Classic Rock 93.9

The late Andy Warhol‘s digital portrait of Blondie’s Debbie Harry is about to go up for sale, the New York Post reports.

Warhol created the portrait in 1985 as part of his gig as brand ambassador for the Commodore tech company. During a promotion at Lincoln Center in New York, he created several digital portraits using an Amiga 1000 home computer, which the Warhol museum says he had originally planned to distribute but never did. 

Harry revealed in her 2019 memoir that two of her portraits were printed out, one of which she owns. The other, according to the Post, was gifted to Commodore digital technician Jeff Bruette, who taught Warhol how to use the computer.

Bruette, who has had the portrait in his Delaware home for the past 40 years, is now planning a private sale of the artwork, along with a Warhol autographed Amiga disc that includes 10 digital files, and it is expected to go for millions.

“From rural Delaware, where I live, to Hollywood … Even people who knew Andy made the portrait have only ever seen a photograph of it in a magazine or online,” he says. “I thought it was time the world got to interact with this extraordinary artwork the way it was meant to be experienced.”

As for why he’s selling, he shares, “Parting with this collection now gives me the chance to help find it the right home. And, to be honest, could make retirement just a little bit more comfortable.”

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Live performances from one of Fleetwood Mac’s classic tours are set to be released as part of a new live compilation album.

Mirage Tour ’82, dropping Sept. 20, will feature recordings from the band’s two sold out shows at The Forum in Los Angeles, during their 1982 Mirage Tour. The two shows happened October 21 and 22, and featured the classic Fleetwood Mac lineup of Mick Fleetwood, John McVie, Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks.

The album contains 22 live recordings, with six songs from the Oct. 21 show that have never been released before, including performances of “Don’t Stop” and “Landslide.” The rest of the album features songs from the Oct. 22 show that have been part of previous releases.

And Fleetwood Mac fans are getting their first preview of the record with the previously unreleased live performance of “Don’t Stop,” which is now available via digital outlets.

Mirage Tour ’82 will be released digitally, and as a three-LP and two-CD set. All formats are available for preorder now.

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Sonic Youth was a big influence on Nirvana, and now Dave Grohl is following in the dancing footsteps of Kim Gordon.

After Gordon posted a video of her doing the viral “Apple” dance, inspired by a song off Charli XCX‘s hit album, brat, the Foo Fighters frontman has put his spin on it in a video alongside his daughter Harper.

You can watch the video now via Harper’s TikTok, which is tagged #davgrogbrattttt.

Grohl’s brat summer continues with Foo Fighters’ U.S. stadium tour, which stretches into mid-August.

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Three of Pat Benatar’s classic albums are set to be reissued on vinyl this fall.

The three records –  1979’s In The Heat of the Night, 1980’s Crimes of Passion and 1981’s Precious Time – will be available starting Sept. 13 in limited edition configurations.

In The Heat of the Night, with the classic tunes “Heartbreaker” and “I Need a Lover,” will be released on both black and tangerine vinyl. Crimes of Passion, featuring the smash “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” and “Treat Me Right,” will be released on black and opaque magenta vinyl. Precious Times, with “Fire and Ice” and “Promises in the Dark,” will be out in black and opaque fruit punch vinyl. 

“We know how much you’ve wanted reissues of the early records on vinyl,” Benatar and her husband and musical partner Neil Giraldo share. “Finally, here they are! Happy listening, enjoy!”

All three albums are available for preorder now. 

Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo are currently on tour and will play Denver on Tuesday, July 30. A complete list of dates can be found at benatargiraldo.com.

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On This Day, July 30, 2003…

The Rolling Stones, Rush, AC/DC and The Guess Who were among the artists who headlined the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto concert, also known as SARSStock.

The concert was put together in the wake of Toronto’s SARS outbreaks earlier in the year, with The Stones suggesting the show as a way to revive the economy.

The concert, held at Downsview Park in northern Toronto, was attended by somewhere between 450,000 to 500,000 people, making it the largest outdoor ticketed event ever in Canada.

Justin Timberlake was also on the bill, and while he was booed by the audience during his set, he later returned to perform with The Stones, with him and Mick Jagger teaming for The Stones’ “Miss You” and Timberlake’s “Cry Me a River.”

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The musical career of The Band’s Robbie Robertson will be celebrated with an all-star concert taking place this fall. 

Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson, co-produced by Robertson’s longtime friend and collaborator Martin Scorsese, will take place Oct. 17 at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles. It will feature a lineup that includes Eric Clapton, Van Morrison, Elvis Costello, Mike Campbell and Benmont Tench of Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Bruce Hornsby and Warren Haynes.

