Leon Thomas Rides His Wave of Success With First Sold-Out Dallas Show

Leon Thomas exhibited exactly why he is a jack of all trades at the opening night of his sold-out Mutts Don’t Heel Tour in Dallas.

The House of Blues transformed into a silver-screen daydream on Thursday night for the launch of his headlining 2025-2026 world tour. Thomas was joined by Ambré, known for stitching R&B and hip-hop styles together with jazz and trap textures, who opened for him. The songstress’s 30-minute set was the perfect warm-up, setting the tone for the night. 

At 8:58 p.m., the white stage lights snapped on, revealing classic silver, sparkling Hollywood curtains, two silver risers for the band, four silver, glittering pillars framing the set and a chrome sculpture of Thomas’ head floating above, reminiscent of a disco ball. 

“Dallas, what’s up?” the songwriter asked, dressed in all black with shades to get the night started, with fans screaming in response. “Tonight I want you to indulge me. I want to try something new, alright? So, on the count of three, I want every single person in this room to bark for the Mutts Don’t Heel Tour. You ready? One, two, three, now go!” This prompted the concertgoers to bark loudly, a preview of how the night’s energy would unfold.

He then hit the gas with “Heel” from his MUTT Deluxe: Heel before sliding cleanly into “How Fast” from the original EP MUTT. Strapping up his guitar for “Dancing With Demons,” he dropped to his knees, showcased his guitar skills, and hit a few spins for good measure while performing the track. Blue lights washed over the stage for “Far Fetched,” which locked into a groove where he jammed out. After each song up to this point, applause from the crowd was like clockwork, marking the excitement in the venue.

Thomas continued with more tracks from MUTT, turning “Lucid Dreams” into a sing-along with hands in the air, swaying in sync. “Vibes Don’t Lie” lifted a sea of phones in the air. Switching back to the deluxe side to sing “Party Favors” gave the drummer a star turn that demonstrated why he made the cut to hit the road. Thomas then ditched the guitar and glided across the stage while performing “I Do” before he grabbed it again for “My Muse” and “Just How You Are” from his project PHOLKS, which led to another jam session. Midway through, he flipped to a cover of Hozier’s “Too Sweet.”

The creative then tapped into his 2023 album Electric Dusk to deliver “Blue Hundreds,” a rock-and-soul blend that shifted the atmosphere by splitting the crowd’s mood. He took a trip down memory lane for “Aquarius” from the mixtape V1bes before bouncing back to the single “Baccarat.” 

A reset occurred when the music for “Safe Place” served as the reentry point. Thomas ditched the guitar and worked the whole stage instead. The room’s engagement was back, locked in for him. “Slow Down” had folks belting their hearts out. “Love Jones” cooled the tempo, with call-and-response between him and the crowd that felt flirty and communal all at once. When the opening notes of “Yes It Is” rang out, the place erupted as phones went up. He planted himself at the center mic and let it fly. 

“It’s getting hot in here,” he said, feeding off the noise.

Thomas proceeded to “Crash & Burn,” which included a quick confession about the ups and downs of his personal life. No guitar, just his voice and movement, and the crowd kept singing with him. “Treasure In The Hills” was next on the set list before yellow lights painted the room as he picked the guitar back up for “I Used To.” The venue turned into a constellation of phone lights when his band started playing “Breaking Point.” For “Not Fair,” bodies rocked and a wave of cheers swelled into a full round of applause before the last chord faded.

He closed out the night with his first No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart as a solo artist, “MUTT.” Surrounded by the discourse that hip-hop hasn’t had a top 40 song on the Billboard Hot 100 since 1990, Thomas is having a week of celebration after “MUTT” landed at No. 10. Drowning the stage in red, there were more phones and more shouting. It was validation that the charts aren’t the end-all, be-all for a genre’s success.

He had one last guitar flex. A fan nearby summed it up with a grin: “He loves a guitar solo.” 

“Thank you, Dallas! That’s my time,” Thomas said and stepped off stage, and the audience started barking back. He took his time and didn’t rush, and now this tour is a statement of a pending victory lap for the rising superstar.

See more photos from Thursday’s show: