The Last Oingo Boingo Concert
The band ran for seventeen years, changed its name once near the end, and finished on the night it had made its own.
The band ran for seventeen years, changed its name once near the end, and finished on the night it had made its own.
History
The name is older than the band. It belonged first to The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo, a theatrical troupe, and only became a rock band’s name in 1979.
In that form it ran for seventeen years: Danny Elfman singing and playing rhythm guitar, Steve Bartek on lead guitar, Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez on drums, and a horn section — Sam Phipps, Leon Schneiderman and Dale Turner — that was a large part of how the band sounded.
In 1994 the name was shortened to Boingo and the horns were dropped; it was the only year the band toured without them. The farewell came the following year, and it was staged where the band’s reputation was strongest: a run of Halloween shows, finishing on Halloween night itself at the Universal Amphitheatre.
That last night was filmed and recorded, and released in 1996 as Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre, Halloween 1995. It is the reason the ending is so well documented, and the reason that anyone claiming a reunion has a very specific thing to explain away.
Six names
A theatrical troupe, not a rock band. It was the source the band grew out of.
The band as most people remember it, from the years when Danny Elfman sang and a horn section stood behind him.
The shortened name. The horns were dropped, and 1994 was the only year the band toured without them.
The farewell run ended on Halloween night at the Universal Amphitheatre, and was released as Farewell.
Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez started it with Elfman’s permission to use the name, after Elfman had decided he would not return.
Original members with a singer who is not Danny Elfman. This is the act on every ticket listed here.
Live inventory
Live listings with current pricing from TicketNetwork’s marketplace. Match the date and the venue against the schedule rather than the event title — no show on sale is an Oingo Boingo reunion, whatever a listing calls it.
What came next
Elfman moved fully into scoring, and has said since that he does not intend to return to a rock stage with this band — his hearing is the reason he gives. The reunion question in full.
The songs kept being played live, but under a different billing. Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez started Oingo Boingo Dance Party with Elfman’s permission to use the name; it later became Oingo Boingo Former Members, which is the act on every ticket listed on this site.
The city of Los Angeles marked the band’s place in its history by designating an official Oingo Boingo Day on 20 April 2016, according to the band’s own biography.
Good to know
Halloween night, 1995, at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles. It was the end of a farewell run.
Yes. It was released in 1996 as “Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre, Halloween 1995”, as both a live album and a concert film.
The name was shortened in 1994, when the horn section was dropped. That was the only year the band toured without horns.
Seventeen years as a rock band, from 1979 to 1995. Before that the name belonged to a theatrical troupe, The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo.