Did you listen to punk rock in high school? If you did, you probably know who Henry Rollins is; if you didn’t, you probably played sports or knew how to talk to girls. Well, these high school distinctions don’t matter anymore. Because on April 1, WPGU is presenting Henry Rollins at Canopy Club for his one man show, “50”.
But let me back up for people who didn’t wear Dead Kennedys shirts or have Minor Threat patches pinned on their skinny jeans. Black Flag was one of the most influential bands in the ’80s hardcore punk scene.
Established in 1976, Black Flag spent a five years writing killer songs, staying local to California, and trying to find a consistent vocalist. Then, Rollins joined the band. They recorded Damaged; went on tour; and became VERY popular. Perhaps you’ve seen Black Flag’s logo–four black bars set askew–graffiti-ed on buildings; tattooed on faces; decorated across wedding cakes? That’s because Black Flag is a pretty big deal to people who feel depressed, drink six packs, and watch TV (that’s a lot of people).
After Black Flag broke up, Rollins continued to make music with the aptly titled, Rollins Band. He started his own record label 2.13.61 and released both music and spoken word records. He wrote the best selling book, Get in the Van, a history of his time with Black Flag (the audiobook won a Grammy). Rollins has appeared in Hollywood films like Johnny Mnemonic, Heat, and Jack Frost, and now he portrays a white supremacist on FX’s badass, motorcycle drama, Sons of Anarchy. I’ve yet to mention his other books, his radio show, his voice over work, and his political blogging. Go look that up on Wikipedia. I’ll wait.
Glad you’re back. Here’s why you should see Rollins on Friday: his spoken word is funny, engaging, informative, and most of all, entertaining. Rollins is a smart guy: he knows how to tell a story and he knows how to get a rise from “The Man.” He’s really cool, regardless of whether or not you listened to Black Flag as a teenager. If you want to hear some good stories this April Fool’s Day, come out to WPGU Presents Henry Rollins at The Canopy Club.
Related Posts
