RECENT COMMENTS RSS| 1 | Morning Buzz: Flaming Lips, Mission of Burma, 4:17 am |
| 5 | Oceano Streaming New Music 11:44 pm |
| 3 | Courtney Love’s People Ripped Off Shelby Cinca, Everything’s OK Now 9:04 pm |
| 14 | Get Up Kids Get Back Together, Post Plenty of Videos 8:29 pm |
| 5 | The Roots To Become Jimmy Fallon’s House Band? 8:27 pm |
| 14 | Guns N’ Roses Streaming Chinese Democracy on MySpace 7:32 pm |
| 8 | A Grand Design: Jensen Sportag 6:41 pm |
| 5 | Brother Cesare, Italian Heavy Metal Monk 6:35 pm |
| 61 | A Grand Design: Becoming the Archetype 6:09 pm |
| 19 | Panic At The Disco Guitarist Must Like Message Boards 5:37 pm |
| 124 | Melissa Etheridge Speaks Out Against Proposition 8 4:51 pm |
| 4 | Andrew Bird Planning Tour in Early 2009 4:14 pm |
| 9 | Man Man Discusses Scams 2:59 pm |
| 5 | Featured Band: Cut The Red Wire 11:09 am |
| 1 | Killers Frontman Finally Tells Us What His Lyrics Are 10:22 am |
The long line to get into the historical 40 Watt Club forced me to listen to two distinctively contrasting conversations. Conversations that — on any normal day — would force me to yell out in justified anger to end the annoying banter. But as the saying goes: Never anger the people in line, you don’t know how long your going to have to deal with them. In front of me was a cackle of German tourist, and I write cackle because they bickered, joked and gossiped like a group of blond 14-year-old cheerleaders (note: having Euros doesn’t make one-self less petty). Behind me were the expected punk rock avengers; they were discussing which one of them was going to school Mr. Rollins first for the supposed errors in his work and life choices. One of them said, “I’m going to ask what he really did for punk rock, and he’ll say ‘nothing,’ because he knows it.”
I expected to hear that kind of elitism, but not from people paying $15. If you hate someone, why pay to see them? This I will never understand.
Mr. Rollins came out on stage to be greeted with a standing ovation. There wasn’t a rock ego in his eyes at that moment, he was just as grateful to be there as we were all to see him. Then it began, “Six-pack!” was heckled from an over-alcoholed head at the bar. Rollins laughed it off, called the song his thorn in his side and after making fun of the already drunk attendee, Henry began his performance mix of spoken word, editorializing and storytelling that wouldn’t be over until well after three hours later.
Rollins began with what commonly opens his set, coming to terms with being older — or in his words, “I’m 47, and my balls are heading towards my socks.” Rollins continued on with stories of why and how he will not stop working — no matter what form that work comes in. He gave us a little preview of his performance in an upcoming film in which he plays a preacher guarding the gates of Hell. Rollins was screaming lines from the book of Genesis as he does in the film (We were the Cuba Gooding Jr. for the monologued scene). Rollins yelling out Old Testament Scripture is as entertaining and wonderful as Bruce Dickinson singing about dragons.
Then came what was to be the crux of the night. “Knowledge without mileage is bullshit,” is how he put it. He told stories of his personal trips beginning in England. And after some talks with army generals of where never to go, Rollins went to Pakistan. Rollins was there when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated, and he walked the streets as the riots overtook the city. My favorite moment was when Rollins discussed the dilemma he faced. Either he’d have to join in the prayer part of the riot to avoid being out of place, or avoid offending the highly religious avengers with bats and rods by trying to make his way through barbwire. He danced around the stage showing how well barbed wire accomplishes its job.
Probably the highlight for a good part of the audience was Rollins telling, while in fanboy mode, the contrasting joy of singing for a one-time show with his favorite band of all time, The Ruts, while knowing the only reason they were playing was because the lead guitarist was soon to die from cancer. He shared how hard it was to say goodbye to someone, knowing it would be the last time he’d ever see their face light up with a smile or hear their voice. Rollins paused and looked at the crowd, saying, “No matter how many times you say that goodbye, it never gets easier.” I looked over, and half the people in the front row were sharing tears with him.
Do not miss a chance to see Henry Rollins on stage. Don’t worry, however. You won’t need to rush out and see him this tour, because he’ll be doing it all the way to his grave, many years from now.
OH…Henry.
It was a great show. I saw him in Asheville, NC last week.
I never did like that guy.
Why?
I’d love to see his show. His spoken word is fantastic. He’s a great story teller.
His tats may very well be older than most of Buzzgrinder’s regulars.