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Quick Takes: The Grateful Dead, Brian May & Tony Iommi, Elvis Costello, The Go-Go’s, Alice Cooper, Mike Love

By Music News Jul 12, 2020 | 8:00 PM
  • Coming on August 4th from Z2 comics is a graphic novel chronicling the formative days of the Grateful Dead. The book, which will feature a previously unreleased 1968 performance of “St. Stephen,” was written by Chris Miskiewicz and illustrated by Noah Van Sciver. Among the infamous stories depicted in the comic will be the time the band spike the audience with LSD during their 1969 performance on TV's Playboy After Dark. (Rolling Stone)
  • During a chat with Total Guitar, Brian May was asked if any of his long-unreleased collaborations with Black Sabbath's Tony Iommi would ever see the light of day. The Queen guitarist said, “I think there is a chance. . . He is really my dearest friend in the business and has been for so many years. I could write books about Tony because he’s just the most. . . I don’t even know how to put it into words. . . He is the father of heavy metal. He did that. He made that happen. And it’s from his fingers and his mind. That young ex-welder, he made that happen. So, you know, he forever wears that medal, I think. He founded this stuff, heavy metal, in my opinion.” (Total Guitar)
  • A month after releasing his “No Flag” track, Elvis Costello has issued yet another new song, titled, “Hetty O’Hara Confidential,” along with a lyric video. The track, which features Costello on all the instruments, was recorded last winter just outside of Helsinki, Finland. Costello promises another new song to come on August 14th. (Press release)
  • On July 31st, the Go-Go’s will release their first new recording in nearly 20 years, called “Club Zero.” The track drops the day before their career-spanning, self-titled documentary premieres on Showtime on August 1st at 9 pm ET. (Press release)
  • Alice Cooper has announced his own official brand of chocolate milk. The legendary shock rocker posted on his Instagram page: “Attention chocolate milk lovers! Danzeisen dairy will be releasing this special edition Alice Cooper chocolate milk bottle at your retail grocer and for home delivery across Arizona. Available this fall. Proceeds will benefit FREE teen music, art and dance programs at (my charitable foundation) Solid Rock!”
  • The touring version of the Beach Boys — featuring Mike Love and Bruce Johnston — will perform at Lincoln, Nebraska's Pinewood Bowl on August 2nd, marking the city's first major concert for a paying audience since the pandemic hit.
  • Special precautions will be taken under a plan approved by the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department, which has pared down the crowd from 4,800 to 2,970 in an effort for social distancing, increasing the number of entrances, adding hand sanitizer dispensers around the venue, and extra portable restrooms.
    • The concert will be “conducted under ASM Global’s 'Venue Shield,' a set of best practices for safe preparation, cleaning, sanitizing and operating an event.'” (The Lincoln Journal Star)