The Blue Smoke World Tour is the eleventh concert tour by American recording artist Dolly Parton. The tour promotes Parton's 42nd studio album, Blue Smoke. Beginning in January 2014, the tour played forty-seven shows in North America, Oceania, and Europe. On Pollstar's Mid Year Top 100 Worldwide Tours list, released in July 2014 and ranking tours up until that date, the Blue Smoke World Tour ranked at number 23 with $23.3 million in grosses and 210,288 tickets sold for 38 shows.[1]
Tour by Dolly Parton | |
Associated album | Blue Smoke |
---|---|
Start date | January 24, 2014 |
End date | July 14, 2014 |
Legs | 4 |
No. of shows | 11 in North America 13 in Australia 23 in Europe 47 total |
Dolly Parton concert chronology |
Background
editParton mentioned working on a new album in July 2013. A month later, news of a tour hit multiple media outlets, as the singer was promoting the expansion of her theme park, Dollywood.[2] The tour was officially announced on The Queen Latifah Show in October 21, 2013.[3] She also performed a new song, "Miss You, Miss Me" along with performing a "rap" that went viral. Parton initially revealed dates only in Australia. Along with the announcement, the singer posted a message to her Australian fans on her official website. It stated:
"Australia, here I come again. We have a lot of new and exciting things for the show and can’t wait to share it with you. I love my fans in that part of the world. You've been so very good to me for so many years and I know that we're gonna have a wonderful time. It's a long way from home in your part of the world, but I always feel like I'm right at home. So Australia, I'm coming home. Wait up!"[4]
The tour will serve as the main promotional vehicle behind her forthcoming album, Blue Smoke.[5] Shortly after the announcement, additional shows were revealed in Europe, specifically the United Kingdom, Ireland, Scandinavia and Germany. With the release of European shows, Parton remarked:
"Every time I come to Europe, I'm just as excited as I was my very first time, which was many, many years ago. I love that part of the [W]orld and I especially love the fans. We always have such a good time and I've put together a lot of things for this show that I think the fans will love. We had not planned to come back so soon, but we got so much fan mail and such a great reaction that I thought, 'Well, why not. If they’re having a good time and we always do, let's just do it'".[6]
The scheduling of the shows also sparked rumors the singer would perform at the Glastonbury Festival.[7] Parton's participation in the festival was confirmed on June 1, 2014.[8] She expressed her excitement, stating she's wanted to perform at the festival for many years. Before she hit the stage, she was honored by the RIAA with a plaque commemorating 100 million albums sold worldwide.[9] The performance was a success, with BBC News reporting Parton drew the biggest crowd of the festival.[10] Despite bad weather and mud, she performed at the Pyramid Stage in an all white catsuit. She performed an abbreviated setlist from the current runs; which featured a guest appearance by famed guitarist Richie Sambora on "Lay Your Hands On Me".[11]
Despite the high praise, the festival appearance was shadowed by allegations of lip-synching. Sky News reporter, Kay Burley, tweeted her in disappointment with Parton for miming a huge event.[12] This created an uproar on the Internet. Dolly responded to the chaos stating she was not miming. She continued to say "My boobs are fake, my hair's fake but what is real is my voice and my heart".[13]
The news came alongside media reports of Parton in a car accident.[14] Parton described the incident as a fender-bender and that she sustained no injuries. While touring in Australia, the singer will also launch her program Imagination Library in that region.[5] In November 2013, show in California, Nevada and Arizona were revealed. Initially believed to be one-off shows, Parton stated the shows will kick off the 2014 tour. She further stated:
"It's always great to perform at home in the good ol' U.S.A. We’re kicking off our Blue Smoke World Tour right here at home. I love traveling all over the world; but it's true, there's nothing like home".[15]
It was also reported additional shows in the U.S. (and possibly Canada) will take place in May 2014.[5]
Set list
editThe following songs were performed during the January 28, 2014 concert at the Comerica Theatre in Phoenix, Arizona. It does not represent all concerts during the tour.[16]
- "Baby I'm Burnin'" / "Girl On Fire
- "Why'd You Come in Here Lookin' Like That"
- "Jolene"
- "Blue Smoke"
- "Don't Think Twice"
- "My Tennessee Mountain Home"
- "(Give Me That) Old-Time Religion" / "I'll Fly Away" / "I’m on My Way to Canaan's Land"
- "Coat of Many Colors"
- "Smoky Mountain Memories"
- "Rocky Top"
- "Together You and I"
- "Lay Your Hands on Me"
- "Two Doors Down"
- "Better Get to Livin'"
- "Lover du Jour"
- "Banks of the Ohio"
- "Little Sparrow"
- "Travelin' Prayer"
- "Shine"
- "It's All Wrong, But It's All Right" / "The Bargain Store"
- "Love Is Like a Butterfly"
- "Old Flames Can't Hold a Candle to You"
- "But You Know I Love You"
- "Real Love" / "Think About Love"
- "Here You Come Again"
- "Islands in the Stream"
- "9 to 5"
Encore
Tour dates
editBox office score data
editVenue | City | Tickets sold / available | Gross revenue |
---|---|---|---|
Brisbane Entertainment Centre | Brisbane | 13,842 / 18,060 (77%) | $1,765,110 |
Perth Arena | Perth | 10,833 / 12,642 (86%) | $1,234,000 |
Rod Laver Arena | Melbourne | 15,281 / 16,000 (95%) | $1,904,070 |
Qantas Credit Union Arena | Sydney | 12,368 / 13,390 (92%) | $1,418,070 |
Thompson-Boling Arena | Knoxville | 8,654 / 8,803 (98%) | $452,443 |
O2 Arena | London | 27,627 / 31,180 (89%) | $3,375,110 |
O2 World | Berlin | 6,370 / 6,986 (91%) | $513,182 |
TOTAL | 94,975 / 107,061 (89%) | $10,661,985 |
Notes
edit- ^ Originally set to take place on February 25, 2014.
