Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre

AMG Review of Farewell: Live from the Universal Amphitheatre

Thomas Schulte
All Music Guide

The final performance of Oingo Boingo was captured on Farewell: Live from the Universal Ampitheatre on Halloween 1995. A two-volume VHS recording accompanies the two-CD set. Oingo Boingo agent provocateur Danny Elfman is an adroit, singular, and quirky songwriter. For sheer entertainment, the Oingo Boingo repertoire earns high marks. This CD and VHS set documents the final performance of the band -- Oingo Boingo's Halloween shows had become an institution, and this swan song is also their first live album. Finally, listeners and viewers are invited into this secret society. All the original material is written by Elfman and proves itself insightful and at times unforgettably quirky. Like the best groups, they provide uninterrupted entertainment with a mental package to take with you. There are 30 tracks on the two CDs -- these are all translated to the videos, with the addition of a half hour of "documentary and retrospective footage" and videos for "Little Girls" and "Insanity." This archival footage goes from goofy cacophonous theater to intriguing Oingo Boingo operas, proving the group's status as a great and underrated band.