March 28 saw “Ladygirls” and “Sweet Boys” from all over Boston arrive in droves to Roadrunner for a glimpse of Northeastern’s Springfest Concert 2026 headliner, Malcolm Todd.

Following the release of his latest single, “Breathe,” the Council for University Programs, or CUP, snagged him for the annual concert with openers Beno and Cherry Crisis. The show marks CUP’s first show at The Roadrunner in Boston. Being off campus, they partnered with the Center for Student Involvement to provide shuttles for transportation.

By the time Cherry Crisis took the stage, the space was packed from the floor to the balcony. The girlband, composed of soon-to-be Northeastern graduates, was particularly meaningful. The quartet immediately took to thrumming sweet guitar riffs and drum beats. Lead singer Lucy Frank, a fourth-year music and communication studies major, hit even sweeter high notes with practiced ease as she drifted from song to song.

“Seeing my classmates onstage, I was very proud of them,” said Ella Freedman, a third-year music and communications studies major and director of concerts for CUP. “So many people from my music industry capstone were involved. Three of them are in Cherry Crisis, one is Beno’s manager — Northeastern is the networking school, and I think it’s a prime example of the network that all of us have built and how much we support each other.”

Fourth-year music major Riley Chapman, Cherry Crisis’ founder and guitarist, held the hearts of many, with people chanting her name from the balcony and holding up phones displaying “I love Riley.”

“[Cherry Crisis] was awesome,” said Beno, a performance and independent recording and production major at Berklee College of Music, in an interview with The Huntington News. “They smacked, shout out Riley.”

Soon after, Beno took center stage with a bang, buzzing with so much infectious energy that it was a wonder his vocals remained so stable.

“His stage presence was so good,” said Aurora Deister, a first-year architecture major at Wentworth Institute of Technology. “These people could be famous, or if they’re not, they’re gonna be.”

Though Deister and her friend, Tia Perchova, went in as die-hard Malcolm Todd fans, they left as budding supporters of Beno.

“It’s a group that sounds really good live,” said Perchova, a first-year neuroscience major at Boston University. “The guitarists and drums were super good, too.”

The star of the night finally appeared, donning a gray Northeastern sweatshirt and accompanied by drummer Charlie Ziman and bassist Asher Kartman. Todd started off strong with “Earrings” and smoothly transitioned into “4Me 4Me,” much to the exhilaration of the crowd, who had been anxiously awaiting his arrival. 

“‘4Me 4Me’ — that’s like, one of my favorites. Just seeing him was so surreal, when an artist you love so much is onstage,” said Kaylee Henshaw, a first-year data science and public health major at Northeastern, eagerly flaunting DIY “4Me 4Me” sunglasses.

Todd quickly addressed the packed audience, letting them know how excited he was to be there.

“I’m gonna keep it one hundred with you guys: I’m not feeling my best,” Todd said, met with expressions of worry from the audience. “But I got you guys, and you guys are gonna make me feel better, and we’re gonna have a great night.” He then introduced the next song, “Make Me a Better Man,” immediately sending fans into a frenzy and bringing the mood back up.

Todd played fan favorites like “Bleed,” “Mr. Incorrect” and “Sweet Boy,” which had the audience singing along so loudly he might as well have been lipsyncing. During “Walk to Class,” he pointed at the Northeastern lettering on his university crewneck as he sang, “Are you still gon’ wear my sweater?” earning gleeful shrieks from the floor.

He ended the first half of his concert with “Concrete” and “Cheer Me On,” delighting fans like Sanaa Sharma, a second-year cell and molecular biology major at Northeastern. 

“I really was hoping that he would play ‘Make me a Better Man’ and ‘Concrete,’ so the fact that I got to hear both of those live meant the world,” Sharma said. “I first found his song ‘Bleed,’ and that was the greatest piece of music to hit my ears through TikTok. I literally streamed all of his music immediately.”

In a heartwarming onstage family reunion, Todd invited his twin sister, Ella Hobert, a fourth-year psychology major at Northeastern, to sing “Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard” by Paul Simon with him.

“It’s a little cover,” Todd said as his sister sat on a stool next to him. “It’s a song we’ve always loved to sing together, and now we get to do it in front of all of [her] peers. I’m gonna try my best, so if I f*** it up, it’s on me.”

They sang together in harmony, at one point linking arms and dancing in carefree circles, which was more reminiscent of an endearing performance meant for family than a sold-out venue. The song touchingly concluded, and Todd and Hobert shared a hug as she exited.

Todd continued down the rest of his set list, performing “Attention” and “Breathe.” Songs like “Starstudded” and “Hesitating” had the audience entranced as they swayed to the music, screaming whenever he came closer to the pit.

“I think our show was the second show that he played his new single ‘Breathe’ at,” Emilia Berkowitz, a third-year psychology major and president of CUP, said. “To have that experience where you know someone’s gonna get bigger than they already are and to be able to have a fresh song like that on the set list, that was super exciting for us to be a part of.”

By “Chest Pain (I Love),” the whole crowd was shout-singing with Todd as he made his signature finger hearts over his head, a charmingly clumsy choir that somehow became even louder during his penultimate song, “Leave It All To Me (Theme from iCarly).”

“Alright Northeastern, this is the last 30 seconds of the show,” Todd yelled. “I want everybody to jump from the front to the back. I’m sick, and I’m gonna jump, so if you leave me hanging, f*** you!”

In a grand finale, the concert concluded on a high with Todd’s hit “Roommates” as Roadrunner shook from the sheer force of the crowd jumping in unison.

“There were moments where Malcolm Todd was literally onstage in front of me, but I couldn’t stop filming the crowd,” Berkowitz said. “Being at the Roadrunner venue and being able to see how many people filled that place to the brim was really rewarding.”

One thing’s clear: Malcolm’s in his feelings and we’re all here for it.

“We’ve been putting in so much work for months, so being able to enjoy it for a second and pause,” Freedman said. “It was nice, knowing that we had a part in that.”