- ^ Part of Evening Among Friends[22]
- ^ Part of a benefit concert for the Imagination Library & The Robert F. Thomas Foundation
- ^ Part of Live at the Marquee[24]
- ^ Part of Glastonbury Festival[25]
- ^ Part of Moon and Stars[26]
References
edit- ^ "Mid Year Top 100 Worldwide Tours" (PDF). Pollstar. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 September 2015. Retrieved 20 July 2014.
- ^ Watts, Cindy (23 August 2013). "Dolly Parton plans new album and tour". The Tennessean. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Brandle, Lars (21 October 2013). "Dolly Parton's 'Blue Smoke World Tour' to Visit Australia". Billboard. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Wyland, Sarah (21 October 2013). "Dolly Parton Okay After Fender Bender; Announces Australian Tour Dates". GAC News & Notes. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ a b c Lewis, Randy (29 October 2013). "Dolly Parton talks 'Blue Smoke' album, tour, Imagination Library". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Ragusa, Tammy (22 October 2013). "Dolly Parton Announces 2014 European Tour". Country Weekly. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Baggs, Michael (22 October 2013). "Dolly Parton for Glastonbury? Gap in 2014 UK tour suggests so". Gigwise. Giant Digital. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Dolly Parton says Glastonbury performance will be her biggest ever show". NME. June 2, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Papadatos, Markos (June 29, 2014). "Dolly Parton receives award for 100 million albums sold". Digital Journal. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ "Dolly Parton draws huge crowd to Glastonbury Pyramid stage". BBC News Online. June 29, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Merrill, Jamie (June 30, 2014). "Glastonbury 2014: Dolly Parton's set 'biggest attraction since Rolling Stones'". The Independent. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ "Was Dolly Parton miming at Glastonbury?". The Daily Telegraph. June 30, 2014. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Thompson, Gayle (July 2, 2014). "Dolly Parton Comments on Glastonbury Lip-Syncing Debate". The Boot. AOL. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Messer, Lesley (22 October 2013). "Dolly Parton 'Resting at Home' After Car Accident". ABC News. American Broadcasting Company. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Masley, Ed (1 November 2013). "1/28: Dolly Parton brings Blue Smoke tour to Phoenix". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Cordova, Randy (January 29, 2014). "Review: Dolly Parton charms at Comerica Theatre". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
- ^ a b c d "Dolly Parton – Concert Schedule". Pollstar. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ a b c "Dolly Begins #BlueSmokeWorldTour in America + MORE Dates in New Zealand & Australia!". Dolly Parton Music. November 21, 2013. Archived from the original on December 28, 2013. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ "Dolly Parton Announces Aussie Tour Dates" (Press release). RTTNews. 26 October 2013. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Dolly Parton to perform extra Sydney show". Seven News. Seven Network. January 17, 2014. Archived from the original on February 26, 2014. Retrieved January 28, 2014.
- ^ Philpot, Robert (7 November 2013). "Dolly Parton talks about TV movie, world tour, upcoming CD". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Copley, Rich (December 15, 2013). "Dolly Parton is latest Friend in St. Mark's fundraiser series". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved December 27, 2013.
- ^ Hawksley, Rupert (25 October 2013). "Dolly Parton tickets on sale for UK tour 2014". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ "Dolly Parton to return to Cork next summer". Red FM. Archived from the original on 22 November 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2013.
- ^ Halliday, Josh; Ellis-Peterson, Hannah (June 29, 2014). "Glastonbury 2014: Dolly Parton lifts rain-soaked festival to sunnier climax". The Guardian. Retrieved July 3, 2014.
- ^ Speciyogic, Anthony (June 24, 2013). "Dolly Parton's Busy Life: Touring, Feminism, & Miley Cyrus". Inquisitr News. Retrieved July 3, 2014.