Benson Boone Concert Review: From Social Media to Sold Out Shows

As part of his “Fireblades and Rollerskates World Tour,” Benson Boone graced the stage of Boston’s House of Blues this past Friday. While fans might be most familiar with his more well-known songs “In the Stars,” “Ghost Town,” and his hit, “Beautiful Things,” Boone made sure to electrify the crowd with these popular favorites as well as the hidden gems within his tour album. After Mimi Webb opened the night, Boone spent the concert transitioning from his newer songs to “Beautiful Things” and “Ghost Town” to end the night. From doing multiple backflips on stage to accessorizing with cowboy hats and jewelry thrown from fans in the crowd, Boone commanded the stage the entire night and animated the crowd with a contagious, positive outlook.

However, Boone didn’t always have such a grand platform for his music — he once was a college student who filmed TikTok videos on the side, sharing his newfound love of music through social media. Then, in 2021, Boone shocked the world during his viral American Idol audition, wowing fans and professional judges alike with his natural, beautiful voice and his talent on the piano. A combination of internet fame, a knack for meaningful lyricism, and miraculously strong, untrained vocal abilities led him to begin his career producing original music and propelled him to this most recent world tour.

Any listener of Boone knows that almost every one of his songs culminates in a vibrant, upbeat chorus; some of these fast-tempo favorites that Boone played throughout the night were “Be Someone,” “Drunk In My Mind,” and “Slow It Down.” And while every fan hopes that their favorite artists will match the vocal abilities featured in their recorded tracks, Boone made sure to exceeded all expectations — adding unexpected riffs and blaring high notes to his most popular songs. Any audience member could admire the true musicality and talent behind Boone’s performance. Each of the songs was surprisingly powered solely by Boone’s vocal abilities, forgoing the use of overstimulating lighting and autotune — effects sometimes used by other performers.

Not only impressive in his vocal abilities, Boone also spent time commenting on the meaning behind the lyrics of his works. Throughout the night, Boone remained candid about his mental health and the sentimental meaning behind some of his slower, more reflective songs.

“Sometimes you really just gotta let it out, and there’s a couple of good ways to do that. Sometimes it’s laughing, sometimes it’s screaming, but sometimes you just gotta cry a little,” Boone said, before performing the song “Cry” from his tour album.

Boone continued to reflect throughout the night, and made another thoughtful introduction before performing “Hello Love.”

“I think that generally, I’m a pretty happy, excited, energetic dude, but I also do think it is unrealistic to expect that of myself one hundred percent of the time, and I think that when I was writing this album, I got pretty overwhelmed with different things. This song means a lot to me, this song is very personal to me and what I was going through at the time,” Boone said.

Boone not only spent the night emphasizing the importance of his relationship to himself and his mental health, but also his relationship with his fans. At one point early in the night, Boone noticed a faint-looking fan and proceeded to jump from the stage onto the main floor and hand the fan a fresh bottle of water. Before continuing, Boone momentarily shut down the excitement of the night and graciously recognized the importance of the safety of his fans above all else.

“As we go throughout the night, be cautious of how you’re feeling. If you need water, go get water. I’m right here, I don’t plan on going anywhere. Please, it’s a very warm room, be very mindful of how you’re feeling.”

By the end of the night, fans got the sense that Boone is not only an incredible artist, but a caring and thoughtful person as well. And chances are, even if you aren’t familiar with Boone’s name or his personality, you’ve probably heard a chorus of two from his most popular songs — at just 21 years old, Boone’s career is just getting started, and he’s an up and coming idol to keep on your radar.

—Staff writer Sarah M. Rojas can be reached at sarah.rojas@thecrimson.com.