Country rocker Toby Keith blows lid off Dome, Nugent is A.W.O.L. - IOWA

Waterloo Cedar Falls Courier, Iowa ^ | Feb 21, 2005 | DENNIS MAGEE, Courier Regional Editor

[rface]

"Due to inclement weather, TED NUGENT is not able to leave Michigan and will not be appearing tonight."

For a group of teens, the sight produced a statement you're not likely to hear often.

"No Ted Nugent?! Oh my god. Your mom is going to be so pissed."

- Protest outside -

....confrontation brewed outside the hall. Keith is an outspoken supporter of President Bush. Nugent is an outspoken gun advocate and so far right he makes Rush Limbaugh seem like a candidate for the next Kennedy family reunion.

...The 17-year-old wore a T-shirt with the president's likeness and the word "LIAR" emblazoned on the front. Posters carried pointed phrases like "Stop Redneck Americans and Cowboy Politicians" and "A Redder Shade of Neck for a Whiter Shade of Trash?"

"You guys are a bunch of candy asses," one angry vet jeered. Robert Doyle of Marshalltown just smoked, literally and figuratively. On Doyle's right biceps, the words "Redneck" and "Marine" were tattooed around the Corps' emblem.

Police officer Andrea Jennings and another officer moved the high school aged protesters away from the Dome in large part because they were concerned about the kids' continued health.

CEDAR FALLS --- Camouflage hunting jackets, cowboy hats and military insignia marked a good portion of the UNI-Dome crowd.

Of those who put their allegiances so clearly on display, two out of three went away well-satisfied Sunday night. Toby Keith and the Big Throwdown Tour rocked their world, dishing out generous helpings of patriotic tribute and down-home modern country music.

"How many rednecks we got up on in here tonight?" Keith said, setting the tone early for a what proved a raucous evening.

There were Ford trucks, horses, American flags and red, white and blue pyrotechnics. Those elements --- and Keith's popular songs --- created a frenzy.

"This is the best show I've worked," said Ty Burke, a sophomore at the University of Northern Iowa and member of the Dome event staff.

Burke was close to center stage but back about 25 rows. His task was to keep an aisle clear and fans from standing on chairs. The distinctions between rows blurred, though, as revelers danced with themselves and their neighbors, sang at the top of their lungs and embraced Keith's effort without reservation.

Once the music started, chairs were an afterthought. The party was on.

"That's what you want, right?" Burke said.

The camouflage crew, however, came up half a stage short. Their man, Terrible Ted Nugent, bad boy of the 1970s and avid hunter, was scheduled to open for Keith. But fans of the Motor City Madman were greeted with signs taped to every door at every entrance.

"Due to inclement weather, TED NUGENT is not able to leave Michigan and will not be appearing tonight."

For a group of teens, the sight produced a statement you're not likely to hear often.

"No Ted Nugent?! Oh my god. Your mom is going to be so pissed."

Russell Nitson of Reinbeck said he was offered a free basketball ticket as a makeup call. But for a devoted-and-graying long-hair, that didn't have quite the same ring as "Cat Scratch Fever."

Instead of Nugent's screaming guitar, and well, just plain screaming, Tribe Nuge got an acoustic soloist. Tim Rushlow, lead singer for Little Texas, played a short set to warm the stage.

"I was really curious to see what kind of show Ted was going to put on for these folks," Nitson said. "These folks aren't ready for Ted."

Heather Tousignant, director of operations for the UNI-Dome, couldn't do much more than shrug her shoulders at the last-minute cancellation.

"It's a bummer. Weather," she said.

"Because it's a promoted show, we can't give refunds."

Protest outside

As Rushlow played, confrontation brewed outside the hall. Keith is an outspoken supporter of President Bush. Nugent is an outspoken gun advocate and so far right he makes Rush Limbaugh seem like a candidate for the next Kennedy family reunion.

It seemed a ripe situation for Andrew Alemao and about 10 other junior and senior high school students to make a political statement.

"We're here to protest the Second Amendment," Alemao said.

"Obviously we don't know how to use guns in this country."

The 17-year-old wore a T-shirt with the president's likeness and the word "LIAR" emblazoned on the front. Posters carried pointed phrases like "Stop Redneck Americans and Cowboy Politicians" and "A Redder Shade of Neck for a Whiter Shade of Trash?"

They picked a tough audience. The 40-, 50- and 60-year-old veterans stopping by the northwest entrance for a cigarette break were in no mood for the teens' doe-eyed sentiments.

"You guys are a bunch of candy asses," one angry vet jeered.

"Yeah, I'm a redneck. At least I love my country," Jason Card of Waterloo said.

Robert Doyle of Marshalltown just smoked, literally and figuratively. On Doyle's right biceps, the words "Redneck" and "Marine" were tattooed around the Corps' emblem.

"I gave up four years of my life for this country. And this is what I have to put up with," he said.

Police officer Andrea Jennings and another officer moved the high schoolers away from the Dome in large part because they were concerned about the kids' continued health.

