Danny Elfman’s Coachella Set Was a Cinematic, Dazzlingly Bonkers Experience

With six months to go before “ This Is Halloween ” starts play everywhere , I went toCoachellain Indio , CA to watch Nightmare Before Christmas’Danny Elfman — the fabled composer of such scores as Sam Raimi ’s Spider - Man and most ofTim Burton’scatalog — perform . If there was ever a year that I was going to attend the fete , it was this one , and I was able-bodied to through pressure credentials .

Coachella is have a go at it for being eclectic with its creative person curation across all music genres , and Elfman joined the likes of Hans Zimmer , whose scores act in 2017 . What stood out about this year ’s Coachella was that it punctuate Elfman ’s prescribed return to the stage . Previously , I ’ve attended product of Danny Elfman ’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton and a live operation ofThe Nightmare Before Christmasmusic set to the flick . In those casing , the orchestrations were normally done by other conductors with Elfman appearing concisely to perform as Jack Skellington along with guests like Catherine O’Hara , Paul Reubens , and more recently fellow Coachella performerBillie Eilish(who was part of last yr ’s annual Nightmare Halloween show in LA ) .

Elfman was earlier scheduled to perform at Coachella in 2020 . Maybe his band in 2020 would have been similar , but thanks to the pandemic , Elfman recently produced a new solo record — Big Mess , his first magnetic inclination back into rock music since his day in Oingo Boingo . So it was pretty clear his Coachella show would be more than just a concerto in the desert , and that we ’d be getting a rock-and-roll show .

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Skellington and Batman vibes for Danny Elfman last weekend at#Coachellapic.twitter.com / S9YtD1DsNI

— Sabina Graves ( @SabinaHasNoR)April 27 , 2022

To say I was out of my element is an understatement , but gratefully I had a Burton - esque Coachella outfit to immix in as much as I could , because I ’m so not as nerveless as most of the people who were there . Entering Coachella was what I think Jack Skellington felt like going into Christmas Town . With legion San Diego Comic - Cons and melodic theme Mungo Park adventures under my belt I was at least prepared to be on my foot for hour on remnant to waitress for music hardening . And thankfully go to weekend two saved me from the detritus storm that slay the Elfman correct the workweek during weekend one , which affected the operation . Elfman brand on Instagram that they were quick for a smooth round of drinks two .

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Elfman opened his show on the Outdoor Stage at Coachella to “ Sorry ” from self-aggrandizing Mess . It was a turn of a eye blink to the unsuspecting as a manner to introduce his gumptious set , which would cover not only his papa culture scores but his entire discography . Many may be unaware but Elfman was a full on rock star before leave the public stage for a intelligent point to make movie music . For some of us it was the first metre hearing Oingo Boingo , with the lot ’s former guitar player Steve Bartek experience perform classics like “ Only a Lad ” and “ Dead Man ’s Party ” ( one of my all - time favorites ) .

Whenever the audience was n’t dancing we were view the screen and stage in awe at the orchestra and chorus Elfman hire for big , cinematic , sweeping account moments . try Elfman ’s Batman report conduct by Bartek ( pulling double responsibility seamlessly ) was epical . Honestly , the bunch started off modestly but raise as selections like the Spider - Man theme or The Nightmare Before Christmas medley pull in crowd drawn in by the siren call of nostalgia . Here was Jack Skellington , know at Coachella of all places , perform “ Jack ’s Lament ” , “ This is Halloween ” and “ What ’s This ? ” ( This is what I would go back in time to tell Hot Topic teen me she ’ll get to experience after the coming of the pest . She ’d probably laugh at me and double down on being straight - boundary . )

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Midway through the set I could not see too far past me in a bunch that was to the full all in on Elfman ’s vapourous bonkers genius . One moment he was do wickedly distorted verses from his slick newfangled industrial tracks , the next he was observing an orchestra doing his work for Marvel — then all of a sudden he was freakin ’ Jack Skellington keen on the Alfred Hawthorne , riffing on guitar to The Simpsons , or quietly standing beside the orchestra as the choir performed the ethereal “ Ice Dance ” from Edward Scissorhands .

The high - wire reconciliation human activity of a rock solidification mashed in with his greatest movie smash speaks to Elfman ’s consummate greatness . I do n’t think there ’s ever been quite anything that compares to this experimental performance especially at a context like Coachella — but it also made sense . I wished good luck to anyone at the fete that experienced hallucinogenic hijinks to the sounds of Pee - wee ’s Big Adventure . Elfman really gave sports fan a place to see decade ’ worth of his plastic music live on , and redeem perhaps one of the most memorable Set ever witness at Coachella . It ’s so good to have him back on stage after closely 30 years but there ’s a dyad things we require to know : when ’s the go for this set , and will one of the stops be San Diego Comic - Con ?

Want more io9 intelligence ? Check out when to require the latestMarvelandStar Warsreleases , what ’s next for theDC Universe on motion-picture show and TV , and everything you require to know aboutHouse of the DragonandLord of the Rings : The Rings of Power .

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