Bill Murray, comedy great and wise guy of the century, was almost a doctor. True story: a young Murray was on a pre-med track at Regis University, right up until he was caught packing 10 pounds of pot at an airport, and dropped out of school before the powers that be had the chance to expel him. The arrest sent him home to Chicago and into the kooky realm of comedy. One iconic “Saturday Night Live” stint and countless films and classic lines later — “back off man, I’m a scientist” comes to mind — and it’s apparent that his impromptu career change panned out just fine.
But Murray would have been just as well-served to pivot to a different sector of the entertainment industry, as his show at Boston’s House of Blues demonstrated Thursday night. On tour as Bill Murray & His Blood Brothers, the 75-year-old actor and his band skillfully stormed through a selection of covers, seemingly for no other reason than a love of their craft.
From left: Albert Castiglia, Mike Zito, Bill Murray, and Jimmy Vivino.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe
On the band’s website, Murray’s billed as the group’s lead singer, and his flair for the dramatic serves him well as a shimmying, shuddering frontman. But if someone at the House of Blues were none the wiser about the older gentleman in the beanie and button-up shirt, he’d seem like an unassuming bandmate who was content to cede center stage for half of the performance. Of the evening’s 12 songs, Murray only took the lead on half of them, and otherwise happily cycled through instruments at a percussion station of sorts, complete with chimes, a cowbell, a shaker, a pair of congas, and a mic for backing vocals.
He didn’t even approach the front of the stage to sing lead until the third song, Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London,” a pick that allowed Murray to ham up the chorus’ howls. Whenever he took a back seat and returned to his instruments, Murray’s core bandmates — guitarists Mike Zito, Albert Castiglia, and Jimmy Vivino— took the lead for blues-soaked covers of song such as Prince’s “Little Red Corvette,” plus an original by Zito and Castiglia called “In My Soul.”
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The only guests who were likely to have walked away disappointed Thursday night were those who thought they’d bought tickets to a novelty act in the vein of Murray’s SNL character Nick the Lounge Singer. Ever the entertainer, the actor didn’t shy away from his fine-tuned ability to warp his face and voice, but Murray wasn’t kidding around.
“I love your city,” he told the crowd. “I’ve been here a lot of times. I’ve made a lot of friends. Some are here tonight, some are gone. We’re gonna play tonight for the ones that are gone, OK?”
Bill Murray sang lead vocals for half of Thursday night’s performance at the House of Blues.Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe
When Murray sang “Like A Rolling Stone,” he didn’t ask “how does it feel?”, he bellowed it, arguably with more conviction than the original. His exuberant rendition of Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309 / Jenny,” which felt like a shared karaoke session between Murray and the equally eager crowd, warranted a quick spin from the House of Blues’s disco ball, as did a cover of the Stephen Stills song “Love the One You’re With” that tapped in Cape Ann musician Juliet Hawkins as a singing partner.
If that sounds like a celebrity seeking a quick check, or a restless actor desperate to branch out, I’d advise you to buy a ticket, see for yourself, and back off, man.
This guy’s a musician.
BILL MURRAY & HIS BLOOD BROTHERS
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With the Jimmy Carpenter Band. At the House of Blues, Thursday
Victoria Wasylak can be reached at victoria.wasylak@globe.com. Follow her on Bluesky at VickiWasylak.bsky.social.
Verizon Fios announced Saturday that Cox Media Group stations including WFXT-TV (Channel 25) would return to Fios TV after a nearly two-month dispute that left local viewers without access to Fox broadcasts including some Patriots games.
The dispute, which began Dec. 15, left Boston and Providence Fios customer without the channel Boston 25 (WXFT), a Fox affiliate. Subscribers in Pittsburgh lost access to WPXI-TV, an NBC affiliate. Verizon had accused Cox Media of demanding high fees to carry the channel, while Cox Media alleged Verizon had rejected what it viewed as fair offers.
The now-settled conflict is just the latest in a fragmented media landscape that frequently leaves viewers without certain channels, events, and shows, often leading audiences to scramble for access through other streaming services.
