Brian May made a surprise appearance at Coachella last Friday, teaming up with singer-songwriter Benson Boone for a special performance of *Bohemian Rhapsody*. But when May launched into his legendary guitar solo, the crowd… kinda didn’t get it.
This marked Brian’s return to the stage after recovering from a stroke that had affected movement in his left arm, so it was a pretty big deal. After the show, Boone took to TikTok to jokingly vent about how the audience didn’t seem to grasp just how iconic May is.
In the TikTok, Boone pretends a banana is a mic and tries to hype up an invisible crowd before tossing it in mock frustration. He captioned it: “Me trying to get the crowd at Coachella to understand what a legend Brian May is and the cultural impact he has on music and the world.”
Even though the live audience might’ve been a little quiet, people online were loving it. Boone kicked things off as he pretended to play the piano, and pretending to play the unforgettable Bb piano intro (I understand it’s a show but it’s not a hard section to learn so I don’t know why he decided to fake it … but that’s just me with my Queen keyboardist head on). He then dramatically flipped off the piano and strutted around in a regal-looking cape. He was joined by a powerful choir and full band, making the whole thing feel seriously epic.
As for Brian May? He was all in. The next day, he posted on Instagram saying, “I’m still reeling from last night at Coachella. Thanks to all of you folks who made it feel so special – you know who you are! And this particular way of concluding Bohemian Rhapsody will be hard to beat in the years to come! Thanks. And for Benson and his entire team, I have no words. I’m awestruck.”
So yeah, even if the crowd didn’t fully get it in the moment, the internet sure did—and Brian’s still rocking as hard as ever. Queen are sure to be back on the road soon with a new show and possible even a new album or some new Music.