Bill Murray Talks Crazy Music Industry Legends, Shooting in Morocco
Bill Murray welcomed Jimmy Kimmel back to Brooklyn — where he’ll be taping Jimmy Kimmel Live! all week — on Monday with tales of baseball, outrageous music industry legends and filming his new film, Rock the Kasbah, in Morocco.
After arriving on horseback during Kimmel’s Austin stand, Murray outdid himself in Brooklyn, taking the stage of the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House with a gaudy gold outfit and outlandish makeup. It gave his musings about his struggling Chicago Cubs an extra dramatic flare, but it seemed totally normal by the time he started discussing storied music promoters Ron Delsener and Bill Graham, who inspired his character in the new movie, Rock the Kasbah.
“I saw both these guys at the peak of their insanity and they were fun to watch,” Murray said, adding: “Ron Delsener is just the craziest Jewish guy, who is nutty as hell and says insane things that you think he would go to jail for — and he doesn’t, cause he’s so funny … He’s just the craziest promoter and has seen more weird stuff [than anybody].”
Murray also had praise for Morocco, where he shot Rock the Kasbah, about a washed-up manager who gets stranded in Afghanistan and guides a talented singer through the competition Afghan Star. Murray lauded the citizenry (who didn’t recognize him) and recommended the “entry level Africa” country for cowards like himself — he also qualified the travel tip with, “I’m receiving nothing for that.”
Befitting Kimmel‘s temporary home, Murray also spoke about coming to New York City for the first time in the Seventies. The actor recalled the ridiculous story behind an equally absurd photo of himself, exposing his stomach with a weird face painted on it to fellow Saturday Night Live stars Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin.
New Yorker Ryan Adams also welcomed the Los Angeles-based show with a cover of Taylor Swift‘s “Welcome to New York.” As the first musical guest for Kimmel’s Brooklyn residency, Adams unleashed his Replacements-fueled rendition of Taylor Swift‘s 1989 opening track.