Bill Murray Is Coming to Portland...to Play Music

Please, hold your requests for the "Star Wars" theme.

Bill Murray at San Diego Comic Con in 2015. IMAGE: Gage Skidmore.

Update, 11:20 am, 6/7/17: According to representatives from Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, the date circulating for the Portland show is incorrect. The correct date is still TBA.

Update, 12:32 pm, 6/7/17: The correct date of the concert is Nov. 28. Tickets will go on sale through the Oregon Symphony in July. 

There is perhaps no person Portland loves more than Bill Murray. The canonized actor, comedian and professional louche is worshipped with an almost performative enthusiasm in most corners of the world, but those other places probably don't have a seafood restaurant themed in his honor, now do they?

Well, gird yourself, Murrayites, for your hangdog saint is coming to town in November…to play a concert.

That's right. Not long ago, Murray announced the release of his debut album, an excursion into classical music called New Worlds. Set for release in September, it'll feature a mix of standards and literary readings, including a West Side Story medley. C'mon, you know you wanna hear the guy who sang "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the style of Daffy Duck during the World Series take a shot at "I Feel Pretty."

And to promote the album, Murray is actually going on tour. Backed by a cello-violin-piano trio, he will play the Schnitz on Nov. 29, Nov. 28. A few days ago, Murray gave a possible preview of what to expect at the Dresden Music Festival in Germany, where he performed music from New Worlds and covered Van Morrison's "When Will I Ever Learn to Live in God?"

Unglaublich! 🎼❤️ #billmurray #vanmorrison #dresdnermusikfestspiele #kulturpalastdresden

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Sadly, neither "More Than This" nor "Theme from Star Wars" turned up in the set, but hey, there's still time to add it to the repertoire between now and November!

Ticket sales have not yet been announced.

Matthew Singer

A native Southern Californian, former Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer ruined Portland by coming here in 2008. He is an advocate for the canonization of the Fishbone and Oingo Boingo discographies, believes pro-wrestling is a serious art form and roots for the Lakers. Fortunately, he left Portland for Tucson, Arizona, in 2021.

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