NEW YORK CITY (1983) “Henry Rollins”

He'd gone from a low-level local band to the most important position in all of punk: LEAD SINGER OF BLACK FLAG!

Photo: Kevin Salk

When I first arrived at Wesleyan University in 1979, I was disappointed that people there weren’t more interested in current music.  Punk and New Wave were happening.  College radio was becoming a thing.  There were tons of bands.  Every city had its own scene.  But people at Wesleyan were still listening to the Grateful Dead and blowing soap bubbles on the quad. 

My sophomore year, a freshman kid from Washington DC arrived.  He knew about music.  I told him about The Wipers, Portland’s best band.  He told me about The Bad Brains, DC’s fastest band.  Also, he had some high school friends who were in punk bands.  This was Ian McKaye and Minor Threat.  And another guy named Henry.