Danny Elfman, who performed his first rock performances in decades at Coachella Festival in April, has been coy about some of the questions fans have been asking about his future life plans, such as Will he tours with that show, or at the very least, reprise it in some way? A “Nightmare Before Christmas” performance in Los Angeles this year?
When Elfman revealed on Monday that he will be doing two performances at the Hollywood Bowl this autumn, over Halloween weekend, when “Nightmare” events would typically take place, the answers to both of those queries came in tandem. The fact that the performances will take place on October 28 and 29 is definitely a win for everyone as it guarantees that the singer-songwriter-film composer will incorporate some songs from the 1993 stop-motion hit into his setlist. If Jack Skellington saw Elfman’s Coachella performances, he would undoubtedly be a lock for the Super Bowl.
Ticketmaster will start selling tickets on Friday at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. A presale for those with American Express cards starts on Tuesday at 10 a.m. and lasts through Thursday at 10 p.m.
From Boingo to “Batman” to “Big Mess” and Beyond” is the official subtitle for Elfman’s next Bowl performances. The first of these allusions is to the band Oingo Boingo, which was fronted by Danny Elfman and was known for its yearly Halloween performances at the Universal Amphitheatre in the 1980s and early 1990s. The last one is for his double-album “Big Mess” in 2021, Elfman’s first rock record since Boingo’s dissolution in the 1990s.
With a press statement noting that he’ll be using the same band, orchestra, and choir that he had at the festival in April, the performances are expected to closely resemble the hybrid concerts that Elfman presented over successive weekends at Coachella.
The Bowl and Live Nation-Hewitt Silva are putting on the two shows.
If he planned to continue hosting “Nightmare Before Christmas” concerts, Variety asked him in a May interview about his “Doctor Strange” score he presided over two such gigs for Halloween 2021 in L.A.’s Banc of California Stadium rather than the Bowl. I enjoy this. And since I only have to do it a few times a year, I haven’t grown tired of it yet. After being in a band for a while, I eventually become tired of something and start to hunt for my exit route, asking, “Where’s my escape door here?” However, I can definitely picture doing it a few more times.
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