There’s little doubt that Ted Nugent is a lightening rod for the left, but unlike many staunch political activists, he seemingly doesn’t let that affect his music.
Let Cher, Roseanne Barr and others spend days on Twitter blasting their political opponents on the right, as they have done this week. Nugent just says what he believes, plays what he loves and lets the rest shake out.
“If my standing up for the self-evident truths of the American way causes anyone grief or alienation, then it is meant to be and I accept it,” he said when asked if he’s gotten any backlash from fans or fellow musicians. “I have never considered my politics to be a divisive factor with my fellow musicians that I have always hung out with, including a few hard lefties. But there is a pathetic level of sheer hate for me by some that is really unfortunate. Also, many [other musicians] have thanked me for speaking out but fail to do so themselves for fear of retribution or loss of commercial gain. I think that is even sadder.”
Perhaps what’s most interesting is that the Motor City Madman, whose loyal fan base dates back about 40 years to his Amboy Dukes’ days, still packs in the crowds whatever the area’s political stripe. Credit that to Nugent keeping his sights firmly set on music.
| Onstage |
| Ted Nugent |
| When: 8 p.m. Friday |
| Where: The Fillmore Silver Spring, 8656 Colesville Road, Silver Spring |
| Info: $30; 301-960-9999; fillmoresilverspring.com; ticketmaster.com |
You can hear that in his shows when he swerves through his classic songs — whether they were born of he Amboy Dukes, Damn Yankees or his solo career. The only downside, said Nugent, is that it’s almost an embarrassment of riches.
“There are just a bunch of killer songs that would be criminal not to perform. We jam pack as many monsters into the set as we can and figure that if we are overdosing on fun and energy ourselves, you just can’t go wrong with satisfying the paying customers,” he said. “We literally love them all.”