Other artists set to celebrate Robertson, who passed away Aug. 9, 2023, include Bobby Weir, Trey Anastasio, Noah Kahan, Jim James, Daniel Lanois, Mavis Staples, Don Was, Eric Church, Jamey Johnson, Lucinda Williams, Margo Price and more.

The venue holds particular significance in Robertson’s career. It was 50 years ago that Bob Dylan and The Band wrapped their famed reunion tour at The Forum. The trek marked Dylan’s return to the road after eight years,  and his first tour with The Band since 1966. It was documented on the live album album Before the Flood. 

Tickets for Life Is a Carnival: A Musical Celebration of Robbie Robertson go on sale to the general public August 2 at 10 a.m PT. More info, including a complete lineup can be found at RobbieCelebration.com.

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A street in Chicago is getting a new honorary name in tribute to late audio engineer Steve Albini.

An ordinance signed by Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Ross declares that the 2600-2700 block of West Belmont Avenue will be deemed Steve Albini Way, which encompasses Albini’s Chicago studio, Electrical Audio.

Albini’s label, Touch and Go Records, posted the ordinance on Instagram.

Albini, known for his work on Nirvana‘s In Utero and with bands including Pixies, The Breeders, PJ Harvey and Bush, died in May at age 61. Following his passing, Nirvana posted the letter Albini sent them ahead of working together.

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Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band just finished wowing stadiums all over Europe and will soon be doing the same in the U.S. But even though they play to thousands of fans when they hit the stage, guitarist Stevie Van Zandt says their approach to playing live is much smaller.

“We come from the bars and clubs. We were a dance band, and I think that’s a critical factor,” he tells The Telegraph. “The idea was to get people hot and bothered and wanting to drink more. And that requires a bit of extra energy, all right? To pull people out of their chairs and make them dance is different than playing a concert where everybody’s sitting down.”

He adds, “We just ignore the size of the venue and treat it like a club.”

Springsteen and the band have dates confirmed through 2025. But with Bruce turning 75 in September, people are always wondering if this will be the last tour. And it seems Van Zandt doesn’t really know the answer. 

“You never know,” says Van Zandt. “I mean, we treat every show like it could be the last show, and we’ve been doing that for 50 years.” 

“But the audience is still there, and we can see them getting younger every year. I don’t see the end anywhere in sight, to be honest,” he adds. “I love that The Stones are still out there. Because as long as they’re out there, man, we’re still the new kids on the block, right? So I’m good with that.”

Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band launch the next U.S. leg of their tour on Aug. 15. A complete list of dates can be found at brucespringsteen.net.

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Mickey Hart is giving fans a chance to own a piece of his artwork. 

The Grateful Dead drummer has launched a new online auction with Terrapin Station Entertainment, which includes artwork that’s part of Mickey Hart’s Art at the Edge of Magic exhibit currently on display at the Venetian in Las Vegas in connection with Dead & Company’s Dead Forever residency at the Sphere. 

The auction, which launched July 29 and runs through Aug. 3, features four acrylic paintings: “Da Bolt,” “Da Blues,” “Smokin’ Rhythm” and “Token Rhythm.” Starting bids for the pieces run from $10,000 to $12,500. 

More information on the auction can be found at edgeofmagicauction.com. The Art at the Edge of Magic exhibit is scheduled to close Aug 11.

Dead & Company has six more shows in their Dead Forever residency. Their next show is Aug. 1, with the last happening Aug. 10. A complete list of dates can be found a deadandcompany.com.

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Ozzy Osbourne is sorry for what he said about Britney Spears.

For those unaware, the Prince of Darkness drew the ire of the pop star when he commented on her dancing posts on social media. Speaking on an episode of The Osbournes Podcast, which he hosts alongside his wife, Sharon, and their children Kelly and Jack, Ozzy said he was “fed up with seeing poor old Britney Spears [dancing].”

Kelly added that she “feel[s] so sorry” for Spears, while Sharon called her a “poor little thing.” Britney then responded by calling the Osbournes “the most boring family known to mankind” and said that they should “kindly f*** off.”

Now, Ozzy is offering an apology to Britney. In an Instagram post featuring a clip from The Osbournes Podcast, the “Crazy Train” rocker says, “Britney, I really owe you an apology. I’m so sorry for making that comment.”

“However,” he continues. “It would be better if you didn’t do the same f****** dance every day. Change a few movements!”

Kelly made a more unconditional apology, declaring, “Britney, never stop dancing, I love your dancing, it makes you happy and I’m so sorry if any of us offended you.”

“I love Britney Spears!” Ozzy adds. “But it’s the same dance every day.”

Kelly then corrects him, saying, “No, sometimes she has knives.”

“I really do apologize,” Ozzy concludes. “I love you and I think you’re beautiful.”

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