Rant and Roll

Henry Rollins fends off an attacker with a pair of deadly middle fingers.

When you're as busy as Henry Rollins, you're bound to pick up stories along the way. On his 25 Years of Bullshit tour, the punk icon tells tales from his second (and third and fourth . . .) career as a writer, actor, television host, and spoken-word artist. "You have to call these tours something, for the sake of the T-shirt," sneers Rollins. "I'm fairly uncreative with that stuff. It's not a tour. It's what I do."

In marathon sessions, the former Black Flag frontman emerges as a regular guy with a really cool résumé. Cable net IFC recently renewed his self-titled chat show for a second season. Al Pacino really did beat him up while filming the cops-and-robbers drama Heat. And after a quarter-century in the biz, he's seen the world twice over.

Rollins talks about it all onstage -- in monologues that are sometimes funny, sometimes fuming. Expect anecdotes about Hollywood, cable TV, and Russia (he rode the Trans-Siberian Express for seven days last year). "Siberia in the winter, there's nothing to look at," he says. "So I got a lot of work done." Rollins is at the Agora Theatre (5000 Euclid Avenue) at 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $23.50; call 216-241-5555. -- D.X. Ferris

What's in a Name?
The Its overcome a lousy moniker on debut CD.

THU 10/27

The Its frontman Maciej Padowski and his three bandmates are quickly learning how to promote their self-titled CD. It's called "Tour, tour, and tour some more," says Padowski, whose Polish first name is pronounced "MAH-chee." "We don't have the financial support of a label. So promoting it how it should be promoted is nearly impossible." Since the Chicago quartet formed in early 2004, it has played its Beatles-style pop from Ohio to L.A. (The group also performed at music industry showcase South by Southwest this year.) "We'd like to be on a major label and not have to worry about working some crummy jobs to get by," says Padowski, who drives a delivery van during the week. "Although it's really tough to get some interest going, we all believe in this, and we work hard enough for it. We want to keep that momentum going." The Its perform at 8 p.m. Thursday at the Hi-Fi Club, 11729 Detroit Avenue in Lakewood. Admission is $5. Call 216-521-8878 for more information. -- Cris Glaser

Back in Blue
Bob Saget returns with a bunch of dirty words.

10/27-10/29

After his recent career-resuscitating and expletive-stuffed appearances in The Aristocrats and on Entourage, it's safe to assume that Bob Saget has gone dirty for the sheer fuck of it. After all, the former Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos star made his name as a family-friendly comic. Yet when Saget started out more than 20 years ago, he did so with a bunch of dirty stories. "It's weird how I'm getting this do-over that's R-rated," he says. "I want to be honest, whatever I'm doing. Even if it is a dick joke." Saget's at the Improv (2000 Sycamore Street) at 8 p.m. Thursday, 8 and 10:15 p.m. Friday, and 7:15, 9:30, and 11:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $23; call 216-696-4677. -- P.F. Wilson

In Da Club

FRI 10/28

"We rock 'cause we want to," sings Martin Royle on the Washington Social Club's debut CD, Catching Looks. "We rock 'cause we need to/We rock 'cause we don't sleep." If you haven't already guessed, the D.C.-based coed quartet likes to rock. It also likes to make chirpy, guitar-based pop -- à la the New Pornographers -- which it will bring to the Beachland Tavern (15711 Waterloo Road) at 9 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $6. They are available by calling 216-383-1124. -- Michael Gallucci