Saw Dolly Parton's new concert last night at the Hollywood Bowl. It was one of the best concerts I've seen (and I've seen a lot of them - from Muddy Waters to The Boss). She took the stage at 8:30 (no opening act) and sang and played (guitar, banjo, saxophone, harmonica, autoharp, piano, dulcimer...really incredible) until nearly 11 p.m. with one, brief intermission. Her energy never flagged, and her voice was in peak form at all levels. Song-wise, she covered some others' songs (including "Stairway to Heaven," which was a crowd favorite) and her own ("Here You Come Again," "Nine to Five," "I Will Always Love You," and material from her new album) as well as bluegrass classics ("Rockytop") and great, great gospel. Her rap on Queen Latiffah (hope I'm spelling that right) was priceless, as was her desciption of the new movie that she and QL star in ("Joyful Noise" opens in January 2012). The concert was near, if not completely, sold out (the Bowl holds 19,000) and there were children, seniors, and every age group in between. I didn't know what to expect when I purchased the tickets. But I came away blown away by the whole experience. At 65 years young, Dolly is at the top of her game - and it's an amazing and completely entertaining game at that. If you get a chance to see her (she's on a world tour - LA was one of her first stops) - don't hesitate
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