In his 1980’s rock diary Get On The Bus, Henry Rollins wrote of ordering entire pots of diner coffee for just himself, and performing countless sit-ups while sleeping on the floor of a garden shed in order to tone his famed muscular frame. More than 20 years later, the former Black Flag frontman is still a punk-rock straight-edge Spartan, but he’s segued gradually from rock into talk, becoming one of the most dynamic voices on the spoken-word stage. It probably goes without saying that Rollins has tons of cred and great energy, but he’s also got a rare ability to segue between humor and humanitarianism. But whether he’s expressing sympathy, humor, or anger, he’s always intense.

Next Tuesday, Rollins will be pacing the floor and speaking his mind at Alberta Rose Theater, but in case you can’t wait ‘til then, here’s a video to tide you over. (If you have any trouble keeping up, try drinking an entire pot of coffee.)

WARNING: SOME ADULT LANGUAGE

Rollins will be at Alberta Rose on April 5. For more about Portland arts events, visit PoMo’s Arts & Entertainment Calendar, stream content with an RSS feed, or sign up for our weekly On The Town Newsletter!