The hitmaker brought his world tour to the Hordern Pavillion last night for the first of two sold-out shows
In 2022, a relatively unknown Benson Boone made his first venture down under. Performing two intimate shows in Sydney and Melbourne to venues with less than 500 capacity, it’s fair to say the trajectory of Boone’s career has sky rocketed. Since then, the American singer-songwriter has hit the top of the charts with his ARIA 8× Platinum global hit Beautiful Things, released his acclaimed debut album Fireworks & Rollerblades, received a Grammy nomination and supported Taylor Swift on her record breaking The Eras Tour.
Having seen Boone perform in a room of 480 people at The Lansdowne just over two years ago, there was a palpable energy surging throughout the intimate venue - one that was heightened upon entering the Hordern Pavilion last night. With over five thousand fans packed into the venue, the audience anxiously waited for the musicians arrival on stage. As a visual of touring highlights played, phones shot into the air and Boone appeared seated at a piano proceeding to open the show with Be Someone. Parents in the crowd were lifting young children in the air so they could catch a glimpse of the hitmaker, and the crowd erupted into jubilant cheers when Boone flips off the piano (the first of many throughout the evening). He soon greets the crowd, “I’m so happy to be here for you guys today, it’s been a few years since I’ve been here in Sydney. It’s a beautiful city.”
Dressed in a pale blue two-piece that could rival Harry Styles’ iconic touring looks, Boone looked every bit the superstar on stage. There’s a theatricality to his live set, often channelling Freddie Mercury in his stances and presence. He commands the crowd, prompting them to chant, sing, clap and dance along, captivating them with his every move and vocal run. A flawless lighting plan adds to the tours stellar production, with beams of light often used to create triangular silhouettes behind Boone as he stands solemn at his microphone stand, before rays of light beam throughout the venue during the sets more high-paced moments. A rarity for the Hordern, the musician utilised a film crew in order to showcase moments from the show on the screen that stood behind him - creating an arena show aura within the venue.
With two EP’s and a full-length album under his belt, Boone has a solid catalogue to pull from for his setlist. His curation here is one that moves through emotions. Whilst a vast majority of his songs focus around love and heartbreak, there are moments that focus on loss and mourning, friendship and family. His set begins with more upbeat, energetic songs that keep the crowd pumped. As we move through each song, the setlist begins to move towards Boone’s ballads, particularly with the pairing of In The Stars and To Love Someone. During the former, he asks the crowd to put away their phones and share the moment together uninhibited. Looking across the venue, it appeared as though each audience member had listened - a rare feat for an artist. It proved to be the evenings most raw moment, with the singers emotive vocals and sombre lyricism bringing audience members to tears.
Throughout the evening, Boone created an intimate connection with his audience. He would dart across the stage, wave to fans and make sure that each audience member felt seen and appreciated. Often interacting with them, he shared stories, jokes and personal thoughts with fans, showing off his charm and charisma. During Forever and a Day, he taught the crowd a melody to sing later in the song, taking them through some vocal warm ups (including Mercury’s iconic runs, oh and Sharpay Evans too) and even brought up some Sydney vs Melbourne beef. “Melbourne had some problems with that, so you guys killed it. You killed it,” he says. He appears at home on stage, a sentiment echoed by Boone himself. He shared with the crowd he stays grounded by bringing a bit of home on tour with him through the people he is surrounded by; his friends. It’s clear he learnt the art of story telling during his appearance at The Eras Tour, rivalling Swift in her own personable monologues throughout the show.
But of course, it was Boone’s inimitable vocals that took centre stage. If anything, the Fireworks & Rollerblades World Tour cements the singers place as one of contemporary musics finest vocalists. His stamina and vocal strength across the ninety minutes never faltered, with his vocals continuing to wow the audience until the closing number - an unreleased song titled Young American Heart, which takes on a country music twang. Songs such as Coffee Cake, Cry, Pretty Slowly, What Was and Beautiful Things delivered soaring high notes that showcased the breadth of his vocal range. At times, particularly during Drunk In My Mind, Boone’s sublime tone and phrasing had a soulful reminiscence of Kelly Clarkson. A fitting comparison seeing as both got their start on American Idol - although Boone withdrew from the competition to pave his career his own way. However, there is no doubt Boone is on his way to becoming an American idol in his own right.
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