Tag Archives: Johnny Vatos

Let’s have a party, there’s a full moon in the sky! Midsummer Scream is thrilled to announce Oingo Boingo Dance Party will headline its Noche de los Muertos (Night of the Dead) celebration and costume contest at the Long Beach Convention Center Saturday evening July 30^th, 2016.

Oingo Boingo Dance Party is comprised of former Oingo Boingo members Johnny Vatos, Steve Bartek, John Avila, Sam “Sluggo” Phipps, Carl Graves and Doug Lacy, along with a host of other wildly-talented musicians that keep the legacy of the iconic band alive and thriving for fans of multiple generations.

Known for their unique sound which includes explosive percussion, electrifying guitar riffs and a full horns section, Oingo Boingo’s extensive song catalogue includes Only a Lad, Little Girls, Weird Science, No One Lives Forever, and the venerable Dead Man’s Party. The band hosted Halloween shows in Irvine each year at the height of its popularity, with thousands of “Tender Lumplings” – the given nickname for their adoring fans – showing up in costumes and skeletal makeup, as the underlying thematic style of the group commonly centered around Dia de los Muertos.

“Oingo Boingo was synonymous with Halloween here in Southern California in the ‘80s and ‘90s,” said Rick West, Creative Director of Midsummer Scream. “What better way to launch our event than a concert featuring these legendary performers doing what they do best as Oingo Boingo Dance Party? To me, bringing these musicians and the haunt and horror community together under one roof is a no-brainer. They’re going to bring the house down!”