Henry Rollins is mad.

And when he invades Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., at 8:30 on Monday night, he wants you to get mad too; mad at the government, at the music industry and, most importantly, at the apathy of a generation.

"If it's not young folks who are going to fix things, then who? 'Cause it's certainly not those old bastards up on the hill," said Rollins, who finds the indifference of most college students to be mildly alarming.

Which is why Rollins is on the road again, not as the charismatic frontman of Black Flag or Rollins Band, but as the sole performer in his new speaking tour, Shock and Awe My Ass.

"He's a pretty in-depth guy, whether it's music, movies or spoken-word," Dave Wells, Crowbar's director of operations, said.

Students who are familiar with Rollins' music are equally excited for this tour.

"His spoken word tour is pretty cool, I caught some of it on Comedy Central," Matt Gillig (senior-management and international business) said. "Some of his stories were really funny, and he kicked ass in The Chase."

For Rollins, being known in the media as a "Renaissance man" isn't a compliment so much as it is a statement of his way of life.

"I've always thought that as an artist-type, you're supposed to work vigorously and make yourself more well-rounded," he said.

In addition to his speaking tour, some of the iconoclast's recent endeavors include a DVD compilation of spoken-word performances, a new book and a role in Bad Boys II.

While maintaining such a wide array of interests, Rollins said he is nonetheless focused on "getting up on stage and letting it rip" at Crowbar.

And judging by the name he christened his speaking tour, it's pretty obvious who some of his targets are.

"I find it really offensive that more jobs in America are being out-sourced than ever before," said Rollins, considering this system not only illogical but also unpatriotic.

"I wouldn't mind paying $6 more for a pair of jeans made down the road from me," he added. "I just don't understand how you can do that to your countrymen and say you're part of a solution."

Rollins finds a way of sticking it to the man in his own business practices, citing Ticketmaster as a foe.

"Those are the bastards that other performers and I hate," he said.

Like many artists today, Rollins makes use of his own online ticketing as a way of getting around the industry giant somewhat, but finds that he has the most control when it comes to merchandise.

"I know how much it costs to make a CD, so I charge people appropriately," he said.

As for today's music itself, Rollins isn't too impressed. He defines hardcore music in the '80s as being its own movement outside the mainstream.

In those days, there was never a possibility of commercial success, so it had no effect whatsoever on the creative process.

Nowadays, he feels this innovation has been co-opted into a predictable kind of music, making concessions in integrity to gain exposure.

"What was free, crazy rock music turned into Nickelback," he said.

For a culture inundated with this kind of content, Rollins encourages young people to look outside the mainstream in all mediums, including literature, music, film -- anything and everything.

"There's so much life-changing, momentous shit out there," he said. "Now is the time to seek that out before the adult world comes rushing in."

Rollins was, however, less inclined to discuss another hotly debated topic: who would win in a fight, him or his contemporary hardcore icon Glenn Danzig.

"Man, that question is so old," he said. "I have to go on to the next interview, I'll see you at the show."