A notable face to those familiar with Nickelodeon’s 2010s programming, Leon Thomas, a musician, producer and actor, performed at the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts on Thursday.
Starting the night at 8 p.m., the band Satellite Dog performed as the show’s opener. Jamming in their matching pink tuxedo jackets, the band curated a psychedelic atmosphere with their fusion of rock sounds. Performing an original track titled “Walking Home With Mabel,” they hooked the audience by the time they covered Grateful Dead’s “Shakedown Street.”
Following a brief stage change, wash lights covered the venue in a rich red tone as Thomas’s two-man band began to play the intro to the track “HOW FAST.” The crowd erupted into applause as Thomas arrived on stage in a white coat and sunglasses, flooding the room with euphoric vocal riffs. Capturing every ear in the house, he began his set with personal and introspective lyrics, singing, “How fast? How fast? / How fast can I go till it gets bad?”
Thomas performed with a guitar for half of the show. During the song “Blue Hundreds,” Thomas enchanted the audience with a thrilling guitar solo, leaving them head-banging with their hands in the air.
Thomas was a triple threat providing live vocals and stunning guitar performances, and sat down at the drumset for an intense drum break during the track “Sneak.” As a multi-instrumentalist and seasoned live entertainer, there was never a dull moment throughout his set.
With a night full of cathartic instrumental breaks and jams between both performances, the energy in the crowd was electric. The final song of Thomas’ main set was “Breaking Point,” where he invited the crowd to hold up their flashlights. For over half the song the crowd stood swaying, intertwined with strangers, friends and loved ones, singing the lyrics: “I call you home / But I might be alone, / Oh, and I can hear it in your tone, we’re in the danger zone.”
While Satellite Dog had minimal interactions with Thomas himself, Josh Velasco, the band’s bassist, said performing on the same stage as him gave the band more confidence.
“We got on stage and we all kinda just couldn’t stop giggling the whole time because playing for that big of an audience was just something we’ve always hoped for,” Velasco said.
The band’s excitement was evident as they performed for their biggest crowd yet in Boone. Velasco recalls the moment they stepped off stage and were met with unexpected praise.
“His band absolutely loved us. We got off stage and his band just gave us their absolute respect and that really meant a lot to us,” Velasco said.
Before exiting the stage during the outro of “Breaking Point,” Thomas addressed the audience, saying, “Thank you all, this is the best crowd I’ve had in a while.” He then returned to the stage for an encore, performing the song “Treasure In The Hills.”
Releasing his debut solo album “Electric Dusk” in 2023, Thomas found himself in the spotlight of modern soul, alternative R&B and hip-hop music. The following year, Thomas released his sophomore record “MUTT,” featuring his first Billboard charting single of the same name.
Thomas is a versatile producer throughout the industry, working with superstars including Ariana Grande, Ty Dolla Sign, Drake, Jay-Z and SZA; winning a Grammy for Best R&B Song with the track “Snooze.”
While many people remember Thomas’ unforgettable performance as Andre in the Nickelodeon show “Victorious,” it is clear that his creative world is just starting to unfold.
