Highlights:
- Benson Boone performs the first of two nights at the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles as a part of the Wanted Man Tour on August 10.
- The show is his first performance back since canceling his Sacramento show for health reasons.
- The singer is well known for doing flips and acrobatics during his performances and did 8 flips during his set.
As the Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles filled with fans on Monday, Aug.10, in ensembles reminiscent of America 250 celebrations that had taken place the previous month, one question was in the back of everyone’s mind: how many times would they witness Benson Boone do a flip?
After concerts and festivals returned in a post 2020 world, we’ve seen a trend from artists of a “FOMO effect” or “TikTok shtick” — a viral moment from the show that makes it so everyone has to witness it live for themselves.
Sabrina Carpenter has had a few: her “Nonsense” outro, the “Feather” dance, and her “have you ever tried this one?” pose during Juno. Hilary Duff has leaned into the fan recreations for her “With Love” Today Show performance from 2007 by inviting a few members of the crowd to join her on stage to dance together. Swifties love getting to share which surprise songs they got during the Eras Tour (New Romantics and New Year’s Day, the night she announced “1989 (Taylor’s Version)” for those who were curious).
And for Benson Boone its to see just how many times the artist can do various acrobatic moves during his concerts. While the artist did an awe-inspiring eight flips (plus three more dives into the crowd and the stage) during his first night in Los Angeles for the Wanted Man Tour, what’s equally, if not more impressive, is the vocal endurance he keeps throughout the concert filled with pop ballads and belts.
Boone takes the stage in a pair of simple jeans, a basic tee and Adidas sneakers for most of the show, which leans into the classic “boy next door” vibe. The crowd also matches the “U.S.A.” inspired aesthetic of the album, wearing plenty of red, white and blue apparel, cowboy hats and boots, overalls and other ensembles with glittered stars.
He kicks off the tour with one of his popular singles, “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” and less than 30 seconds into singing the first few lyrics, the audience is already losing it after witnessing their first Benson Boone flip of the night.
Boone first gained public attention in 2021 after auditioning for “American Idol” before withdrawing voluntarily from the singing competition. However, it was a few years later, after releasing “Beautiful Things” in 2024, that he started to gain mainstream popularity.
From there, his career skyrocketed. The single reached number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100; he was one of three artists to open for Swift’s London shows of her Eras Tour at Wembley Stadium, and in 2025 he made his Coachella debut on the mainstage, where he brought out Queen guitarist Brian May as he performed “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
During his Coachella set, he announced his new album “American Heart” and performed the title track for the first time. Now one year later, he’s touring the album. If his “Fireworks & Rollerblades” era was drawing in Freddy Mercury comparisons, this tour is closer to Bruce Springsteen energy.
From the moment he walks down from his elevated platform at the front of the stage, he’s connecting with the crowd. From up close moments with the fans in the pit and along the side of the catwalk, to looking across the crowd in the 100s, 200s and 300s sections of the Crypto.com Arena, he’s making every member of the audience feel seen and heard, which also led to some major freakout moments from fans processing the excitement of the singer waving at them.
What’s also interesting is the wide age range of his fan base. The crowd is a mix of young adults, as well as preteens and their parents, largely increased by the success of his trendy “Mystical Magical” single. Boone has also embraced the adolescent age group that makes up part of his fanbase and concert crowds, joining in the social media-famed Portland Bike Bus in 2025 to accompany elementary students on their way to school as they jammed out to his music.
Boone joked with the Los Angeles crowd before performing “Before You” that it was a love song, and for those in the crowd who haven’t been in love yet, not to worry as they’ll likely experience it in the next 15 years. The song is a memorable part of the show as it’s one of a few intimate ballads compared to his more pop singles like “Mr Electric Blue.” It showcases Boone’s powerhouse vocal talent, and much more than a one-trick pony known for his flips.
Boone’s setlist, and music catalog for that matter, feels like the soundtrack for a coming-of-age film. It’s a reflection of navigating adolescence into adulthood. Boone’s latest single “The Time of My Life,” released at the end of June, gives an honest update to his fans of juggling the rollercoaster of a journey his new fame has taken him on over the last few years.
“When I’m up here, and I’m hitting my high note, and I feel good about myself. I feel confident. I like my outfit. I like my voice. I’m going for that high note. I got people cheering. Nothing could get better, right?” Boone asks the crowd. “Then in the back of my mind, ever so slightly, a little tickle of a thought pops into my mind. And I think of that person. I wish they were here. I wish they could see what I’m doing. And I’m genuinely having the time of my life on this stage.”
The song touches on reaching the level of success in the field you’re most passionate about, but even when you know you’re having the time of your life, that moment would be stronger if the person you cared most about was there to experience it with you. Instead, it takes you away from the present, and leaves you questioning why they’re no longer with you and what you could’ve done differently to change the outcome.
After performing his final song for the night, “Beautiful Things,” Boone spends the final minutes of the concert giving back to the fans instead of an encore. He jumps down into the path between his catwalk stage and the crowd, shaking hands, sharing hugs, signing hats and casts. And to the delight of the Los Angeles audience, he leaned into the friendly neighborhood Spider-Man comparisons his acrobatics draw, where after receiving the superhero’s mask from a fan, he did one final flip as the persona and had a backflip the time of his life in the process.