When Ted Nugent takes his rock ‘n’ roll to the masses on his annual summer tour, he’ll be looking once again to 22-year-old drummer Jason Hartless to keep the indispensable beat that helps propel the guitar legend’s Motor City Madness across the USA.
Jason Hartless already is a Ted Nugent Band veteran as he prepares to embark on his second straight summer tour. The Detroit-born, began drumming at six months old and has been on the road since he started touring at age 12. Along the way, Hartless has toured as the support act for the likes of Motley Crue, Godsmack, Theory of a Deadman, Drowning Pool, Rev Theory, Mountain and Warrior Soul, and he’s been mentored by some of classic rock’s hardest hitting drummers, including Corky Laing (Mountain), Tommy Clufetos (Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie), Eric Singer (Kiss, Alice Cooper), and Todd Sucherman (Styx). It was through Laing that the industry first took notice of the young drummer – very young, in fact. Jason was just 9 years old when his Laing-produced solo album, First Division, was released with a band that included Richie Scarlet (Ace Frehley) and Jim McCarty (Cactus, The Rockets, Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels).
Jason’s influences range from Buddy Rich to Keith Moon, from Jeff Porcaro to Zak Starkey, from Stewart Copeland to Steve Smith.
"Playing with Ted has been such an incredible experience,” says Jason. “Being a fellow Detroit native, it’s really neat because Ted has always been a hometown folk hero. He’s really embraced me, and he’s been almost like a mentor. We always talk about how to really capture the full essence of a groove and how to hone that while playing his music. Sharing the stage with Ted every night is such an amazing experience. Being able to play all the legendary rock songs with the man who wrote them is a dream come true.”
Nugent has nothing but a heap of praise for his young drummer. “He works like a dog and learns,” says Nugent. “He’s real. I have worked with some of the best drummers on the planet, and man, he’s right up there.” He adds that Jason locks in with Nugent Band bass player Greg Smith to become “the greatest, most throttling driving force in music today. We kill every song, every gig, every lick, every night.”
Jason got right up there as Nugent’s drummer after touring as his opening act in the Detroit band Pistol Day Parade while still a teenager. When Jason was looking for a new touring gig in early 2016, he contacted with Nugent’s management and was invited to audition.
Away from the Nugent band, Jason is pursuing his bachelor’s degree in Music Business at the Berklee College of Music. Since the fall, Jason has been managing partner of Prudential Music Group, where he oversees day-to-day operations of two record labels and a publishing company. Pistol Day Parade, who Jason toured with from 2012 to 2015, was a Prudential artist that hit #19 on the mainstream charts with their song "Rockstars Girlfriend.” When not on tour, Jason teaches kids from ages 7-18 music at a School of Rock in Detroit, where as part of his drum lesson curriculum, he teaches Music Business 101. Jason released his first instructional DVD, Learn to Rock Drums with Jason Hartless & Friends, when he was only 16.
See Jason Hartless on tour with Ted Nugent:
June 23 - Peppermill Concert Hall, Wendover, NV
June 24 - Nugget Casino Resort, Sparks, NV, United States
June 25 - Rabobank Theater, Bakersfield, CA
June 27 - Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
June 28 - The Canyon, Agoura Hills, CA
Jun 29-30 - The Coach House, San Juan Capistrano, CA,
July 1 - Sunset Station Outdoor Amphitheater, Henderson, NV
July 2 - The Rose, Pasadena, CA
July 3 - The Cave Big Bear, Big Bear Lake, CA
July 6 - Redneck Country Club, Stafford, TX
July 7 - The Cotillion, Wichita, KS
July 8 - Billy Bob's Texas, Ft. Worth, TX
July 11-12 - SanJan Theater, Bonita Springs, FL
July 13 - Florida Theatre, Jacksonville, FL
July 14 - The Plaza Live, Orlando, FL
July 15 - Iron City, Birmingham, AL
July 16 - Montgomery Performing Arts Centre, Montgomery, AL
July 19 - Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
July 20 - Star Plaza Theatre, Merrillville, IN
July 21 - Jefferson County Fair, Hillsboro, MO
July 22 - Fond du Lac County Fair, Fond du Lac, WI
July 23 - Lexington Village Theatre, Lexington, MI
July 24 - Lexington Village Theatre, Lexington, MI
July 27 - Effingham Performance Center, Effingham, IL
July 28 - Providence Medical Center Amphitheater, Bonner Springs, KS
July 29 - Ozarks Amphitheater, Camdenton, MO
July 30-31 - Arcada Theatre, St. Charles, IL
Aug. 3 - Surf Ballroom, Clear Lake, IA
Aug. 4 - Wisconsin Valley Fair, Wausau, WI
Aug. 5 - Medina Entertainment Center, Medina, MN
Aug. 8 - B.B. King Live Blues Club & Grill, New York, NY
Aug. 9 - Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom, Hampton Beach, NH
Aug. 10 – Aura, Portland, ME
Aug. 15 - Penn's Peak, Jim Thorpe, PA
Aug. 16 - The Paramount, Huntington, NY
Aug. 18 - 20 Monroe Live, Grand Rapids, MI
Aug. 19 - Triple S Harley Davidson, Morgantown, WV
Aug. 20 - The Palace Theatre, Greensburg, PA
Aug. 23 - Packard Music Hall, Warren, OH
Aug. 24 - Foellinger Theatre, Ft. Wayne, IN
Aug. 25 - Michigan Lottery Amphitheatre at Freedom Hill, Sterling Heights, MI
Aug. 26 - Fortress Obetz, Obetz, OH
