So - haven't heard of Oingo Boingo, eh?

Well, I'm hardly surprised. In fact, the majority of our current population doesn't know about them. Or, that's what it seems like, anyway. In all seriousness, if you ask someone about them, they'll more-than-likely say, "Huh? Who're they?"

Sigh. Maybe that's why the current population needs so much help. Anyways - on with the show. Oingo Boingo was a band that spanned from the 80s into the early 90s, a band that had songs about nasty habits and pedophiles. Although, that's really the grit of their beginning, for those of you who just went "ew!" (What are you doing here??) - they also had a cover of "You Really Got Me" (far out-stripping the original). As for other subjects, paranoia and alienation come to mind.

So, that was the early start. Eight eccentric guys who played strange songs and maddenly catchy tunes. (For a who's who list, go to the section on your left.) Pretty soon they'd expanded subjects again, and had a song about dead guys going to parties. That was their hit: Dead Man's Party. The song of theirs that, arguably, you hear the most (if at all). Incidentally, the album of the same name hit platinum (or something; I'm not up-to-date with my record statistics.)

So, what did these guys do, you may ask (driving me nuts)? --Do? They did a lot! In fact, early early history (before the dinosaurs, even) states that Oingo Boingo was actually an acting troupe that performed bizarre shows in wild costumes. "The Mystic Knights of the Oingo Boingo." Under this, they went onto the Gong Show, for those of you that remember way-back-when. But that's not all, folks! No, indeed. Danny Elfman's brother, Richard Elfman, made a little film called Forbidden Zone in 1979; Danny himself appears as several characters, the most noticeable being Satan himself. The rest of the bandmembers, too, played all of the original music in this film, and they appear as Satan's henchmen.

Have I lost you yet? No? Good! ^_^

Boingo have made several other media appearances during their career; the most noted are the infamous Budweiser commerical in 1982, and Fast Times At Ridgemont High in 1985 (in which Boingo performed). But there are countless performances that aired on television shows; things like MTV Saturday Night Concert, Jay Leno, and Long Shot.

Okay, you ask, so where are these guys? Sadly (very sadly, on many counts), the bad split up in 1995. The concert, entitled Farewell, took place at the Universal Amphitheatre - you can find this one on DVD and VHS. They performed the best and the greatest, and basically retired only when Danny's voice broke (reportedly).

There aren't many bands like this around today. They were a once-in-forever.