LIVE: Ted Nugent @ the Upstate Concert Hall, 7/11/12

Review and photographs by Andrzej Pilarczyk

The Motor City Madman, Ted Nugent, brought his Great White Buffalo Tour to the Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park with no holds barred … and lots of M-16s and spare guitars adorning the stage.

From the first tune, “Gonzo,” Nugent delivered his brand of all-American, high-octane rock ‘n’ roll spotlighting his timeless power-rock hits like “Stranglehold,” “Cat Scratch Fever,” “Free For All,” “Just What The Doctor Ordered” and “Great White Buffalo.”

Talk about explosive, high-energy guitar work and a power-laden band – featuring drummer Mick Brown, bassist Greg Smith and prodigal guitarist-vocalist Derek St. Holmes – that was “in the groove,” to quote Uncle Ted himself!

For long-time fans, the hits were all there, in spades (hearts and diamonds, too!)

At 63, Nugent showed his audience how to really rock ‘n’ roll: old school style!

The healthy, all-ages, wall-to-wall audience included sons and daughters of many a veteran rock ‘n’ roller: the diehard fans of the man and his guitar pyrotechnics. Hey, there isn’t much these days that brings families together in any combination, so why not flow with “Uncle” Ted Nugent?

No disappointments there.

Nugent’s personal politics aside, the man has always backed the American troops – today and before in Afghanistan, Iraq and, yeah, back then, in the Vietnam War. (I wore a uniform.) He doesn’t like President Obama’s politics and adores hunting and fishing, too.

So what?

He’s a guitarist. Ted Nugent is one of the greatest living guitarists today, and interestingly enough, his songs are not loaded with current political content.

He is what he is…

So what?

Go out and hear him perform. Did I mention he is one of the greatest living guitarists?

There are no politics in screaming, high-energy guitar pyrotechnics. It really doesn’t matter what his politics are. The man has influenced many of the post-Hendrix greats.

Australian singer-guitarist Laura Wilde, opened the show with her band. Talk about a mismatch with headliner Ted Nugent on a double-bill. Wild was definitely heavy metal with shades of punk. No biggie there because her set was loaded with great guitar work and an enduring sex appeal from her bleach-blond hair down to her curvy figure that matched the three gorgeous ladies that comprised Nugent’s back-stage ‘groupies.’

TED NUGENT SET LIST
Gonzo
Just What The Doctor Ordered
Turn It Up
Free For All
Stormtroopin
Wang Dang (Red House)
Need You Bad
Live It Up
Hey Baby
Fred Bear
Cat Scratch Fever
Stranglehold
Great White Buffalo