Henry Rollins brings his signature humor, emotion and clarity of thought to the Golden State Theatre.

Henry Rollins has a stand-out memory from his first time in Monterey.

“I think the first time I played [in Monterey] was in 1984,” says the 61-year-old Los Angeles icon, scheduled to perform at the Golden State Theatre on Oct. 5. “The microphone shocked me so hard, I thought I had been blown up. It was wild.”

Rollins began his stage career in the early 1980s as a musician, notably for the Los Angeles-based punk band Black Flag and, later, the Rollins Band. By 1985, however, Rollins found a new stride using a different approach: spoken word.

“The [speaking] tours all have a through-line if you will, a common thread, and that is what I’ve been up to since I last engaged with the audience,” Rollins says. “Gathering material for this tour was far more challenging than it had been before and made me have to dig deeper, which actually made for some interesting stories and perhaps a different set than I’ve done before.”

For over four decades, Rollins has perfected a raconteur’s voice that balances humor and intense emotion with an elegant clarity of thought. By his own estimates, he has performed over 3,000 times, yielding nearly 20 spoken word albums. Still, this has not limited the Grammy Award-winner from publishing memoirs, writing essays, reviews and opinion columns, acting in film and television, and – for the past two decades – hosting a popular weekly radio show for Santa Monica’s NPR member station, KCRW.

“It’s an attempt at fidelity,” he says, of the radio show.

Rollins is explicit about what gives him concern and what keeps him hopeful. “I am inspired by young people,” he says. “I am no longer young and see them as a distinctly different entity than myself, almost a different species. I’m not saying I reject or look down on them at all, quite the opposite. I’m interested in seeing what they will do with the baton they’ve been handed. My opinion is they’re going to get it right.”

So, what else might you want to know from someone who has spent four decades telling people exactly how he feels?

“I will be onstage talking at a high rate of speed without notes or a bottle of water. Always be compelling is the rule. I do my best.”

HENRY ROLLINS: GOOD TO SEE YOU TOUR 7:30pm Wednesday, Oct. 5. Golden State Theatre, 417 Alvarado St., Monterey. $25-$40. 649-1070, goldenstatetheatre.com