Foghat – Slow Ridin’ at the Golden Nugget!

Foghat played the Golden Nugget Showroom on Friday, December 27, 2024.

Foghat will forever be known for their 1975 anthem “Slow Ride,” which remains a heavily licensed song showing up in media constantly; there’s no denying that the song is a timeless juggernaut when it comes to the all-time great classic rock hits. This bluesy English boogie rock band, often mistaken for an American Southern rock band (they even show up on Southern rock compilations – no joke!) continues to endure despite numerous past tragedies and lineup changes. SONIC MOJO, the newest album from the group, was released last year.

In their prime, Foghat released many fantastic albums, the most famous one of which likely being 1975’s FOOL FOR THE CITY, which gave the world the classic anthem “Slow Ride.” Sadly, half of the founding members are deceased; “Lonesome” Dave Peverett (who actually invented the word “Foghat” during a game of Scrabble as a child!) passed in 2000, with classic lead guitarist Rod Price dying in 2005. While not a founding member, longtime bassist Craig MacGregor died in 2018. Following Lonesome Dave’s days as frontman, former Ted Nugent singer/guitarist Charlie Huhn also served a lengthy stint in the band. From the group’s classic lineup, a single member remains – drummer Roger Earl. The current lineup also includes Bryan Bassett, formerly of classic funk rockers Wild Cherry (of “Play That Funky Music” fame), who’s been in the band since 1999, as well as lead vocalist/guitarist Scott Holt, and bassist Rodney O’Quinn.

This was a unique night for me for two reasons. First and foremost, despite loving the group’s music, I’d never seen any incarnation of Foghat live in concert (as I was only 15 when Lonesome Dave passed away in 2000, I never got a chance to experience them with the classic frontman). Likewise, this was my first gig at the Golden Nugget. Despite being a Las Vegas staple, I’ve usually made a point of avoiding the Downtown district, but when asked if I could cover this gig, I figured I might as well give it a shot. Although the parking garage is a bit overcrowded and parking is overpriced, the venue thankfully offers validation if you’re attending a concert, which is a damn good thing in this day and age. The showroom is much smaller and more intimate than I would’ve expected; a good thing in that every spot in the room is a good seat. It was also a welcomed reprieve not to have to pass through any metal detectors and the like. The venue staff were all friendly and accommodating, as was Mike, the band’s tour manager. At 8:00 PM on a Friday night in Vegas, I was certainly ready to rock! Initially an all-UK band, the backdrop behind the drum riser featured both British and American flags reflecting the group’s current make-up.

The show did start about 15 minutes late, but it was nice to see the venue staff announcing upcoming shows apologizing for the delay. Before long, the band took the stage. I had no idea what to expect from the group with all the lineup changes and only one remaining original member, but it wasn’t long before I realized this modern incarnation of the band is solid! In addition to the four members of the current group, a drum tech, whose style sense I could best describe as “Elton John meets Crocodile Dundee,” joined the band on a few songs on a second set of drums; this was a great way to fill the sound in the room further without resorting to the dreaded backing tracks. Vocalist Scott Holt will never be mistaken for Lonesome Dave, but he definitely sings the songs with passion and keeps them alive in a big way. One of my favorite surprises of the night was Holt turning over vocal duties to bassist Rodney O’Quinn on a few songs, who did a surprisingly good job. Many of the band members joked with one another and made wisecracks, but never did this to the point that it took away from the show or became the primary focus (I’m looking at you, Steel Panther). I like seeing a band with chemistry where the members like one another. That’s frustratingly rare in the music world today.

The group played a surprisingly diverse setlist; I was pleasantly surprised to hear that the group recorded and released a new album last year that featured some of the final-written songs by Kim Simmonds of Savoy Brown (Lonesome Dave and Roger Earl were former Savoy Brown members). The new songs fit in surprisingly well with the old ones, and they made plenty of room for classic hits that included “Fool for the City,” “Stone Blue,” “Drivin’ Wheel,” and the group’s legendary cover of Willie Dixon’s classic blues anthem, “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” Plenty of other blues covers were thrown in the set as well, making for a fantastic setlist. Crowd interaction was frequent and encouraged as well. The biggest reactions of the night came from the band honoring guitarist Bryan Bassett’s past by covering Wild Cherry’s “Play That Funky Music” (weirdly, Foghat had actually recorded a song called “Wild Cherry” early in their career), and of course, the closer and biggest hit – “Slow Ride.” This was a fantastic rock and roll party, and at one point, one of the Golden Nugget staff members even got on the second drum kit and began jamming with the band!

My only minor criticism with an otherwise stellar rock show were a few omitted tracks, the biggest one of which being the ballad “Take It or Leave It.” The group’s cover of Chuck Berry’s “Maybellene” was surprisingly missing as well, which would’ve been a nice addition. And it does seem like a bit of a wasted opportunity, this show being just two days after Christmas, not to break out their cover of Vince Vance’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (not to be confused with the Mariah Carey song of the same name). Still, the group gave the audience a high-energy show with a great assortment of tunes, old and new alike.

Many people make the criticism that if a band is down to one or none of their classic members that they should hang it up. I respectfully disagree; songs like these needs to live on, and if the artists can still deliver in their current incarnation, why not? Roger Earl is pushing 80 and still did a damn fine job, having aligned himself with a great group of musicians who do the group’s songs justice. If the modern-day version of Foghat comes to your town, they’re certainly still worth seeing, and that’s not something I can say for every band of this era.