Henry Rollins Day

On October 4th Xavier and I went to The Colonial Theatre to see Henry Rollins for his Good to See You tour. I’ve loved his spoken word since Rickster gifted me a tape of Rollins’ Boxed Life back in the days of our working at The Hellmouth. He’s been my favourite writer since I first read Solipsist in February 2000, so when I saw that The Colonial offered a Meet & Greet package I leapt at the chance. This was in June. Sounded like a great idea at the time. Meeting John Waters was a wonderful experience and I couldn’t pass up a chance to meet my favourite writer. I plunked down close to four hundred bucks for our tickets and didn’t give it much thought. Then it was August and panic started to set in. September steamrolled in and that meant the day was even closer and I was left in a month long anxiety attack. Sleepless nights and insomnia where I couldn’t drift off unless I took a fistful of Benadryl. It was horrible. I was even having nightmares. Then I decided we would go but I wouldn’t get a photo. This helped a little. Xavier was great about everything as he’s used to my ridiculous nerves and meltdowns. So on a near two-day empty stomach I found my seat and settled in for a two and a half hour spoken word set by this true legend. He was fantastic. I went through with the photo and got to introduce myself, shake his hand and thank him. He was very nice and it wasn’t until later when the photo was posted that I noticed he tilted his head toward me in the shot. Simple but sweet gesture. Sorry, Dominick Dunne, looks like you’ll have to remain at your number two spot of my fave writers. 

Stand-out moments from the show:

• declares: "I put the punk in punctual."

• his watching the sweet interactions between a father and his adult daughter in a doctor's office

• dealing with an unhinged Finnish stalker

• idea to give women firearms to take out any potential "rape-os"

• Music recs:

Tamar Apek All Bets Are Off

Marnie Stern The Comeback Kid and The Chronicles of Marnia

Cable Ties

The Warmers

Birthday Girl

Snõõper

Hammered Hulls Careening

• Books recs:

The Aquariums of Pyongyang: Ten Years in the North Korean Gulag by Kang Chol-Hwan & Pierre Rigoulot

You Don't Belong Here by Elizabeth Becker

Fire in the Lake by Frances Fitzgerald

Grit, Noise, and Revolution: The Birth of Detroit Rock 'n' Roll by David A. Carson (although Rollins said there were some inaccuracies)

• He also talked about working with Pacino on Heat, his time on Sons of Anarchy and, of course, David Lynch who apparently overuses the outdated word "keen!" which I fully intend to bring back into the common parlance of everyday usage!

Bonus: the cassettes of Boxed Life from Rick that I keep in the drawer of my record cabinet that Nana Irma gave me and that once belonged to Uncle Alan. 

BONUS: 

Apparently after Xavier mentioned that he had no clue what he would say when meeting Rollins, Jackson said, "Just talk to him like you would anyone else. Pretend he's just a regular person, Dad." Ha!