There are concerts you look forward to, and then there are concerts that have been sitting on your bucket list for decades. For me, Danny Elfman was very much the latter. As a longtime Oingo Boingo fan, finally getting the chance to see Elfman bring those songs back to the stage felt almost surreal, especially considering that for years the answer to whether he would ever perform his old material again was essentially, “Never gonna happen.”
Photographs and review provided by Max Cross.
After Oingo Boingo’s final show at the Ritz Ballroom in Los Angeles, Elfman left his rock-and-roll days behind and somehow went on to build a career that would make the word “successful” feel like a serious understatement. From composing The Simpsons and Batman to The Nightmare Before Christmas, two Oscar nominations and countless awards for his film work, he had seemingly closed the book on his rock-and-roll past. Years of performing had also taken a serious toll on his hearing, making a return to the stage seem even less likely.
Then came Coachella 2022, Sick New World in 2024 as well as this year, leading to this current jaunt, his most ambitious tour since OIngo Boingo’s hey day.
So there I was on September 12 at MGM Music Hall at Fenway, watching Danny Elfman headline Boston for the first time ever headlining a solo rock show in this town. The fact that it happened on my birthday already made the night feel like fate. Getting approved to photograph it was the cherry on top.
And Elfman absolutely delivered.
He came out after a bit of atmospheric lead-in music, grabbed a pair of drumsticks and began pounding away in an almost tribal rhythm before launching into “Sorry.” From there, the set bounced between his newer Big Mess material and a generous collection of Oingo Boingo favorites, including “Insects,” “Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself),” “Just Another Day,” “Ain’t This the Life,” “On the Outside,” “Only a Lad,” “No One Lives Forever” and, finally, the song I had waited years to hear live, “Dead Man’s Party.”
The band accompanying him was every bit as impressive as the setlist: Josh Freese (What band hasn’t this guy played in by now?)handled the drums, joined by Matt McJunkins of A Perfect Circle on bass and guitarists Robin Finck of Nine Inch Nails and Nili Brosh of Dethklok (Yes, from that Cartoon Network show), as well as Irene Kim (his frequent musical director) on the keys. This was not some thrown-together nostalgia act. It was an absolutely stacked band, and they attacked the material with the same punk-rock energy that made Oingo Boingo so much fun in the first place.
Elfman’s Big Mess songs fit surprisingly well alongside the older material. Written and produced during the pandemic, songs like “Native Intelligence,” “True,” “Happy,” “Kick Me” and “Dance With the Lemurs” sounded wild, edgy and appeared to have complete command of his audience. There was a real sense that Elfman wasn’t simply dusting off an old catalog, but rather adding a new chapter to it.
Of course, Halloween is kind of a big deal around my house, so “This Is Halloween” was another major highlight. When he emerged in a Jack Skellington-esque jacket as spooky, colorful visuals from Nightmare Before Christmas filled the screen behind him. Definitely a highlight for all in attendance!
And then there was “Dead Man’s Party.” A song that has been part of my life for more than 20 years, including countless Halloween parties with my wife going all the way back to when we first met around Halloween. Hearing it live on stage, brought all the nostalgia I had hoped it would bring and more.
Also worth noting, for 73 (hell, by any means), Elfman looked remarkably fit, energetic and, frankly, pretty damn jacked. Covered with all of those almost tribal tattoos, his presence onstage was strong and commanding.
By the end of the night, after “No One Lives Forever” and an encore of “Who Do You Want to Be,” Elfman had made a pretty compelling argument that this chapter of his career still has some life left in it. He even mentioned that he hopes this won’t be the last time he brings this show to Boston, leaving the door open for whatever comes next.
Let’s hope Boston gets another invitation. After waiting this long to see Danny Elfman bring this music back to life, I think we’re all perfectly happy to keep the party going!
DANNY ELFMAN – WEBSITE – INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK – YOUTUBE – X
MGM MUSIC HALL AT FENWAY – WEBSITE – FACEBOOK – X – INSTAGRAM
MAX CROSS PHOTOGRAPHY – WEBSITE – INSTAGRAM
DANCE YOUR FACE OFF – WEBSITE – INSTAGRAM – FACEBOOK – X – YOUTUBE
