It was a very Dolly weekend, with almost every artist paying homage to the late icon on stage over the past few days.
Following the world-renowned country music star’s passing last Tuesday, August 25, it was inevitable that everybody and their mama would pay tribute to Parton’s legendary life and career in the most fitting way possible: covering songs from her vast discography. Keeping with that theme, the king of covers (or at least that’s what I’m dubbing him), Zach Top, delivered two stellar back-to-back renditions of Dolly’s timeless hits.
This past Friday, August 28, the Washington native, in fact, played not one but two iconic Parton songs, including her fan-beloved “9 to 5” and my personal favorite, “Here You Come Again.” Truly, Top can do no wrong when it comes to his renditions, and these tributes were no exception.
The Bank of NH Pavilion was in for quite the treat as Top led into his bluesy, high-energy performance with a saxophone wailing in the background on this 1980 showstopper from the coinciding comedy film “9 to 5.” I know I say this just about every time Top puts his own spin on something, but I think it’s safe to say we can add this one to the list of songs he needs to add to his future cover album.
He extended his Top charm to his cover of Dolly’s 1977 classic ballad, “Here You Come Again,” that I can’t seem to stop playing on repeat. This rendition in particular reminds me a lot of Top’s incredible country cover of Parton’s “Hard Candy Christmas,” which I’m demanding makes a bittersweet return live on stage for Top at least once this holiday season.
If everyone wants to continue to cover Dolly at their shows for the foreseeable future, I totally would not be mad at the idea. As for Top, he’s hopping right back on stage tomorrow night, September 1, in Toronto as he prepares to round out his 2026 tour in just two months on October 30 in Nashville.
Tour Dates:
- September 1—Toronto, ON—Rogers Stadium~
- September 11—Lake Tahoe, NV—Lake Tahoe Amphitheatre at Caesars Republic«
- September 17—San Diego, CA—Pechanga Arena«
- September 18—Anaheim, CA—Honda Center«
- September 19—Fresno, CA—Boots In The Park
- September 25—Corpus Christi, TX—Hillard Center Arena«
- September 26—San Antonio, TX—Frost Bank Center«
- October 2—Jacksonville, FL—VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena
- October 3—West Palm Beach, FL—iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
- October 8—Des Moines, IA—Casey’s Center≈
- October 9—Rosemont, IL—Allstate Arena≈
- October 10—St. Paul, MN—Grand Casino Arena≈
- October 15—Sioux Falls, SD—Denny Sanford PREMIER Center≈
- October 16—Milwaukee, WI—Fiserv Forum≈
- October 17—Grand Rapids, MI—Van Andel Arena≈
- October 23—Lafayette, LA—CAJUNDOME∆
- October 29—Duluth, GA—Gas South Arena∆
- October 30—Nashville, TN—Bridgestone Arena∆
≠with special guest Cole Goodwin
«with special guest Wyatt McCubbin
∆with special guest Lukas Nelson
~with Chris Stapleton
≈with special guest Marty Stuart And His Fabulous Superlatives
∞with special guest Marcus King Band