The Shoreline Amphitheater in Mountain View California hosted an event of the evening and one of the highlights of the year, as the show finalized the closing of the Shoreline for the season. The event was Johnny Jewel x Desire and Danny Elfman for the From Batman, to Boingo, to Big Mess and Beyond tour on November 3, 2024.
The night started with Johnny Jewel for the first three songs and The Desire came out and dazzled the crowd. They started though with a synthesizer and Johnny Jewel playing his tunes and ramping the crowd up, While entertaining, the music was just so-so. Sometime in the fourth song, Desire came out and woke the crowd up to get them ready for what was to come. She was decent and the music got better as it went on. When they started “Silver Machine” the crowd was into it and you could tell she was having fun. Following that one was “Bizarre Love Triangle”, a song New Order made popular in the 1980s and killed it. Their final song was “Under Your Spell” and that was that for them.
Setlist:
1). Lady
2). Black Latex
3). Don’t Call
4). Silver Machine
5). Bizarre Love Triangle (New Order cover)
6). Under Your Spell
Danny Elfman, whose career began in the late 1970s still remains stellar ever since. Starting with “Sorry,” Elfman captivated the audience alongside his band, a full 30-piece orchestra, and a 12-piece choir, delivering the music to perfection. When he transitioned into “Insects,” an Oingo Boingo song, the crowd erupted with excitement. Those songs truly got the audience going.
The performance continued with the “Spider-Man Main Title” and a track titled “Native Intelligence,” which was an absolute killer tune. Elfman played several more Oingo Boingo songs before launching into a medley featuring “Jack’s Lament,” “This is Halloween,” and “What’s This” from *A Nightmare Before Christmas*. He then ventured further down the music and movie track with the “Mars Attacks” title theme. The addition of video clips enhanced the experience, drawing the crowd deeper into the music.
When he performed “Devil Take Away,” it was clear he had nailed the moment. The crowd went wild when he played the “Batman Theme,” showing their enthusiasm as he rocked through it, challenging everyone’s memory with his iconic songs. The “Beetlejuice Theme” had the audience singing along, followed by the “Simpsons Theme,” which filled the crowd with overwhelming joy.
“Only a Lad,” was a highlight for many attendees, and the song’s staying power continues to resonate even today. He then hit “Wednesday Main Titles” and “Edward Scissorhands: Main Titles,” both of which earned thunderous applause from the audience as he smoothly transitioned through them.
When he entered “Monkeys on the Loose,” he mentioned that this track was just released three days ago and was a fantastic addition to the set. “On the Outside,” a song he hadn’t performed live in 30 years, still sounded solid. The band delivered it well, and his vocals brought down the house, receiving applause that showed how well the audience appreciated the performance. The next few tracks followed the same energetic trend, filled with lively tunes and constant applause, encouraging the band to keep playing. The finale of the set was “Dead Man’s Party,” which brought the house down amid cheers and applause, concluding the show on a high note.
However, after a brief intermission, he returned to perform three back-to-back Oingo Boingo songs: “Who Do You Want Me to Be,” “No One Lives Forever,” and finally “Wild Sex (In the Working Class).” These final songs encapsulated the evening with joy and enthusiasm that the audience would carry with them long after the show, and hopefully for times to come.
Danny Elfman Band Members:
Danny Elfman – guitar, vocals
Robin Finck – guitar
IIan Rubin – drums
Nili Brosh – guitar
Stu Brooks – bass
Setlist:
1). Sorry
2). Insects (Oingo Boingo song)
3). Spider-Man Main Title
4). Native Intelligence
5). Nothing to Fear (But Fear Itself) (Oingo Boingo song)
6). Breakfast Machine
7). Just Another Day (Oingo Boingo song)
8). Grey Matter (Oingo Boingo song)
9). Jack’s Lament / This Is Halloween / What’s This? (Medley of selections from ‘Nightmare Before Christmas’)
10). Mars Attacks
11). Insanity (Oingo Boingo song)
12). Devil Take Away
13). Batman suite
14). True
15). Dance With the Lemurs
16). Kick Me
17). Beetlejuice Theme
18). The Simpsons Theme
19). Only a Lad (Oingo Boingo song)
20). In My Head
21). Wednesday Main Titles
22). Edward Scissorhands: Main Titles
23). In Time
24). Monkeys on the Loose
25). On the Outside (Oingo Boingo song)
26). Alice’s Theme
27). Ain’t This the Life (Oingo Boingo song)
28). Happy
29). Dead Man’s Party (Oingo Boingo song) (with Steve Bartek)
Encore:
30). Who Do You Want to Be (Oingo Boingo song)
31). No One Lives Forever (Oingo Boingo song)
32). Wild Sex (In the Working Class) (Oingo Boingo song)
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Photographer of about 10 years, I have been shooting concerts for about 8 of those years. I started to get serious about concert photography about 6 or 7 years ago and now try to shoot as many as I can. I shoot mostly rock but, have done some country and big band stuff. I love music and since I am nowhere close to being a musician, this is a way I can be a small part of what, in the words of Henry Rollins, “gets me through the highs, the lows and everything in between”.
