June 25, 2010 – It’s not just about the music anymore for Ted Nugent. In addition to packing along plenty of guitar heat for his anticipated performance in Fredericksburg, VA, the Nuge also brought plenty of guns…and ammo.
But followers of the “Cat Scratch Fever” Ted (and maybe not big fans of the machine gun wielding Ted) need not to fear as the self-proclaimed Motor City Madman still is a force to reckoned with behind his guitar and microphone. The set was packed tightly with loud playing and the rock classics that made Nugent a household name. It’s all about the attitude for the 61-year-old rocker who just can’t seem to get enough of the stage.
Playing in close proximity to both the nation’s capitol and the 4th of July, Nugent’s typical choice of the Star Spangled Banner as an opening tune was especially fitting. Dressed in a torn jacket with an American flag guitar in hand, he was clearly psyched and ready to deliver the goods that Fredericksburg wanted; blazing riffs with a little bit of gun talk mixed in. “Does anyone here like machine guns?” Nugnet polled the crowd. There was arguably no better place to be than in front of Ted on a warm night in semi-rural Virginia.
He may not be negotiable in his stance on the 2nd Amendment, but that doesn’t mean that Ted Nugent’s afraid to tell a joke or two. “I’ve been told that you have a deer problem in Virgina,” he began. Then came one of those punchlines that only Nugent can deliver. “Well back where I come from, the deer have a Ted problem. It’s like a tea party for venecin.”
He wasn’t done, either. “I like the tea party, but I’d rather have a gun powder party.” Then without blinking an eye, he adjusted his position on the guitar and tore into the menacing rhythm of “Love Grenade“, an instant classic written in 2007.
There’s no messing around when Nugent has his guitar in grip, his intense focus is only broken by spontaneous screams. As each tune was finished, the sweat was wiped and a pick flung in the air to a patch of extended hands. With remarkable efficiency, he gets the job done.
Dokken drum hero Mick Brown pounded the backbeat of Nugent staples like “Cat Scratch Fever” and “Free for All“, no doubt feeling pressure to match the aggressiveness of his leader’s screaming and riffing.
Nugent calls every tour the best of his life, and there’s no reason to believe that he’s not having an absolute blast while tearing across the United States on a tour he bills as “Trample the Weak, Hurdle the Dead”. There’s even a catchy tune and matching riff designed around the phrase; it didn’t take long for Fredericksburg to catch on.
When the dust settled after a rousing rendition of “Great White Buffalo” (and yes, he broke out the signature headdress), the verdict was clear. Uncle Ted won’t be putting his guitar down anytime soon.
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