Danny Elfman has spent decades making gorgeous monsters. At the Fillmore Silver Spring on Monday night, the iconic musician and composer proved (again!) there are few artists alive who can navigate punk, new wave, industrial rock, and cinematic grandeur simultaneously the way he does. In Elfman’s care, it’s all part of the same twisted, weird universe. What an honor to be able to cover this for The Vinyl District.
The Fillmore was packed, and I’ll admit I was a bit surprised by that, especially on a Monday night. I feel dumb writing that now, because while Elfman plays the occasional festival (I had the pleasure of photographing him in 2024 at Sick New World in Las Vegas), this short, eleven-city tour is his first with a band since 1995. It’s no wonder the Fillmore was packed. So, this was hardly a Gen X nostalgia party, although there were plenty of people around who remembered Oingo Boingo the first time. Elfman devotees of all ages populated the Fillmore for what was an amazing and strange treat.
Elfman’s tour avoids turning him into a museum piece. Indeed, Elfman is working on a new album set for release this fall; his live shows incorporate both old and new material. The set moves through Oingo Boingo favorites, solo material, and newer songs, with “Sorry,” “Insects,” “Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself),” “Native Intelligence,” “Just Another Day,” “True,” “Sayonara,” “Happy,” and the wonderfully jagged “Upside Down,” establishing the evening’s manic momentum. A personal favorite was “The River of Life,” a banger I hope to hear again soon.
Then came the fun detour into Elfman’s cinematic imagination. Donning a Jack Skellington-inspired jacket (momentarily covering up what is now his signature bare and tattooed torso), “This Is Halloween” unfolded with the menace one would hope for. It made me smile to see how it delighted the entire audience. Elfman’s performance—punctuated by a Cheshire Cat grin—doesn’t feel like a composer presenting greatest hits from a podium, backed by an orchestra. This is a rock ’n’ roll band with a movie studio growing inside it.
And what a band. Elfman is backed by a collection stacked with talent: guitarist Nili Brosh, guitarist Robin Finck, drummer Josh Freese, and bassist Matt McJunkins. Brosh adds precision and fire, while Finck—whose résumé includes Nine Inch Nails and Guns N’ Roses—provides the industrial edge. Freese is a powerhouse behind the kit, attacking it with the authority of a musician equally comfortable with thunder and intricate rhythms. McJunkins anchors the wonderful mess.
Of course, what makes the show so special is Elfman. At 73, he remains a creative force. The former Oingo Boingo frontman, who became one of the most recognizable film composers, certainly in modern film history, all without abandoning his appetite for experimentation. His scores supplied DNA for some of film’s most unforgettable worlds. Live, he combines that sophistication with the electricity of a metal show.
Seeing Elfman from the photo pit is a bit overwhelming for someone like me, as I look back on how his work has woven its way into my own life. I grew up and matured alongside his evolving career—I listened to Oingo Boingo as a kid in the ’80s, delighted in the world of Pee Wee’s Big Adventure and Batman, and so on. His music is always there in some form, and it feels like it always will be. But I digress.
By the time the show reaches (personal favorite) “Dead Man’s Party” and the encore “Who Do You Want to Be,” the lines between composer, songwriter, and performer dissolve. What’s left is Danny Elfman: mischievous, theatrical, melodic, and aggressively himself. Elfman does not look backward, and this tour argues that his past and present are part of the same creative continuum.
For anyone who has ever been captivated by an Elfman film score, danced to Oingo Boingo, or wondered how the strange could be so much fun, this small tour is a huge gift. Danny Elfman wraps up the party at Aftershock on October 4.
