It’s not every day that an artist tours before the release of a long-awaited solo album, but let’s be real: Danny Elfman has a lot to work with.
The former Oingo Boing frontman notably has the touch for soundtracks, having masterminded the aural landscape of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Beetlejuice, Pee-wee’s Big Adventure, and other big cinematic moments.
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission
But his October 2 appearance at the Masonic delivered not cinematic nostalgia but raging rock, revisiting releases from a solo career whose last album, Big Mess, came out in 2021, followed by a “characteristically chaotic” 2022 remix album with Trent Reznor and Iggy Pop.
That being said, he did make time to deliver the San Francisco crowd “This is Halloween” from Nightmare—hey, ’tis the season. —text by Caitlin Donohue
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission 
Danny Elfman at The Masonic, October 2. Photo by D.A. Mission
