Henry Rollins (spoken word) at City Gardens (02-07-1987)

On February 7, 1987, Henry Rollins performed a spoken word set at City Gardens. In comparing this performance to the one at Maxwell's in January 1985, the former Black Flag frontman's prose definitely took a big step forward! The picture on the front of the tape is an original taken by Dave McKenzie!

City Gardens has always sparked my interest as a venue. It was located in one of the most dangerous areas of Trenton at the time, but the space served as a crucial mid-way point between Philadelphia and NYC for the best touring acts of the era. The Ramones performed there a whopping 25 times and City Gardens played host to other legendary acts including the Minutemen, Black Flag, R.E.M., Sonic Youth, Ride, Dinosaur Jr., and many more. Jon Stewart of Daily Show fame was employed as a bartender in the late 1980s. I also heard that the venue sold some nasty hot dogs....

Original photo from the show courtesy of Scott Brandt

Tape cover photo (taken at Maxwell’s, not at this show)