Police Toss Bill Murray and Partying Pals Off River Bridge at SXSW

The headline is true. But since Spinner isn't the National Enquirer, here's more accurate verbiage: Police politely ejected Bill Murray and approximately 175 others from an unauthorized SXSW tradition, the always illegal, late-night music on the pedestrian bridge crossing the river in Austin. Murray joked briefly with police before vanishing, leaving a trail of murmured comments, "That was Bill Murray, yes, the Bill Murray ..." in his path on the dimly lit bridge.

The city council will never issue an outdoor music permit here because people could fall into the water too easily (and a few have jumped), a police officer said.

The small crowd made it easy for police end the performance by punk drum-and-bass band Mount Righteous. At previous parties, bands such as the Thee Oh Sees and F----- Up packed the bridge for hours.


Dean Carrell is a contributor from Seed.com.