John “Vatos” Hernandez is seated on stool at left behind Danny Elfman

The latest from My Dad Was in a Band, the new blog that we’re co-presenting with Drafthouse Films.

This comes via Rio Hernandez, daughter of John “Vatos” Hernandez, Oingo Boingo’s drummer from 1980 to 1984:

Prior to Boingo, my dad played for Helen Reddy regularly and picked up many shows playing for others, Peter Allen, playing on The Johnny Carson Show, playing at Disneyland, etc. I can’t imagine how many times I saw Helen Reddy play. (MGM Las Vegas, The Midnight Special, et al). My earliest memories of seeing him play live date back to when I was 3 or so. I feel like I grew up carrying parts of his drum kit or standing in the wings.

He joined Boingo back when they were The Mystic Nights of the Oingo Boingo, and I have very vivid memories of seeing them in the beginning as they were very theatrical: Danny would come out dressed as the devil in white tails with glittery red horns. They project reels of old cartoons. At one point they all came out in gorilla suits. So, you can imagine that was pretty thrilling/wild for a kid (I was around 6/7 at this time). I loved their music & the show. Danny was was the first redhead I can recall meeting and I remember that alone seemed weird & intriguing. From that period on it was lots of shows at The Whiskey, The Roxy with tons of great Alt bands, going to the US Festivals etc. Growing up in the music business in the 1970s in Los Angeles (literally growing up), has definitely shaped me.

Below, “Little Girls”: