Blues aces Mike Zito and Albert Castiglia played two nights in Atlanta, delivering as fine a marriage of Strat and Les Paul as you’re likely to find. Of course, they weren’t the only ones playing—this was a full-on revue of favored blues rock songs. The ensemble included two drummers, bassist Scot Sutherland, keyboardist Lewis Stephens (from the Freddie King band), saxophonist Jimmy Carpenter, a Nashville harmonica player, and Jimmy Vivino, leader of the Conan house band and other late-night shows. And, yes, Bill Murray—whose presence has transformed the marketing of the endeavor into Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers.
Those expecting Murray to be front and center might be disappointed. However, if you go in expecting a great blues rock show, you’ll get exactly that—with Murray contributing as well. On this night, he sang five songs but largely stayed toward the back, playing bongos, a shaker, tambourine, and, wait for it… cowbell. There was no comedic angle to it—just Murray genuinely enjoying being part of the live music experience.
Standout songs included a slower, bluesy take on Little Red Corvette by Zito, about which Murray quipped, “He stole it from the other guy, but I like the way Mike does it better.” Tell the Truth by Derek and the Dominos was another highlight, possibly the best of the night, with Zito and Castiglia trading solos. Both guitarists were heavily featured throughout the concert, elevating songs with their solos and taking them to emotional heights, as great electric guitarists do.
For Murray’s part, Slow Down was particularly interesting. He delivered it with a spoken-word approach that made it uniquely his own. His (and the band’s) renditions of In the Midnight Hour and Like a Rolling Stone closed the set—both familiar yet fresh, enhanced by Murray’s clear enthusiasm for them. At the end, the entire stage lined up to take several bows as a group. I guess it humored me that Murray, located in the center, was the only member that kept his eyes on the audience as he bowed, smiling throughout.
Whether you were there for the love of music or in hopes of a celebrity sighting, this was a winning engagement. Interestingly, while merch sales had been slow the prior night, T-shirts sold out quickly on this evening. The band also offers custom posters for each tour date, making for a unique keepsake.
Setlist:
Encore:
2 Responses
This was such a fun show!! And to be in the same room as a living legend—wow! Thanks for sharing these gorgeous photos.
Saw a video of him singing “Like a Rolling Stone” from one of these tour shows. Not impressed. He was consistently off key….and his vocal quality is not very good. So, don’t go expecting anything better from him. Though, having heard Dylan twice about 15-20 years ago, this video was better than that.