“We’re thrilled that Verizon Fios customers in Boston and Providence can once again enjoy Boston 25,” said Todd Brown, vice president and general manager of Boston 25, in a statement. “This agreement reflects the value of Boston 25 and our important local news, weather, traffic, investigative journalism, and sports our viewers count on, along with the shows they love.”
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Boston 25 had previously urged customers to call Verizon and demand an end to the dispute, a campaign that included posting Verizon’s corporate phone number on social media and on the news outlet’s homepage.
A month into the dispute, Verizon offered $10.99 in credits to Fios customers who were affected the blackout to cover the costs of other platforms. A Verizon spokesperson said that customers could not longer request the credits now that the provider and Cox Media have settled their dispute.
“We sincerely appreciate our customers’ patience during these negotiations,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “Our goal as always, is to provide great content at a fair value, and we look forward to continuing to serve our communities with the local news and entertainment they rely on.”
Aidan Ryan can be reached at aidan.ryan@globe.com. Follow him @aidanfitzryan.
Your Pats, who had won 16 out of 17 and not lost by more than 7 points all season, were shocked and awed Sunday by the Seattle Seahawks, losing Super Bowl LX, 29-13, at Levi’s Stadium. This wasn’t Bears, 46-10, like in New Orleans in 1986, but there were times it felt just as feeble. The Patriots were demolished and became the first team to lose six Super Bowls.
It was Starbucks over Dunks. By a lot.
“We had a really good year, one that I’m proud of,” said Patriots coach Mike Vrabel. “This game isn’t a reflection of our year. They [Seattle] are a good football team. I hope we’re able to learn from this. We understand how hard it is to get here.”
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The offense in the first three quarters was historically bad. New England punted on its first eight full possessions, then fumbled on the ninth and trailed, 19-0, four plays into the fourth quarter. The Patriots became the first team in 51 years to fail to score in the first three quarters of a Super Bowl.
There was little to celebrate on the New England sideline most of the night.Stan Grossfeld/Globe Staff
The dam burst at the end of the third when poor Drake Maye (two interceptions, a lost fumble, six sacks) gave the Seahawks possession on the New England 37. Less then two minutes later, Sam Darnold badly burned Patriots linebacker Jack Gibbens for a 16-yard touchdown pass. The rest of the game was for bettors only, the lowlight coming when a shirtless fan streaked across the field, avoided security, and was chased down by Patriot speedster Kyle Williams.
So much for New England’s Cinderella story. The clock ran out. The slipper wouldn’t fit. The charming narrative of the plucky Patriots, who vaulted from 4-13 all the way to the Super Bowl, can never be diminished. But it ended badly, and there will ever be suspicion that the Fortunate Sons of Vrabel merely took advantage of one of the easiest schedules in league history — the Pats played 11 games against teams who fired their coaches, plus the Jets twice — then got hot in the playoffs and advanced because of their place in the NFL’s weaker conference.
It was certainly a tough Super Bowl week for longtime Patriot owner, Robert Kraft. MAGA-Bob had his name leaked in the Epstein files, was again snubbed in his quest for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, and Saturday was trolled at the Duke-UNC hoop game by Bill Belichick’s 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson with an Orchids of Asia T-shirt — the Florida spa where Kraft was charged with solicitation of prostitution in 2019. (Charges were dropped.)
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And then this dismal game. The only way Kraft’s week could have gotten worse would be a second viewing of “Melania.”
Super Bowl LX was a rematch of Super Bowl XLIX in Arizona 11 years ago — a game won when Seattle coach Pete Carroll failed to give the ball to Marshawn Lynch on the 1-yard line. (Thanks, Malcolm Butler!) It was the worst Seattle sports moment since they lost the Sonics.
This time around, the Pats were 4½-point underdogs against a dominant Seattle team that won eight games by at least two touchdowns and compiled the league’s largest point differential. The Seahawks did not commit a single postseason turnover.
