Music DVD Review: Ted Nugent - Motor City Mayhem: 6,000th Concert

As the blazing sun still shines down on Detroit's DTE Energy Music Theatre, seven airmen and women from the local Air National Guard unit stand at attention on the stage in front of a giant "Uncle Ted Wants You" themed banner that fittingly drapes the back of the stage. A few seconds later, the road crew wheel out an eight-foot tall, patriotically-decorated, cake to help celebrate the special occasion.

There are two special occasions in play here this night, the first being that it was Independence Day, 2008, and the second being that it marked Ted Nugent's 6,000th concert, after 40-plus years performing professionally! Soak that one in for a minute boys and girls. That averages to about 140 shows per year since he first started touring regularly with The Amboy Dukes back in 1967.

As soon as the cake is in place, the Motor City Madman struts out to greet the ecstatic, 20,000-strong, hometown crowd, while he fires off licks on his trademark Gibson Byrdland, hollow-body, electric guitar, and a blaring air-raid siren accompanies the attack. Gentlemen, don't get up to refresh your drinks just yet though, because a sexy, bikini-clad, blonde pops out of the top of the cake to give the hungry crowd their first sugar fix of the night, while Ted simultaneously feeds them some "Star-Spangled Banner" from his guitar.

To help celebrate the occasion, Nugent invited a few old friends and former bandmates to share the stage with him - most notably Derek St. Holmes, who co-wrote and sang lead on a few of Nugent's best albums. Also joining the party was Johnny "Bee" Badanjek, drummer for one of Detroit's most famous '60s rock bands, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels, who jammed with Ted on "Jenny Take A Ride." Another nice touch was Ted inviting his guitar teacher from the late '50s, Joe Podorsek, to jam with him on the old blues standard, "Honky Tonk."

Ted's backing band this time around featured "Wild" Mick Brown (formerly of Dokken) on drums, and Greg Smith (Alice Cooper, Rainbow) on bass. Surprisingly, the stage show was relatively subdued, with minimal lighting and no pyrotechnics to speak of. It has more of a club show feel to it than a large amphitheater concert. As long as a big, fat, spotlight shines down on Uncle Teddy at all times though, I guess he'll be pretty happy.

Article Author: Paul Roy

Paul Roy is a system administrator by day and amateur music DVD critic by night. When not attending as many live concerts as he possibly can, Paul likes nothing more than to kick back with a good concert DVD and rattle some walls. …

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