Benson Boone has poked fun at the Coachella crowd for their tepid reaction to Queen legend Brian May.
During his Friday debut at the Southern California music festival, the rising 22-year-old pop star delivered an epic rendition of the rock band’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
When it came time for the song’s featured guitar solo, 77-year-old May rose up from out of the stage to perform it. In an attempt to get the crowd going, Boone announced: “Brian May, everybody!” However, he was met with a muted reaction, as it appeared that many in the crowd did not recognize May.
Boone has since made light of the situation in a TikTok video posted Sunday.
In a recreation of Friday’s events, the “Beautiful Things” singer can be seen standing in his kitchen, holding a banana as a makeshift microphone. As he mouths the lyrics to the 1975 hit, he looks forward in anticipation of what he expects to be an uproarious welcome for May.
After realizing he’s not getting the response he wanted, he lifts his hands up in frustration. He then puts a hand to his ear and signals for the crowd to cheer louder, before crossing his arms in annoyance, tossing the banana and walking away.
The video was overlayed with the text: “Me trying to get the crowd at Coachella to understand what an absolute legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and THE WORLD.”
Several fans responded below in the comment section, with one assuring Boone that “us elderly folks appreciated it.”
“INCREDIBLE PERFORMANCE!!!” a second praised. “The crowd was just too young to know who Brian May is — they’ll know now!”
@bensonboone Mystical Magical.
♬ Bohemian Rhapsody - Remastered 2011 - Queen
“You should have saved this for a UK crowd,” a third quipped, while another noted: “See, even Benson knew that the crowd did not act appropriately when Brian May came out. Wasted on a Coachella crowd!”
Following his flawless guitar solo, May remained on stage to perform Boone’s final song, the singer’s own 2024 breakthrough single, “Beautiful Things.”
The British music legend’s return to the stage comes months after he suffered a stroke last year. In an Instagram video posted in September 2024, May revealed the health scare, saying it had been “a little scary.”
Earlier this week, May’s wife, Anita Dobson, said her husband is “very well, back to his old self” following the stroke.
Boone will return to the desert this Friday for his second Coachella performance. The festival, which kicked off its 2025 edition over the weekend, continues for a second weekend from Friday, April 18, to Sunday, April 20.
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