Underdog status was nothing new to your 2025-26 Pats, who ran through a raft of Tomato Cans to go 14-3, followed by impressive playoff wins against the Chargers, Texans, and Broncos. It all vaulted the Patriots to their 12th Super Bowl, four more than any other NFL team.
Maye had never played in a Super Bowl, nor set foot on Levi’s Stadium’s real grass surface, but he attended Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara with his dad when he was 13 years old in 2016. A Charlotte native, The Drake grew up rooting for the Panthers and his dad brought him to Carolina’s 24-10 loss to the Broncos.
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“It’s a full-circle moment,” Maye said after the Pats checked into their Santa Clara hotel last Sunday. “I think that’s the biggest thing. I’m just so thankful for my dad to be able to take me to a Super Bowl. I don’t take that for granted; not every kid gets to experience that. I was able to watch my favorite team at the time and I got to see Peyton Manning’s last game — what a cool experience that was. And now, to be here and playing in one for myself, I don’t take that for granted.”
Maye was the NFL’s MVP runner-up in 2025, throwing 31 touchdown passes with only eight interceptions, running for 450 yards, and completing a whopping 72 percent of his passes. Playoff Drake was not the same player. Competing against four of the NFL’s top six defenses, Maye’s completion percentage dipped to 58, he was sacked a postseason-record 21 times, intercepted four times, and lost four fumbles.
Don’t let Maye’s Super Bowl stats (27 for 43, 295 yards, two touchdowns) deceive you. The Drake couldn’t do anything when it mattered Sunday and much of it was not his fault. His offensive line couldn’t handle the pressure.
“They played better than us tonight and they beat us,” said Maye. “They brought pressure and got us a few times. There were times I could have made a better throw or a better decision. It comes down to who makes the play and they made more than we did.”
After so much success in their first season as a pairing, Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye’s Patriots were flattened one win short of a title.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
It was 67 degrees and sunny at kickoff in this rare outdoor NFL championship event. San Francisco legend Joe Montana flipped the coin, Seattle lost the toss, and the Patriots — just like in the old days — deferred. Butler was the official ringer of the bell for the Pats before Andy Borregales kicked off.
Seattle allowed the fewest points in the NFL this year and gave a great demonstration of its prowess. New England’s defense played well for most of the night, holding the Seahawks to four field goals in the first three quarters, but it became too hard when Maye started turning the ball over.
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The blowout will reinforce the notion that the Seattle-Rams NFC Championship game was the de-facto Super Bowl of 2026. Maybe so, but that shouldn’t take away from the magic ride that got the Patriots to Super Bowl LX.
Remember this team fondly. Just try not to think about the last game.
It was bad.
Head coach Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, and other Patriots speak after losing Super Bowl LX to the Seahawks.
Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at daniel.shaughnessy@globe.com. Follow him @dan_shaughnessy.
It’s a Super Sunday as we anxiously await the results of the Super Bowl. For anyone headed to a watch party, make sure you’re bundled up.
The wicked cold is locked in across the Northeast thanks to a piece of the polar vortex moving in and we’re north of a big dip in the jet stream.
By total contrast, out west, California continues to see pleasant weather, south of a jet stream and ridging, and therefore temps are in the 60s for Super Bowl Sunday. Game time and throughout will be comparatively sweaty, with temps in the low to mid 60s through halftime under a partly cloudy sky.
Our cold temps and wind chills relax slightly by Sunday night, though we still will see lows near zero and wind chills -10 for Monday morning.
By late Monday, highs reach the mid 20s with some sunshine. Make sure you have your sunglasses, as the sun reflects right off the bright snowpack, making it extra bright when driving.
A quick clipper system moves across the Northeast Tuesday night and brings us a quick chance for light snow into Wednesday morning.
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Far in the southern reaches of New England, temps boost to the 30s, while northern New England is still stuck in the colder airmass. The jet stream positions itself over Boston and we are quite literally in between the colder air and milder air.
We’re hoping the pattern shifts more northward; if so, that allows our temps to be in the mid to upper 30s Wednesday through Friday.
There are no major storm systems for next week as milder temps look to stay for Valentine’s Day, too.
