Danny Elfman Review, Coachella 2022

Danny Elfman booking was undoubtedly a gamble, but it’s one that pays off at times as the ‘Simpsons’ musician debuted a multi-faceted, unusual Coachella on Saturday (April 16).

Danny Elfman is to some extent the oldest artist to perform in this year’s youth-centric Coachella. However, based on his generous performance on the outdoor theatre stage of the festival late Saturday night (April 16), his age is the least unusual thing about him.

For a start, there might be some 68-year-old musicians who would love to perform topless so as to show off a heavily tattooed torso. More pertinently, there are some musicians of any age who can make a full orchestra sound like garage punk bands, as Elfman often does in his entire hour set. But Elfman — a master of Macabre whose deep, awesome score is practically synonymous with Tim Burton’s films — has never been your typical Hollywood songwriter.

Danny Elfman Review.

“Hello Coachella,” he says, not long after playing the 2021 single “Worms” and then a section of his bombing orchestra score from 2002’s Spider-Man. “My name is Danny Elfman, and I have a strange little show for you. “He’s not kidding.

The show draws from all walks of life of Elfman’s long career — including the content of his vibrant, genre-shifting former band Oingo Bingo, as well as a good selection from his new record Big Mess, an album that he says, “shows both sides of me.” They’re always fighting for space. ”

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The most crowd-pleasing moments, however, come with Elfman’s long and varied career selection for film and television. Edward Scissorhands, Batman and P. Weiss are the deep and eccentric songs of Big Adventure, and when he changes the last line of “This Is Halloween” from the pre-Christmas nightmare, the crowd appreciates the appreciation: “What is it… Coachella Town?”

They become even more thrilled when he plays the Zaani theme for the most famous piece of music he composed, The Simpsons, which he amplifies with a squalling guitar solo. Lisa would be proud of her virtue.

He closes with the solo track “Happy” complete with his own demented face 3D, presented on the big screen, and with the immediate existential punk of Oingo Bingo’s “Who Do You Want to Be?” updated to refer to Kardashian and Kanye West with the song.

Elfman’s booking was undoubtedly a gamble, but it’s one that pays off at times. He is an artist with an impressive, diverse and well-known back catalogue, but is one who goes a long way from the typical festival heritage act.

Saturday night’s performance provided many of Danny Elfman’s sides – from Eri and Macabre to the lighty and eccentric – while providing Coachella with the best of both worlds.