Ted Nugent

Rams Head Live | 8/20/16

By Jay Oakley

The thing I've always liked about Uncle Ted is he delivers a club-sized set that feels like an arena show. Every time I've seen Nugent his set list has been short by comparisons to other bands. Don't be fooled, keep in mind he delivers precise, guitar heavy songs with length in the delivery. The average band will give you a sixteen song set but the songs are two and a half to three minutes long. Ted averages five to six minute songs mixed with killer solos that can make them close to ten minutes in length.

Opening up with a guitar solo "Star-Spangled Banner" followed up with "Gonzo." Heading into "Free-For-All" gave Ted the chance to show off with the first of his many classics. Following up with "Snakeskin Cowboys" and "Yank Me, Crank Me" which sounded clean, tight and served as the perfect foreplay for every man's anthem "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang."

Noticeably absent from the show was original Nugent singer Derek St. Holmes. While it is common knowledge that Derek left the band in 1978 he had been back with Ted in recent years including Ted's last visit to Baltimore in 2013. However, Ted handled all the lead vocals perfectly except "Hey Baby" which was sung by long time bassist Greg Smith whose singing was quite stellar.

Closing out the main set was "Cat Scratch Fever" and "Stranglehold." Of course, those tunes have two of the most iconic riffs ever written. After a short break Ted closed out the show with a medley of "Great White Buffalo" and "Spirit Of The Wild."

Rams Head Live | 8/16/13

Well, well, well...let's talk about Ted Nugent. There is no man alive who provokes more of a love-him-or-hate-him response from the people. Most are so repelled by the opinions that come out of his mouth that they forget what an amazing musician he is. Thirty-four records made and thirty million records sold show that he has nothing to prove, at least on the concert stage. Uncle Ted's strident and conservative political views and his advocacy of hunting and gun ownership rights make him controversial. 

This was my first time seeing The Nuge live and I won't forget it; his screaming guitar could be heard all over Rams Head. A great set offered hits like "Wango Tango," "Great White Buffalo," "Stranglehold," and of course "Cat Scratch Fever." Ted recently reunited with former front man Derek St. Holmes, the voice on all the early Nugent classics. That made for a special show. They traded off vocals all night backed by a great rhythm section featuring Dokken drummer "Wild" Mick Brown and bassist Greg Smith. Regardless of what you think about Ted Nugent’s politics and life outside of the music world, he is special on stage. Nugent is sixty-five years old and has the energy of a teenager.

Ted Nugent played with Laura Wilde during this concert.