Dead Man's Party still standing

Dead Man’s Party doesn’t get many gigs outside of California because their tribute focus, the quirky, new-wave mini-orchestra Oingo Boingo, was mostly a West Coast phenomenon during their 1984–’95 glory years.

Maybe because Oingo’s music catalog was so complex, Dead Man’s Party has enjoyed being the prominent Oingo tribute band since frontman/founder/songwriter Danny Elfman broke up the band in 1995 to create film scores (Batman, Spider-Man).

Oingo drummer Johnny “Vatos” Hernandez has also led a series of bands including original members Sam “Sluggo” Phipps (tenor sax), and Steve Bartek (guitar). Elfman has vowed Oingo Boingo will never return, but he’s given his blessing to his former bandmates to continue performing as the Oingo Boingo Dance Party and they call themselves “the official Oingo Boingo tribute band.”

Dead Man’s Party frontman Rob Elfaizy says Hernandez has bashed Dead Man’s Party on social media and to venue bookers for years. He and his representatives threatened legal action in 2015.

But Elfaizy, who founded Dead Man’s Party in 2000 (and who happens to look like Elfman on stage) says the legal threats never materialized.

Elfaizy says, “I would love it if going forward there was nothing but peace between us.”

Meanwhile, Dead Man’s Party seems to have won the battle for gigs. Two weeks ago, Dead Man’s Party played the 8500-capacity Pacific Amphitheater in Costa Mesa along with a Depeche Mode tribute act. Elfaizy says that show happened because Dead Man’s Party sold out two shows at the 2000-capacity Hangar venue at the Orange County Fair last year.

Recently the Music Box, which has traditionally booked Hernandez’s version of Oingo, decided to hire Dead Man’s Party. “When they told me they wanted to book us, I reminded them that [Hernandez’s Oingo band] usually plays there and that I didn’t want to ruffle any feathers. They said they knew. I let it go at that.”

The eight-member Dead Man’s Party, including former Skanic sax player Bruce Zimmerman of Lakeside, appears Saturday at the Music Box with Social Distortion tribute band Total Distortion.