeit bawdily, strengthens the singer's distinctive brand. "You can take the girl out of the country, but she might go back and build a theme park!" she exclaimed, referring to her signature attraction, Dollywood, which she opened in her hometown of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, in 1986.

Aside from her insurmountable talent and unstoppable energy, the best part of Dolly is her genuinely positive outlook on life. Known as a stalwart for peace in controversial national debates, Dolly was sure to add her views on the current political climate. "Who do y'all want to win for President? I thought about running, myself! I sure have the hair for it," she added playfully, met with rapturous praise from the crowd. "Don't we need some more boobs in the race?"

After recent controversy over legislation toward transgender people in restrooms, Dolly vowed to address these issues from the stage in lieu of cancelled concerts in North Carolina. "I think we should be proud of who we are, every one of us," she decreed in a humble tone, "our gender, our race -- those are things to be proud of. Everybody deserves to be who and what they are. God made each of us special."

If her soaring voice and affectionate persona weren't enough, Dolly plays an impressive ten instruments, each covered in its fair share of rhinestones, through the course of the evening: a guitar, dulcimer, fiddle, and saxophone, just to name a few. Although she is visibly exhausted by the end of high-energy songs, one can't help but imagine this superstar in her heyday. Even now, Dolly kicks it into high-gear for her upbeat tunes.

The show was not all lighthearted; several of Dolly's original songs, including "Little Sparrow," "Banks of the Ohio," and "Hello God" leave the audience to ponder heartbreaking stories of bitterness, love and betrayal. In these haunting and intimate moments, the crowd joins Dolly on a journey through her masterful story-song lyrics, soaring soprano vocals, and Scots-Irish musical roots.

"It was always my dream to come out on stage and perform, and I want to thank you for making that dream come true. And you know I will always love you," she said in an encore as the band began to play her 1974 hit, which gained international acclaim when it was later recorded by Whitney Houston.

As if we needed a reminder, the ceaseless palpable energy of the evening proved that there truly ain't nobody like Dolly Parton.

Dolly Parton played on June 8 at Wolf Trap's Filene Center, 1551 Trap Road in Vienna, VA 22182. For information on upcoming shows, visit http://www.wolftrap.org/tickets. For information on Dolly's Pure and Simple Tour, visit dollyparton.com/tour-schedule-upcoming-events.