"We told them to go stand in the grass," Jennings said. "They said, 'That's OK. Our mom said we had to go home.'"

Once Keith took the stage, Nugent and protesters were forgotten. He played most of the crowd's favorites --- "Beer for My Horses," "Stays in Mexico," "Who's Your Daddy?" --- and frequently took time out to engage the audience with extended setups between numbers. A suggestion to down a drink for the country's firefighters, police and highway patrol; two for military men and women; "and one for the good ol' U.S. of A" rocked the walls.

Keith ended with "American Soldier" and "Courtesy of the Red, White & Blue," anthems about America's strength.

And at least one redneck Marine was satisfied.

"That was awesome," Doyle concluded.

Call Dennis Magee at (319) 291-1451 or e-mail dennis.magee@wcfcourier.com.

[vetvetdoug]

Nugent is a gem and a student of history. He knows if there is inclement weather in Iowa in the month of February and there is a scheduled rock concert, it is best to wait until the flying option is a safe one. Nuge don't need to be singing bye bye Ms. American Pie... in eternity.

[MA~Bear]

Hi,

Hubby and I have tickets to see the Toby & Ted in CT on March 4th. Can't wait to go, tickets cost a small fortune, but the show should be more then worth it.

MA Bear :-)

[ShadowDancer]

You are going to have a blast. I would love to go to that show.

[cyclotic]

We had a heckuva snowstorm yesterday in Michigan. Detroit area got about 7 inches of wet, heavy snow and the news folks missed it all. I watched the news the night before and didn't hear how we were all going to die if we dared step foot outdoors. I can see how it would be hard to get a jet out in this snow.

[Fast1]

Good reading!

[wmichgrad]

Keith is an outspoken supporter of President Bush

I know Toby is a huge supporter of our troops, but I have not heard of him publicly support President Bush.

[LoudRepublicangirl]

"We're here to protest the Second Amendment," Alemao said.

I'm curious if they know what the other Amendments are about or if they just know about this one since their parents are probably blathering on about it during their "quality time" anti-American liberal rag fest.

[houeto]

Personally, I think 'A Redder Shade of Neck for a Whiter Shade of Trash' is a pretty funny slogan. It might become my new tagline...

I'd sure like to have me one of them shirts!

[injin]

sorry...my mistake

[MattinNJ]

I saw TK two years ago and it was phenomenal. He absolutely brought the house down. A few sets had gone by and all of a sudden chants of USA, USA, USA grew more and more thunderous. He just stepped back, smiled, and said "I'm gettin there" . When he played "Courtesy of the Red White and Blue" the crowd went wild.

He is not a Bush backer but does a ton for the troops. He is one of the few registered dems who are patriotic.

[Kalamity]

Sometimes I'm almost ashamed to live in the great state of Iowa, especially when I see our young people make such idiots of themselves. You're right it comes from their homes first and then from the schools. I'm glad to say a lot of young people come from other states to attend our schools as we do have fairly good colleges (but liberal professors), so they are not all Iowan's doing the protesting. They forgot to find out that Toby is a democrat but a huge supporter of the troops, thank you Toby!!. I love "Nuge". He's so far right he is "right"!! Too bad he couldn't make it to the show. Our corn fields are a great place to hunt and you can't do that without guns!

[LoudRepublicangirl]

I know I am ashamed to live in Illinois and plan to move once my daughter finishes highschool. Our current governor is wanting to give illegal aliens drivers licenses and wants to give free medical assistance to illegal children so they can attend school here. He seems to care more about the illegal constituency than the citizens. Illinois has pansy gun laws as well. I'm ready to head back down south.

[Kalamity]

Aren't we the lucky ones? And we live in adjoining states. Iowa did decide not to give drivers licenses to illegals. I'm thinking about moving too but it's because this little town of 4000 is in the process of trying to get two gambling casinos in here, one on the lake and one across town. The town voted for it as they say we need businesses. I don't think we need the rise in crime rate though.

[your gun wont make you a man]

I happen to be Andrew Alemao, the protester quoted in the article, and I think you should know that I DO know what each amendment in the Bill of Rights stands for.

1. Speech, religion, assembly, and press
2. The right to BEAR arms... (Notice the word "bear." I don't care if you own a gun, but keep it locked up somewhere discrete in your own house; you don't need to be toting it around in your vehicle. I do not want to get rid of the 2nd Amendment altogether, I just want to rephrase it so that it addresses modern concerns instead of colonial ones.
3. The right to refuse the military from staying at your house
4. Prevents unreasonable searches and seizures without a warrant
5. Prevents those who have been arrested from incriminating themselves, prevents double jeopardy (being tried for the same crime twice), also requires government to give you a fair some for property they demand from you
6. Fair and speedy legal trial
7. Fair and speedy civil trial
8. Outlaws excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment
9. Rights not listed are given to the people
10. Rights not listed are given also to the state

I feel it is also important to know that NEITHER of my parents are liberals. Both of them have voted for both parties more than once. As for my school, I wouldn't call it "liberal." Just plain "tolerant" will do.