Benson Boone flips, charms his way through T-Mobile gig

Benson Boone. // photo by Ethan Sympson

At 24 years old, Benson Boone is firmly in his mid-20s. A sizable portion of the crowd that packed T-Mobile Center Monday night, however, had quite a few years to go before joining him there.

From where I sat, signs celebrated fans’ ninth, 12th, and 14th birthdays. Young girls filled much of the arena alongside the moms and dads who, naturally, accompanied them for a night out.

Boone brought his Wanted Man World Tour to downtown Kansas City on August 31, with Canadian singer-songwriter Luna Li opening the evening.

Luna Li. // photo by Ethan Sympson

Li brought a considerably mellower energy to the arena than Boone. She shared that she used time at home during the pandemic to learn multiple instruments, several of which made their way into her performance Monday night. Her set mixed original music with covers, including Harry Styles’ “As It Was.” The crowd largely matched Li’s mellow energy. Most people remained seated throughout the set, nodding along to the music, though I saw little of the singing, dancing, or other crowd engagement that would fill the arena later in the night.

I had briefly seen Benson Boone perform at Coachella in 2025 before and walked away largely unwowed. Heading into a full headlining show, I was curious whether seeing him with his own production, his own audience, and nearly two hours to work with would leave a different impression.

It did not take particularly long for him to start trying.

Boone opened with “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else” and almost immediately landed the first successful backflip of the night. If nothing else, it established early that Boone is remarkably athletic. “Mr. Electric Blue” followed, with blue lights washing over a stage that appeared to take the shape of an electric guitar. The visual fit the song particularly well and helped establish the look of a show that rarely seemed interested in subtlety.

Throughout the night, smoke, confetti, moving platforms, and fireworks constantly added to what was happening onstage. Not every effect landed equally well. Some of the early fireworks were positioned so far behind Boone that I registered the loud pop before really noticing the visual, especially when my attention was naturally focused on the artist performing in front of me.

Benson Boone. // photo by Ethan Sympson

But there was rarely a shortage of something to watch. During “Wanted Man,” a smaller stage lifted Boone into the air as smoke poured from underneath. It was here, four songs into the night, that he finally properly introduced himself to Kansas City. “Welcome to the 2026 Wanted Man World Tour,” he said. Then came another backflip, this time from the raised platform onto the main stage. By his third flip of the evening, I started to wonder whether backflips were less of a stunt and more simply Boone’s preferred method of transportation around the stage.

His interactions with fans proved just as central to the show. During “Drunk in My Mind,” Boone made his way down to the floor and sang directly to one fan. There was little doubt in my mind that he had just made someone’s entire evening. “Slow It Down” became a massive sit-and-sing-along before Boone moved into one of the funniest crowd interactions of the night.

He began teasing “Mystical Magical,” allowing enough of the song to play for the crowd to immediately recognize it before questioning just how well they actually knew it. “Do you really know that song?” he asked. The audience apparently took that as a challenge, responding by singing an entire verse and chorus a cappella. “I bet you’d really want to hear that song,” Boone teased. The boos that followed were immediate.

Between the screams when he played a favorite and the boos when he withheld one, Boone seemed to know exactly how to play to the young audience in front of him. He was consistently personable and funny, allowing interactions to stretch beyond a quick comment before moving on to the next song.

The production reached another level during “In the Stars.” Boone was suspended in the air and carried above the floor, singing as he traveled over the crowd below before eventually returning safely to the stage. Once back on solid ground, Boone took some time to talk with Kansas City. He complimented the crowd for being loud but also described it as polite and respectful. Midwestern hospitality and kindness, even at a Benson Boone concert.

Boone then moved into “My Greatest Fear,” while “Young American Heart” later brought another colorful production moment. Red, white, and blue heart-shaped confetti filled the arena as the song reached its final chorus.

Benson Boone. // photo by Ethan Sympson

An outfit change came before “Traveler (Love You Again),” with Boone adding sunglasses and heading to the piano on the smaller stage. For all of the backflips and theatrics surrounding the performance, the quieter moments also made one thing clear: Boone is a talented pianist. The slower portion of the set also gave him more time to talk.

Before “Momma Song,” Boone spoke about the immeasurable impact his own parents had on his life before turning his attention to the many parents throughout the arena. He recognized those who had brought their children to the show, noting that he could only imagine they were having a similar impact on their own kids. It was an acknowledgment I could not remember hearing at another concert, but looking around T-Mobile Center, it made perfect sense. Many of the fans screaming Boone’s lyrics back to him were simply too young to have gotten themselves there. The moment added another layer to “Momma Song” as Boone moved into the tribute to his own family.

Benson Boone. // photo by Ethan Sympson

Boone also made time to recognize his band, asking the crowd to give the musicians behind him their own round of applause. Kansas City happily answered the call.

Later, a sign in the audience caught his attention. “My ex is here, please help me out,” Boone read. His name, Boone soon learned, was Jake. Suddenly, thousands of people were enlisted in the search for one mysterious ex-boyfriend somewhere inside T-Mobile Center. Boone even started a kissing chant as he tried to locate him in the crowd. Was Jake ever found? No. But by that point, finding him hardly seemed necessary. Boone had managed to turn a fan’s sign into a full arena bit, another example of how comfortable he appeared abandoning the script for a few minutes and simply playing around with the crowd.

Eventually, the night reached the song nearly everyone had been waiting for. “Beautiful Things” began the finale, but its ending was anything but quick. Boone and his band stretched the outro, giving him enough time for one final piece of theater. He put on a Spider-Man mask and, naturally, prepared for another backflip. Boone successfully landed one final flip before jumping down and disappearing from the stage. Red fireworks erupted behind him as “THE END” appeared, bringing the night to a fittingly dramatic close.

I walked into T-Mobile Center still somewhat unconvinced by the brief performance I had previously seen from Boone. Nearly two hours later, I understood the appeal considerably more. The backflips certainly help, but Boone also spent the night showing off his musicianship, humor, and an ability to turn an arena-sized performance into something that could still feel personal to the fans watching him.

For the nine-year-olds, their parents, and plenty of people in between, Boone knew exactly who he was performing for.

All photos by Ethan Sympson

Benson Boone

Benson Boone setlist
Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else
Mr Electric Blue
There She Goes
Wanted Man
Drunk in My Mind
Slow It Down
Mystical Magical
Pretty Slowly
In the Stars
My Greatest Fear
Take Me Home
Young American Heart
Traveler (Love You Again)
Momma Song
Before You
The Time of My Life
I Wanna Be the One You Call
What Was
Cry
Beautiful Things

Luna Li