Beno performing at Brighton Music Hall on April 24, 2026. Photo by Greg Wong

On Friday April 24th, the rising stars of the Berklee Popular Music Institute (BPMI) took command of Brighton Music Hall. The 2026 BPMI cohort applied 3 semesters’ worth of music industry knowledge to organize the 24th annual showcase. The talent pool was a hand-selected group of Berklee College of Music student artists, scouted, vetted, and booked by fellow participants of the BPMI Live program.

The showcase featured a densely-packed slate of performers spanning a broad range of genres. The 8 time slots allowed only brief 3-song sets, but each artist made the most of their time in the spotlight. The evening began with the rock stylings of Pat Kennedy, followed by the bubble-grunge of the 4-piece band Sophie’s Body, the alt-country of Nico Welsh, and the genre-blending electronic R&B talents of singer-songwriter Jazz Cuti. The latter half of the exhibition saw the rowdy crowd-pleasing reggaeton of JimmyBoy and the energetic indie pop of Beno, which was met with the contrast of the raw and untethered style of Leila Lamb’s brand of pop. The local boys of Good Sleepy rounded out the evening, and they concluded the concert with a last-minute injection of emo punk.

The frenetic night of rapid fire, quick-changeover sets was the culmination of the year’s experiential work for students of the BPMI. In the bigger picture, it was a promising early step for a new generation of industry professionals.

Check out the rest of Greg’s photos below.