Watch Oingo Boingo’s Danny Elfman & Steve Bartek Play “Dead Man’s Party” With Tony Kanal & The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Before Danny Elfman scored Tim Burton films or composed the Simpsons’ theme song, he formed a new wave band called Oingo Boingo. They broke up in 1995, but Elfman performed one of their biggest classics, “Dead Man’s Party,” back in 2015 for the first time in 20 years. He performed it again on Saturday at the Hollywood Bowl, closing out the Nightmare Before Christmas 25th anniversary show.
Fellow Boingo boy Steve Bartek joined him on guitar, along with No Doubt’s Tony Kanal and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra. Elfman also sang live with the celebrated film as the lead, Jack Skellington, alongside Catherine O’Hara as Sally and Ken Page as Oogie Boogie, among others. Watch Elfman, Bartek, Kanal, and the Orchestra play “Dead Man’s Party” below.
Check out Billboard’s interview with Elfman about The Nightmare Before Christmas 25 years later here.
In other holiday-related news, the Oscar-nominated composer has contributed to the soundtrack for the new animated The Grinch reboot, including a remake of “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” with Tyler, The Creator.