Austin Comedian William Montgomery Faces Boos and Walkouts After Abrupt Set at the Still Standing Comedy Festival
Austin’s comedy scene witnessed an unexpected moment this weekend when William Montgomery, well-known for being a regular on the comedy podcast Kill Tony, was booed off stage during his performance at the Still Standing Comedy Festival at the Far Out Lounge in South Austin. The incident unfolded on Saturday night and quickly became a talking point among comedy fans both locally and online.
Montgomery was scheduled for a 30-minute set but ended up performing for only about 15 minutes before the audience reaction forced an early exit. His material leaned heavily into dark, death-related humor, which did not sit well with the crowd. One of the most criticized jokes of the night was when he shouted: “Paul Walker? More like Paul Crasher!”, referring to the late Fast & Furious actor’s fatal accident. The punchline was met with near-silence, followed by audible displeasure.
The festival itself, hosted at the open-air Far Out Lounge (visit the venue at their official site here), is known for its multi-stage, music-festival-style setup—an environment where audiences tend to roam, react, and respond freely. On this night, that audience didn’t hold back. The boos grew louder as Montgomery continued escalating the tone of his jokes. According to audience members who posted online, several people began walking out, while others voiced remarks encouraging him to wrap up.
Montgomery attempted to push through, even engaging hecklers directly. At one point, reacting to the crowd’s disapproval, he reportedly shouted variations of aggressive retorts, including questioning whether the room was filled with “Paul Walker fans”. Additional clips shared on social platforms showed him responding sharply to heckles before ultimately accepting defeat.
Some audience-recorded videos making the rounds online depict comments such as “throw a tomato!”, adding to the tense and uncomfortable atmosphere. These clips circulated widely on platforms like Reddit’s r/KillTony, where viewers described the experience as “cringey” and much worse in person than the short online snippets captured.
Other reports from attendees mentioned additional dark jokes during the set, including ones referencing other celebrity deaths, and remarks directed at individual audience members. While his comedic style has often leaned toward shock humor, many fans felt this particular performance missed its mark entirely, especially in a setting not tailored to his usual fast-paced, one-minute-style delivery familiar from Kill Tony. (Learn more about the festival lineup through this external event page here).
As the set reached its breaking point, Montgomery paused, collected himself, and ended with a surprisingly calm sign-off: “Austin, it has been a wonderful pleasure. Thank you so much.” He then walked off stage to a mix of boos, chatter, and confusion.
Currently, William Montgomery has not made any public statement addressing what happened that night. The festival organizers and the venue have also not released comments regarding the incident. Whether this moment affects Montgomery’s future bookings or reputation within the Austin comedy circuit—especially as a regular performer at Joe Rogan’s Comedy Mothership—remains to be seen.
For now, the episode stands as one of the more talked-about comedy-night meltdowns in recent Austin memory, fueled by firsthand accounts, video clips, and online discussions that continue to unfold.
