Henry Rollins: The Column! Living All Over Me

I am writing to you from sunny Honolulu, Hawaii. I am not on vacation. I have a show here. The day after, I will be moving on to Alaska for another show and, hopefully, to get a glimpse of Russia.

I wonder what it's like to be from a state that is spread across a few islands way out in the Pacific Ocean, only added to the United States in 1959. Not only that but to be the birthplace of America's first black president? Pretty cool, I bet.

To have a bunch of psychotics attempt to dampen what should be a nonpartisan "look how far we have come" moment by claiming that the president is from Kenya? Not cool.
I got here last night and hit the streets in search of food. I walked a long way around perhaps the largest perimeter of vomit I have ever seen. Four Japanese tourist youths almost crossed the street to avoid it. I don't know why I just saw an image of Clint Eastwood talking to it. You're seeing it now, too, aren't you? Brutal!

I wanted to tell you about a show at an altogether fantastic annual occurrence in downtown Los Angeles. I had been waiting for Dinosaur Jr. at FYF Fest 2012. (One of the only shows I will be able to see this year due to my tour schedule. I saw The Stooges in Poland, and if all goes according to plan, I will see them at Staples Center in November.)

Dinosaur Jr. in their live capacity are a band that put me in a state of such overwhelming rock that it often takes quite a while to come down. I saw them play 15 times last year. Thirty would have been 15 better. I am that much of a fan because they are the real damn deal.

There had been quite the drum roll leading up to the FYF Fest date. Dinosaur Jr.'s new album, I Bet on Sky, will hit the racks Sept. 18. I was lucky to have received a copy several weeks ago and have lost count of how many times I have played it. Like all of the band's albums, I find it very much to my liking. Get ready for "Watch the Corners" and "Almost Fare," two great tracks on it.

Dinosaur Jr. are a band that have exceeded expectations, defied stereotypes and broken some general rules for bands that "put the old lineup back together again" and take their show on the road. The Dinosaur Jr. that many people first heard were J Mascis on guitar, Murph on drums and Lou Barlow on bass. They are the ones on the Dinosaur, You're Living All Over Me and Bug albums from the 1980s.