Culture / Music / Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers visit The Pageant

Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers visit The Pageant

It’s hard to find anyone who’s a bigger fan of his bandmates than comedian Bill Murray.

by Carrie Zukoski April 13, 2025 at 9:51 PM April 14, 2025

Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers perform at The Pageant on April 12, 2025.

The excitement was palpable at The Pageant Saturday night. Fans packed into the sold-out concert to see none other than Bill Murray—yes, the award-winning actor, comedian, and writer—but he wasn’t there to perform stand-up or tell stories from decades in Hollywood. He was there with his band, Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers.

According to American Blues Scene, the collaboration began with a charity event jam. “Mike and I are close friends with Bill’s brother, John,” Albert Castiglia told ABS. ‘We met John through [fellow Gulf Coast Records label mate] Chris ‘Bad News’ Barnes. John told Bill about the Blood Brothers, and that prompted an invitation to play a show at The Murray Brothers annual Caddyshack Golf Tournament in St. Augustine, Florida. Bill sang five songs with the band that night. It was surreal to share the stage with such an icon, but he carried himself onstage like he was just one of the guys; so much fun. Bill had such a good time that he reached out to Mike and told him he wanted to do shows with us. The rest is history!’”

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Prior to Murray and the band’s performance, comedian and musician Dave Hill opened with 40 minutes of dry, droll, self-deprecating humor, including a series of pick-up lines that will “only work in St. Louis.” He put them to music and ripped through references to Mid Rivers Mall, MetroBus, and various municipalities.

When Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers began a bit past 9 p.m., the room swelled with anticipation, as well as some confusion. Where was Murray? He finally appeared on stage for the second song, albeit at the back of the stage to play bongos on one of the few originals of the night, the rocking, bluesy, “Bad News Travels Fast.”

READ MORE: The big St. Louis concert list

It did not take long before Murray found his way to the front of the stage to sing vocals on songs such as a cover of The Kinks’ “Tired of Waiting for You.” It was obvious that Murray took his role as a musician (which included the shaker, tambourine, bongos, and the like) seriously; it was also obvious that he’s not going to win any awards for his vocal talent. But that’s not what this night was about. It was about having fun. It took a minute for Murray to loosen up, but once he did, he was all smiles. Fans could tell he and the rest of the ensemble on stage were enjoying themselves, and their good vibes spread throughout the packed venue.

When Murray isn’t at the helm, The Blood Brothers are fronted by St. Louisan Mike Zito and New Yorker Albert Castiglia, both long-time blues musicians. Jimmy Vivino, best known as the leader of the house band on Conan, was on hand as well, and during the nearly two-hour concert talked briefly about Johnnie Johnson before the band covered St. Louis Jimmy Oden’s blues standard “Goin’ Down Slow.” The group also gave a nod to another St. Louis legend, Chuck Berry, when they covered “Johnny B. Goode.”

One of the few times Murray spoke, he prefaced, “The arrangement of this song is what made me want to play with this band,” before they slid into a stripped-down cover of Prince’s “Little Red Corvette.” His respect for the band and their talent came through throughout the evening. Zito, Castiglia, Vivino, and the rest of the crew were clearly the true musicians of the night, with Murray there as a devoted fan on stage, given side parts to perform and the occasional lead on vocals. All the same, it was a night for the books for the devoted Bill Murray fans. For those who came to hear the blues, we suggest catching Zito’s solo show on May 24 at Old Rock House.

For more photos from the night, visit bit.ly/BillMurrayBB25cz

Live Music Photography The Pageant