Henry Rollins: Every city has a story

Artist and activist Henry Rollins is making a stop at every state capital in the nation leading up to the Tuesday, Nov. 6 election, and Dover is no exception.

As part of his spoken-word tour, Capitalism, Rollins will take the stage on Halloween night at Schwartz Center for the Arts.

Rollins, former front man of the hardcore punk band Black Flag, kicked off the tour Sept. 6 in Honolulu, Hawaii.  The last stop on the Capitalism tour is schedule for Monday, Nov. 5, at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C.  “All of these cities have a story,” Rollins said.

In Rollins’ YouTube series documenting the Capitalism tour, the performer interviews residents to get a better flavor for the state.  In Juneau, Alaska, Rollins spoke with a small businesswoman; in Salt Lake City, Utah, he spoke with a Democratic candidate for Senate who is also a Mormon.

Rollins said he does not yet know whom he will interview for the series in Dover; he plans to decide a few days prior to the Oct. 31 show.

Rollins said he has previously performed only once in Delaware.  “I’ll go anywhere for a show,” he said.

Rollins said he performs in small towns all over the world, including towns in England, Germany and Australia.  “They’re so glad when you show up because they get passed over so often,” he said.

So far on the Capitalism tour, Rollins said, he has visited six to 10 cities he had never been to before.  In an Oct. 15 phone interview, Rollins said the tour made a stop in Jackson, Miss., the previous night.  He said he had only played one prior show in the city in the 1980s.  “The place was packed,” he said.

“Seeing a different capital building almost every day has been very nice,” Rollins said.

Rollins said he has been touching on a number of issues on the tour, including the importance of voting, the need for third party candidates and stories from his recent travels to North Korea, Uganda and Cuba.

Rollins said he has also been talking about President Abraham Lincoln.  “A lot of the stuff he was talking about in the 1860s is really relevant now,” Rollins said.  “He really pulled from both sides.”

Rollins noted Lincoln’s quote, “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

“We have polarized ourselves to the point where not a lot gets done,” Rollins said.  People need to seek common ground, he said.

In his current tour of all 50 state capitals, Rollins said his words are no different in red states than in blue states.  “I’m red, white and blue,” he said.  Partisan politics negates the idea of effective communication, he said.

Of all his roles – performer, host, writer, actor, musician – Rollins said he most enjoys hosting his weekly radio show on KCRW, a California affiliate of National Public Radio.  “You basically let all these great bands do the talking for you,” he said.

But, Rollins said, his spoken word shows, like those on the Capitalism tour, mean the most to him because it gives him a chance to have direct contact with his audience.

“It takes everything I’ve got,” he said.  Rollins said the shows can be high pressure and the touring schedule is often exhausting, but, he said, it keeps him on his toes.  “I have quite a bit left to do,” Rollins said.

Rollins will perform at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Schwartz Center for the Arts on South State Street in Dover.  For tickets and more information, go to henryrollins.com or schwartzcenter.com.  Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door.