Live Report: Leon Thomas III makes Dublin bark at his triumph at 3Olympia

Brooklyn-native Leon Thomas III performed at Dublin’s 3Olympia on Tuesday, March 31, as part of his MUTT’S DON’T HEEL World Tour, in support of his MUTT Deluxe: HEEL album.

Many would recognise Thomas as Andre Harris from the nostalgic Nickelodeon show Victorious. However, since his Nickelodeon days, Thomas has established himself as an accomplished singer-songwriter, musician, and record producer, winning two Grammys this year for Best R&B album and Best R&B traditional performance. Thomas quickly gained recognition after his track ‘MUTT’ went viral on TikTok last year, appearing in over 960 thousand videos.

Leon Thomas at 3Olympia Theatre on March 31st, 2026. Copyright Maizy Kharrazian/www.hotpress.com

Supporting Thomas was Los Angeles DJ Toney Handsome, who, accompanied by a small bottle of wine, turned the 3Olympia into an incredible nightclub that would compete with Ibiza’s club scene. Handsome smoothly transitioned through several artists' sounds, including Frank Ocean, Beyoncé, Rihanna, Michael Jackson, SZA, Travis Scott, Playboi Carti, and Kehlani.

One of the highlights of his set was when he played Kanye West’s track ‘Flashing Lights’. Handsome asked that all the lights in the theatre be turned off and that the crowd switch on their flashlights. As the atmospheric synth-heavy track played, with everyone singing along to its lyrics, the 3Olympia was filled with light just from the fans’ phones. During his set, Handsome also amused the crowd with the upbeat, percussive and nostalgic intro song ‘Make It Shine’ from Victorious, the show Leon Thomas III acted in.

The apex of his performance was when he treated fans to an unreleased track featuring Usher from Leon Thomas’ next album. The song was minimalistic yet sensual with its heartbeat-like rhythm, slow pace, and Thomas’ beautiful, soft and breathy voice.

The breathtakingly beautiful theatre, with its red velvet seating, detailed white, gold and red walls, was a luxurious home to Thomas’ show. His stage set matched the opulent theatre with the textured fabric draped behind his band and the disco ball columns. The entire space complemented the R&B artist’s sensual and warm set, which you couldn’t resist not bopping or swaying to.

Leon Thomas at 3Olympia Theatre on March 31st, 2026. Copyright Maizy Kharrazian/www.hotpress.com

All the lights of the venue turned off, but the moment the first notes of ‘HEEL’ played, the stage was filled with white light. The space looked ethereal with the angelic vocals of the track playing. However, as the sound of dogs barking could be heard, the stage turned red, and Thomas’ band began playing. His drummer blended a heartbeat rhythm with cymbals as his guitarist played soft guitar touches.

The moment Thomas walked on stage, his band softly transitioned from the snipped from ‘HEEL’ to the cymbal-rich, rhythmic, upbeat track ‘HOW FAST’. Thomas’ energy took over the space as he danced while he rap-sang the tune.

Then, with a guitar, Thomas sang ‘DANCING WITH DEMONS’. The track began with a backing track with barks, which stopped when Thomas began to sing incredibly close to the mic, as if he was whispering something in someone's ear, in a nasally tone. His voice, combined with his drummer, who maintained a constant danceable backbeat, created a beautiful atmospheric blend. The track shifted with Thomas and his guitarist playing high-pitched and electrifying guitar riffs that were interrupted by a powerful and cymbal-rich drum solo.

Leon Thomas at 3Olympia Theatre on March 31st, 2026. Copyright Maizy Kharrazian/www.hotpress.com

After the three musicians played all together again, and the track ended, Thomas asked the crowd to bark, to celebrate the show but also his success at last month's Grammys. From this moment onwards, whenever the crowd loved the performance of a track, they began to bark. I’m sure most lost their voice as half the night was spent barking.

Thomas then performed ‘FAR FETCHED’ and ‘VIBES DON’T LIE’. The latter, with its soft, ethereal backing vocals and Thomas’ calming and warm voice, made a wonderful contrast with the rhythmic drums, making it a beautiful and romantic moment, which was briefly interrupted by Thomas and his guitarist, who once again showcased their skills with elaborate guitar riffs. Bringing the romanticism back, once the track ended, the singer gave out red roses to the audience.

Just like his character in Victorious, Leon Thomas III is an incredibly talented musician. During his performance, he not only sang and played the guitar, but in ‘PARTY FAVORS’ and ‘Sneak’ he kicked his drummer out of the drum set to play a drum solo. His solo at the end of the moody mid-tempo track ‘PARTY FAVORS’ was completely different from the energy of the track. Thomas unleashed an incredible amount of raw energy with a powerful, cymbal-filled drum solo.

Leon Thomas at 3Olympia Theatre on March 31st, 2026. Copyright Maizy Kharrazian/www.hotpress.com

After sharing renditions of ‘My Muse’, ‘Just How You Are’, both of which are from his EP PHOLKS, the slow-paced, melancholic and romantic track ‘Breaking Point’, and ‘NOT FAIR’, Thomas performed the track that changed his life ‘MUTT’.

The moment Thomas sang the first lyrics of the viral track: “She said, ‘Take your time, what’s the rush’/ I said, ‘Baby, I’m a dog, I’m a mutt’”, everyone in the theatre began to sing along from the top of their lungs, not missing a single word. The venue was buzzing with the mid-tempo, drum-driven track, but the highlight of the track's rendition was when Thomas played an electrifying guitar riff at the edge of the stage on his knees, with hard-hitting drums playing in the background.

An incredible ending to a fantastic show that deservedly received not a round of applause, but a round of barks.