BIANCA ESPINO & NILO BLUES PERFORM AT BEYOND THE BEAT: LIVE

BY BRENESSA ROACH | FEBRUARY 8, 2025

Bianca Espino [@bianca.espino]. Photography by Vivian Si Zeng [@viviansizeng]

On February 7, 2025, Filipino-Canadian artists Bianca Espino and Nilo Blues took the stage at Beyond The Beat’s second showcase, “Beyond The Beat: Live” at BSMT254. The night was a milestone for both artists—Bianca Espino made her debut performance, while Nilo Blues delivered his first 40-minute set with a backing track. With an audience of 120 people, the energy was electric as fans came together in an intimate space to celebrate and experience their incredible artistry.

Bianca Espino [@bianca.espino]. Photography by Josh Legarda [@jlyve_]

The night kicked off at 8PM with Bianca Espino, accompanied by her band: Ian on guitar and background vocals, Jake on bass, Kane on drums, and Luka on piano. While singing, Bianca alternated between playing her electric and acoustic guitar depending on the song. Despite it being her first performance, she was incredible—you never would have guessed she was nervous.

We’ve always loved her music and had complete faith in her, which is why we wanted her to be part of our showcase. But she still managed to exceed our already high expectations. Her live vocals were even more stunning than her studio recordings, showcasing her impressive vocal range and versatility. She performed her latest track, “talking”, along with fan favourites like “someday”, “japan in the summer”, and our personal favourite, “if you’re so alike”. She also treated the crowd to covers of “Bags” by clairo and “ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine.

To make the night even more special, Bianca handed out cake pops made by her Tita (aunt), adding a sweet and personal touch to the evening.

Her set was absolutely beautiful, and we can’t wait to see her continue to grow and, hopefully, perform more in the future.

Nilo Blues [@bluelikenilo]. Photography by Vivian Si Zeng [@viviansizeng]

Following Bianca Espino’s incredible set, Nilo Blues took the stage, kicking things off with his single, “Pileup”—a perfect high-energy opener. Every time we’ve seen Nilo perform, he brings an unmatched energy, getting the crowd moving while showcasing both his powerful vocals and impressive dance skills.

He performed some of his big hits, including “letters to jenny”, “witchcraft <3”, and “Starfruit”. The audience also got a special treat—two unreleased songs from his upcoming project. He debuted “Dry”, followed by “You Become (Pbone),” his first-ever ballad, which instantly became a new favourite for us. Nilo closed out the night with his most popular track, “Nicotiana”—our personal favourite—amassing over 1.4 million streams.

Despite a few minor technical difficulties, Nilo handled them like a pro, keeping the crowd engaged throughout. This show was particularly special because it was all-ages, allowing Nilo to perform in front of his younger siblings and cousins, many of whom had never seen him live before.

Watching Nilo’s growth since 2022 has been surreal, and with every performance, he only gets better and more confident. We can’t wait to see what’s next for him.

Beyond The Beat’s second showcase was a huge success, and we’re more motivated than ever to continue creating these events, bringing the community together to support Toronto’s incredible local artists.

A huge thank you to BSMT254 for hosting us, Nilo Blues, Bianca Espino, their teams, our media crew—Vivian Si Zeng, Chaz Arellano, and Angelo Corpuz—and Josh Legarda for capturing the night through his amazing photography.

Stay tuned—our recap video is coming soon!

Listen to the setlist: