Ted Nugent exploded into the intimate Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach, Florida on Wednesday August 21, 2019 with his “The Music Made Me Do It Tour”. Of the Peabody Auditorium’s 2,200 seats, about 2,000 tickets were sold. Michael Austin, a country artist with a 4-piece band, played a thirty minute set to open the show. Austin introduced himself as a United States Air Force Veteran and retired police officer, and the crowd gave him a warm welcome. He also commented that he just recently signed a record deal. During Austin’s performance, many people were in the lobby of the theater or at the lobby bar. They were here to see the one and only Motor City Mad Man, Ted Nugent.

The tarps were removed from the stage to reveal Ted Nugent’s elaborate set up. There were props everywhere; 4-horned skulls with red lights in the eye sockets, a toy monster truck pained with zebra stripes, a funky skull with long hair, Texas and American Flags, with an animated backdrop picture of Ted flying on a giant hand, flipping the bird. Very colorful and very Ted Nugent.

Nugent hit the stage at a little after 8:30 pm opening with “Stranglehold” as the audience rushed to their seats. Most of the crowd was on their feet, where they would remain for the remainder of the show. The scene was surreal. I had seen Ted Nugent thirty eight years prior, and the same energy was raging from the stage now. He looked at least 20 years his junior, as if father time had forgotten him. Truly the result of clean living.

The crowd was rowdy and very vocal. Uncle Ted, as he has been known, had direct dialog with audience members throughout the show. Now this show came with conditions, and Nugent was clear from the beginning. If you were not looking for an old-time, loud, rock-n-roll show, you’d better leave while you can. Also, if you’re offended by his political views, the door is at the rear. Ted Nugent is pretty much in your face with no apologies. He later introduced service members in the audience from at least four branches of the United States military, and the crowd roared with approval. There was also a re-election hat he had made for the current President he presented to the crowd to another round of cheers. With this out of the way, the loud and powerful rock-n-roll show pushed on, ending the night appropriately with “The Star-Spangled Banner”.

From the opening “Stranglehold”, with “Free-For-All” in the middle, and finishing the set before the encore with “Cat Scratched Fever”, every Ted Nugent fan was fulfilled. The Encore and final song of the night was “The Great White Buffalo”, then “The Star-Spangled Banner”. There was nothing more to give.

Ted Nugent loves his country, hunting, and rock-n-roll. I am not sure in what order. If he is anything, Ted Nugent is timeless and entertaining.

Remember, “Fear not the crusted warblers, but be wary of the Mad Cheese Grater for he shall slaw the features from your face. Beware the public carnivores as they inevitably edibly have a soft nosed hollow point magnum behind every bush.” The Amboy Dukes’

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Concert review on MNPRmagazine.com