Saturday concertgoers saw Bill Murray in a whole new light when the award-winning comedic actor performed with the blues duo the Blood Brothers at the Pageant.
Advertised as “Bill Murray and his Blood Brothers,†fans flooded the venue for the sold-out show to see the “Groundhog Day†actor. However, the names on the marquee should’ve been reversed, considering the Blood Brothers and their accompanying band stole the show.
The Blood Brothers — which includes guitarist Albert Castiglia and guitarist and ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ native Mike Zito — delivered with precision and excitement from beginning to end. Aside from a handful of Blood Brothers originals like “Hey Sweet Mama,†the band spent nearly two hours diving into everything from Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode†to Bob Dylan’s “Like a Rolling Stone.â€

Bill Murray holds the rod for a musical triangle in his mouth as he performs at the Pageant on Saturday, April 13, 2025. Murray is currently on tour with his band, Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers.
And then there was Murray.
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Perhaps this is an epic side quest for the Emmy and Golden Globe-winning actor. He spent most of his time on stage moving aimlessly, snapping his fingers and thrusting his fist across his torso, smiling with excitement. At times, Murray would choose from an array of random instruments toward the back of the stage, playing the bongos, the cowbell and even the tambourine on songs like “Little Red Corvette.â€
It felt like Murray was a die-hard fan invited to perform with his favorite band, occasionally popping in to sing lead vocals with Zito and Castiglia while mostly serving as the band’s personal hype man.
Murray sang lead on six songs, giving his best performance during Wilson Pickett’s “In the Midnight Hour.†Although he seemed unsure of himself at the start, Murray’s unique vocals lent a weathered and aged sound to that song and others he performed. There were hints of backwoods gospel rhythms in his voice and a twangy, passionate undertone hidden in his unseasoned performance.
While he brought high energy during “Like a Rolling Stone†and started off vocally strong on “Love the One You’re With,†Murray’s movements were awkward at times, and his voice crackled when excitement struck him while singing.
There were also moments he appeared to be confused about stage queues and seemed out of place when he wasn’t singing. While his vocals on “Catch Me If You Can†were sung passionately, he stood too far away from the microphone, making him hard to hear.

Bill Murray plays a tamborine on stage at the Pageant on Saturday, April 13, 2025. Murray is currently on tour with his band, Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers.
When he wasn’t behind the mic, Murray seemed to disappear despite still being on stage.
Still, it was great seeing Murray in his musical element. His broad smile and heartfelt cowbell playing made it clear the “Rushmore†star was having a good time.
But without the Blood Brothers, there wouldn’t have been a show.
And Murray was aware of that. He played at the back of the stage as Zito and Castiglia did what they do best, sending electric waves of blues rhythms through the crowd. It felt like a battle of the guitarists when the pair rocked out on “In My Soul.†The guitar riffs were climactic and attention-grabbing while their vocal harmonies blended perfectly.

Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia p;ay guitar together at the Pageant on Saturday, April 13, 2025. The two blues musicians are members of the band Bill Murray and His Blood Brothers.
Zito and Castiglia weren’t the only ones on stage Saturday night. Accompanying them were acclaimed guitarist and keys player Jimmy Vivino, who heads the house band on the late-night show “Conanâ€; keyboardist Lewis Stephens; drummers Ryan Hangen and Matt Johnson; bassist Scott Sutherland; saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter; and show host and accordion player Chris Barnes.
Together, the band formed a dynamic blues music revue with Murray serving as the special guest headliner. Vivino kept the tempo from his corner of the stage as he switched between the guitar and the organ. He also blessed the crowd with his brilliant vocals, taking center stage during “Shotgun†for melodic banter with saxophonist Carpenter, who transformed into the embodiment of soul music. It was a musical dance between seasoned professionals, a wild and complimentary battle between the woodwind and the strings.

Blues musician Mike Zito performs with Bill Murray and his Blood Brothers at the Pageant on Saturday, April 13, 2025. Famous actor Bill Murray formed the band with Zito and Albert Castiglia.
Zito, back in his hometown, was a star from the moment he hit the stage, raging on his guitar and delivering an intense vocal performance. His bluesy rendition of “Little Red Corvette†was emotional as he slowed it down and imbued it with a heartfelt rusticness. His falsetto echoed through the venue as he attempted Prince’s high note.
The highlight of the evening came when the band got down and funky during “Johnny B. Goode.†It was practically a rock ’n’ roll tutorial with opening act Dave Hill joining the the band on stage for a four-man guitar rodeo between him, Castiglia, Zito and Vivino. Each musician took turns riffing on the strings and sending the audience into a frenzy.
As guitar madness ensued center stage, Murray lingered toward the back near bongos clanging together two hand tambourines.
Before rocking out with the Blood Brothers during their set, Hill had opened the show with a few cool guitar riffs and a slew of unfunny jokes.
Although audio issues persisted throughout the evening, with the instruments drowning out the lead vocals, the encore performance brought the clearest vocals of the night with Murray and the band performing “Tell the Truth,†“Get Together†and “Love the One You’re With.â€
At the end of the night, it was evident the audience had a front-row seat to Murray living out one of his dreams with the Blood Brothers as the perfect soundtrack.
If you came of age in the pre-streaming era of the '90s, you remember having to buy your CDs from stores. Or, maybe you took advantage of the Columbia House music club and its eight-CDs-for-a-penny deal, a discount that was too good to be true. How could they sell products for next to nothing and still make a profit?