Henry Rollins is the definition of a modern Renaissance man. The life of the 41-year-old musician, writer, comedian, actor and spoken word artist has been anything but predictable.
In the past few years Rollins, formerly of the innovative hardcore punk band Black Flag, has been spotted touring as the front man for Rollins Band, appearing several films, including a jarring cameo in the box-office smash “Jackass,” and co-hosting the Learning Channel’s Full Metal Challenge, a program in which 27 teams from around the world build fantastical machines and then compete against other.
He’s also found the time to run a vanity publishing company (2.13.61 – named for his birthday), write 12 books, release 19 music and spoken word albums, win a Grammy and have his own Comedy Central Special (Live and Ripped from London).
Rollins continues to keep in touch with his feverish punk rock past by staying ‘on the road’ with both music and spoken word tours scheduled almost year-round.
Somehow in between all of this, he’s also managed to remain true to his punk roots and fight for justice. After watching two HBO documentaries (“Paradise Lost” and “Revelations: Paradise Lost 2”) about the West Memphis Three, Rollins became one of their biggest supporters and fundraisers.
The West Memphis Three are young men from Arkansas who received life sentences without due process for the murder of three 8-year-old boys in 1993. The men were convicted, in part, because of their penchant for black clothing and heavy metal music. Many other celebrities have joined Rollins to raise awareness and correct what they consider to be a terrible transgression against justice.
“It’s simple for me,” Rollins explains on the West Memphis Three Website, “I don’t know who killed those three little boys. I just know it’s not the West Memphis Three. So, what can I do? Raise some money and hopefully some awareness. I don’t know what else I can do, if someone has an idea, let me know.”
His spoken word performances show a lighter side of Rollins and are quite a bit mellower than the intense music style he’s known for. But don’t expect a PG rating; the spoken word shows may feature a more relaxed and thoughtful Rollins, but he’s still as wisecracking and irreverent as ever, discussing everything from the current political catastrophe in DC to the comedic tidbits from his latest film shoot.
Rollins will perform his spoken word show Wednesday at the Paramount Theatre. Tickets are $20-$26.50 and are still available through www.ticketmaster.com or by calling 303-830-TIXS.
