With a show full of acrobatics, sequinned jumpsuits, a flying chandelier and a catalogue of hits, American singer-songwriter Benson Boone embarked on his biggest tour yet, including three sold-out nights at O2 arena. With the backing of industry legends, suppliers and show designers, TPi met with the production crew in London to learn all of the Beautiful Things that went into staging the American Heart tour.
Production Manager, Paul English enlisted the help of a range of suppliers for the European run, including: Clair Global (audio), Neg Earth Lights (lighting and rigging), TAIT (automation and staging), Solotech (video), Vis-A-Vis (video production), ffp effects (special effects), Luke Halls Studio (content), STUFISH Entertainment Architects (staging design), Beat The Street (busses), Transam Trucking (trucks), Cassius Creative (lighting design), Popcorn Catering (catering), Freight Minds (freight), and Dutch Barrier Services (barriers).
The size of production reflected the artist’s growing popularity, with 25 trucks, over 70 crew members and nine buses – a far cry from the artist’s previous tour, Fireworks & Rollerblades, which was a one-bus, one-truck tour.
English was brought in before Boone’s Coachella performance to support the increase in production. “It has been a fast and furious ride,” English said, ruminating on the seven-day turnaround between the end of the US tour and the start of the European run. “We needed to replicate the show on both sides of the pond, so we ended up freighting only essential kit, and using our suppliers to make it happen, which was a crucial decision in choosing who we did.”
Coming as a team in the production office alongside English was Maya Gas, Tour Logistics Manager, Adam Carr, Tour Manager and Emily Stahlman, Tour Assistant. “I joined in 2024, and since then we have grown as a team,” Carr said.
“I was able to introduce Maya and Paul, as we’ve worked together before. I knew they were a safe pair of hands. There is a real appetite for success that comes from Benson, and it has really set the tone for the tour.”
For the Tour Logistics Manager, American Heart is her first tour in a while, after being involved in multiple residencies. “The logistics are what I love about this world, and the way Paul and I work together has meant that I’ve been involved in the process from the start, which is great, so I know how to time and action tasks as planning progresses,” she said. “When we came into rehearsals, and I heard Benson sing live for the first time, I got goosebumps, so it has been great to be involved in bringing that to audiences all over.”
Stahlman, whose experience touring began at the start of the American Heart campaign, reflected on her first time on the road: “I have fully committed to the touring nomad life,” she laughed. “I love it and I don’t think I will ever get sick of it. I have even started the Department of Fun with Heather [Barlow, Showcaller], we organise fun things for the crew, make skits and just try to make everyone feel better when they’re away from home.”
The younger demographic of Boone’s crowd required daily security meetings to ensure they were cared for, with Michael ‘Woz’ Wozniak taking on the role of Venue Security. Woz mentioned the integral role the audience played for the artist, stating: “Benson is an artist who has such a positive energy. As a parent, knowing what I know about the demographic of the crowd, I would be more than happy to bring my child to this show as their first live music experience. I think it is good for this generation to embrace an artist like Benson.”
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Words: Alicia Pollitt
Photos: Shayden Schoonover and Kevin Mauser
