Benson Boone, with his dark mustache and flamboyant stage presence, has been compared to Freddie Mercury by many people online. On Friday evening at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival, he really leaned into the comparison.

Performing in front of a crowd of more than 50,000, Boone wore an all-white jumpsuit with light blue straps on his pants and shirt, which was without sleeves.

“Do you like it?” Boone asked the crowd with a smile.

Early in the set he backflipped off a platform on the stage, similar to what he did while performing at the Grammys in February, in an explosive performance as the sun set on the first day of the iconic music festival.

If that weren’t enough to warrant the comparison to the late iconic Queen frontman, Boone then made his ode to Mercury obvious. Midway through the 11-song set, Boone asked the crowd to repeat after him as he briefly sang Queen’s “Ay-Oh,” as Mercury did at the legendary Live Aid concert in 1985.

Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.

Boone later brought Queen guitarist Brian May onstage to help him perform one of Queen’s most popular songs, “Bohemian Rhapsody.” The crowd erupted, then collectively sang along.

The set was everything a Boone fan could want. He opened with hits “Sorry I’m Here for Someone Else,” followed by “Cry” and then “Drunk in My Mind.” Midway through the set, Boone played “Mystical Magical” for the first time live.

Boone, 22, patrolled the stage like a seasoned pro. When he wasn’t engaging the crowd, he was sidled up to a piano or playing the guitar.

He performed “There She Goes,” “Slow It Down,” “Forever and a Day” and “American Heart” before politely asking the crowd if he could sing one song — “In the Stars” — without the distraction of camera phones. Much of the crowed obliged.

May stayed on and played guitar as Boone closed with his biggest hit, “Beautiful Things”, as pyrotechnics shot into the sky.

Andrew John is a reporter at The Desert Sun and the USA TODAY Network. Email him your thoughts on the Benson Boone set or other topics at [email protected].