Henry Rollins - The Vic - Chicago - 2 November 05
First off: I've liked Rollins since I was turned onto Black Flag in the late 80's. I like the Rollins Band. I don't like seeing Rollins in a GAP ad, or in a shitty movie dressed up like a cop, or sucking up to MTV. The guy obviously enjoys getting paid, and wedsnesday nights performance was $26 a head.
SO, what's Rollins like without the volume... just a man and a mic?
Rollins was outstanding.
I must admit that at $26 I was wondering if it was going to be worth it, considering that it's only open mike, no music. I'd caught a video of his spoken word back in 1994 and it was borderline stand up comedy... as well as his periodic rants on corporate sponsored television. Was it worth it? FUCK YES.
Rollins hit the stage at 7 p.m. sharp and spoke straight through until 10 p.m. sharp... no breaks, no pauses, no hits off a bottle of water, no slowing down... motherfucker brought the same level of intensity to minute 179 that he had at minute 11. What did he discuss? Off the top of my head it was some insight into: Bush... Katrina... Wal-Mart... the working poor... the democrats... Trent Lott... Tulsa Oklahoma.... New York City... Ted Nugget... Johnny Ramone and watching "The End of the Century" with him a few weeks before he died of colon cancer... visiting troops in South Korea, Afghanistan, I raq, and the wounded in VA hospitals... squirells... hunters... automatic weapons... Ian MacKaye... his work ethic... turning 40... gay Bob Mould... improve yourself infomercials... what's hot... edible underware... his B-actor cameos.... good citizenship.
Rollins was excellent. I highly, highly recommend seeing him the next time you're in the same town he's playing. Twenty six bucks is worth every dime, he brings it to the performance.
I picked up a signed copy of his new book "Fanatic" at merchandising for $10. It's a collection of each of his setlists from his weekly 2004 monday night show on Indie 103 in L.A... it's full of info, personal memories, and basic music geek notes plus web sites to each of the tracks he chose to play on each show. Good, fun, quick read.
2 Comments:
WOW! henry rollins, huh? he's really cool! you fit his demographic. i bet you're from some shitty, small town in iowa or wisconsin where nothing ever happens. dude! it's totally rad that you were turned onto black flag in the late '80s, but most people tend to agree that they REALLY started sucking when hank joined the band.
it's sad that you look to henry rollins for insight into bush, katrina, wal-mart, et al.
i'm sure it was enlightening to hear an ENTERTAINER --- who (how many?) people paid $26 each to see --- expound on the working poor.
do you feel more informed now?
why didn't you take that $26 (plus the $10 you were dupped out of for his book) and donate it to one of the causes that hank enlightens people about? are you saving up to go see celine dion next time SHE's in town?
put down "Fanatic" and pick up something by h.l. mencken. you silly twat!
indie cunt,
i haven't lived in a shitty small town in iowa or illinois since 1992 -- the year that my parents stopped paying for me and I decided to get a real education on my own dime...
a bit of a contrast to your father's name on your credit card and the university of chicago education pre-paid for... don't be too fucking surprised, I understand that the university of chicago only admits trust fund bitch boys. your collective cum stain "intelligencia" can be found with daily updates at www.pitchforkmedia.com
and by the way, it's not "insight", it's "commentary"... you MIGHT know the difference once you've finished your third year of college. And nobody mistakes henry for anything more than an "entertainer"
do you feel more informed now?
bring it, bitch.
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