I’d forgotten until my friend told me that Danny Elfman‘s show at Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom was the first of his “rock show” tour. No orchestra, no choir, just him and a group of solid musicians.
Elfman started with “Sorry,” one of his recent tracks, and mixed up songs from multiple eras. After “Sorry,” he launched two Oingo Boingo tracks to send the crowd into a frenzy – “Insects” and “Nothing to Fear (but Fear Itself).”
Another Oingo Boing treat came after “Native Intelligence” when Elfman announced he hadn’t performed “Just Another Day” since 1994. He sounded great. More recent tracks came afterward with “Sayonara” and “Happy,” and also a brand new one called “Upside Down.”
The only song from his extensive film work he played was “This Is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. It was a pleasant surprise, as we didn’t expect any film music.
Another new one, “The River of Life,” came afterwards. It’s an interesting, slightly psychedelic track, making me want to seek out the new album. They played “Dead Man’s Party,” of course, which sounds weird without the Oingo Boingo horn section.
They closed with “No One Lives Forever,” another one that they’ve morphed into almost a metal track. The encore was “Who Do You Want to Be,” which almost blasted the back of the building into dust.
It was a fun show, full of memories and damn loud. Josh Freese on drums puts on a clinic with each song. Also, Elfman is ripped. He looks great. I hope I’m that fit in my seventies.
Everyone now wants a full Oingo Boingo reunion tour, of course. I somehow doubt it will happen, but this might be the closest we get.
Keep your mind open.
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