By: Kurt Kloeblen, Staff writer

MOTOR CITY MADMAN: Ted Nugent brings his guitar fronted rock to the Uptown Theater at 7 p.m. Sunday. Nugent continues to tour regularly at age 59 and continues his crusade for a number of causes.

For all the spectacle that surrounds Ted Nugent, his prowess as a guitar legend is at the heart of his popularity.

In more than 40 years performing live, Nugent has played solo and with numerous bands and has continually been a key factor in rock 'n' roll. At 59, Nugent still tours, making a stop Sunday at Uptown Theater.

The outspoken Nugent has become a radio and TV host, political commentator, hunting icon and pop culture phenomenon.

Nugent may carry with him the moniker of "Motor City Madman" or "The Nuge," but he still maintains much of the pot-off-the-kettle energy that keeps him running around on stage.

The Sun conducted an e-mail interview with Nugent to find out what keeps him going and what keeps him involved with his many causes.

Q: How are your shows different today than 25 years ago?

A: Thanks to my amazing band, my songs and concerts have never been tighter, more intense or high-energy than right now. Our music has a life of its own. Plus I am funnier and sexier and everybody needs that. Oh yeah, and we have more and bigger guns on stage too.

Q: Have the different television and radio shows you have done changed the type of people who come to your shows?

A: I have always been blessed with the most intense audiences that a performer could ever dream for. They throttle me with so much enthusiasm and positive energy that we cannot but help put our hearts and souls into every song and every concert. With the always-increasing celebration of my beloved outdoor hunting, fishing, trapping and shooting lifestyle on our Spirit of the Wild TV show on Outdoor Channel, more and more entire families are attending our concerts than ever before. This is great!

Q: What keeps you motivated to keep producing music and other entertainment?

A: We are individual, autonomous creatures with our own dreams and desires. My heart just happens to beat ferociously to my reasoning predator instincts and I crave a soundtrack to my dreams. Hence my intense love for everything outdoors and everything primal scream rock 'n' roll. I thank God every day.

Q: Do you feel your guitar playing continues to get better?

A: Very much so. Tuned into the amazing grooves of Mick Brown on drums and Greg Smith on bass, my guitar dreams continue to push myself to the brink to milk maximum blood, guts, spirit and soul from my guitars. There is no limit to the emotion and outrage I can pound from my creative juices.

Q: For a teenager who is picking up a guitar for the first time, what are some key pieces of advice you would offer?

A: Stay clean and sober, put your heart and soul into being the best that you can be, open your eyes and heart to be an asset to your family and fellow man, and learn every Chuck Berry and Bo Diddly lick there is. Go wild!

Q: When someone talks to you on the street or in a store, is there a general reaction?

A: I am blessed to have a wonderful connection to good Americans everywhere I go, and very positive conversations erupt no matter where I am about my concerts, songs, hunting life, my books, the articles I write in various publications, but more than anything, how I have always stood up for what we believe in, especially our Second Amendment rights. There is an Uncle Ted campfire burning everywhere it seems.

Q: Do you see yourself staying involved in causes close to your heart? Is there a time when it gets too tiresome to continue working for the cause?

A: So far I am blessed with good health and incredible energy thanks to my health-conscious clean and sober lifestyle, and there are always going to be important issues that we the people must remain vigilant to. I will always perform my American duties to the best of my ability.

Q: Have you had any recent hunting successes?

A: I just had the most joyous bear hunt in Washington (state) with my son, Toby, and a thrilling bear hunt in Arkansas, my brother John 's first Arkansas adventure, and an up close and personal black bear encounter. We killed some magnificent beasts and had the time of our lives in the lap of God.

Q: What is the best part of playing live music? The worst?

A: Having always been surrounded by the world's greatest musicians makes every concert, every jam session and every recording session an out-of-body riot. I can't think of anything negative except we all have to die someday and this astonishing life must end. Dammit!

Q: For those who have never seen a Ted Nugent show, what should they expect?

A: A man and his band having so much gung-ho fun playing the most over-the-top, intense soul music mankind has ever witnessed. Riding onto the stage on a live 1 ton buffalo, swinging on a rope, shooting flaming arrows and going berserk is all icing on the rock 'n' roll cake. My band is the best in the world. Period.

http://www.kccommunitynews.com/articles/2008/07/16/wednesday_sun/entertainment/doc487cdcc48a69c822382289.prt