"T.3 Brings Vocal Fireworks and Heartfelt Storytelling to Judson’s"
Write-up and Photos:
Bailey Guinigundo
(Judson's, Orlando FL) By the time the last harmonies of Bring Him Home floated into the rafters of Judson’s, there was no doubt: T.3 isn’t just an a cappella group, they’re a finely tuned, vocally athletic, emotionally generous force.
The trio (Jim Hogan, Brendan Jacob Smith, and Liam Fennecken) have only been singing together for just over five years, but their rise has been meteoric. A casual TikTok post, recorded in the echo-rich stairwell of a New York building, went viral almost overnight, introducing millions to their tightly woven harmonies and inventive arrangements. A 2021 appearance on America’s Got Talent cemented their status, and within two years they were touring nationally. Last night’s Orlando stop proved exactly why audiences keep coming back.
They opened with a jolt: Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now delivered with the kind of precise, muscular vocal work that left the audience instantly aware they were in the presence of world-class technicians. From there, they jumped to the joyful nostalgia of A Goofy Movie’s “I2I,” before shifting gears into a delicately layered Elton John tribute (Your Song and Can You Feel the Love Tonight). It was here they introduced the “fourth member” of T.3: Edwina Menzel, a well-loved microphone condenser whose warm resonance replicates that stairwell sound that first made them TikTok famous.
The night’s first original (Hogan’s finger-snapping “Dilly Dilly”) showed off their songwriting chops, followed by a lush, almost cinematic take on The Little Mermaid’s “Part of Your World.” Picking up instruments, they delivered a heartfelt Falling Slowly from Once, proving their artistry isn’t confined to vocals alone.
Before launching into Kansas’ Carry On Wayward Son, the group shared a backstage story from America’s Got Talent: they had intended to audition with this very song, only to be redirected by producers. Last night, they sang it the way they had always envisioned, and it landed with powerhouse precision.
The mood shifted to the sleek pop of Hide and Seek (their first single with Straight No Chaser) and seamlessly into Jason Derulo’s Whatcha Say. Their Disney day-trip the day before inspired a sweeping “Disney Nature” medley (Colors of the Wind, Reflection, How Far I’ll Go), a whimsical Liam Fennecken original, and a meticulously controlled Rogers & Hammerstein segment (My Favorite Things, The Hills Are Alive, Edelweiss), where their mastery of crescendos and diminuendos was particularly breathtaking.
Guest vocalist Jessica Morrow joined them for a tender reading of When She Loved Me before they debuted their ballad When I Knew You, a Brendan Jacob Smith composition brimming with sincerity.
The night’s home stretch was pure fan service: a “classic Disney” medley (Chim Chim Cher-ee, The Bare Necessities, When You Wish Upon a Star), Defying Gravity, Let It Go, Hogan’s She Used to Be Mine from Waitress, and their very first song together: Into the Unknown.
The encore, Bring Him Home from Les Misérables, was as much a benediction as a farewell, its quiet intensity sending the audience out into the warm Orlando night with goosebumps.
What sets T.3 apart isn’t just pitch-perfect blend or the crystalline beauty of their harmonies, it’s the way they make the complex sound effortless. Their arrangements are dense with intentional dissonances, intricate rhythmic interplay, and scoring that would make even seasoned musicians sweat. Yet, for the listener, the result is easy, joyful, and emotionally direct.
Onstage, they’re as gracious as they are gifted. Warm, funny, and self-deprecating. But, the musicality underneath is razor-sharp. This is artistry that rewards both casual fans and those who understand the craft.
Here’s hoping Orlando won’t have to wait long for their return. If T.3 comes back, don’t just think about going, GO! Your ears (and your heart) will thank you.
Write-up and Photos:
Bailey Guinigundo
(Judson's, Orlando FL) By the time the last harmonies of Bring Him Home floated into the rafters of Judson’s, there was no doubt: T.3 isn’t just an a cappella group, they’re a finely tuned, vocally athletic, emotionally generous force.
The trio (Jim Hogan, Brendan Jacob Smith, and Liam Fennecken) have only been singing together for just over five years, but their rise has been meteoric. A casual TikTok post, recorded in the echo-rich stairwell of a New York building, went viral almost overnight, introducing millions to their tightly woven harmonies and inventive arrangements. A 2021 appearance on America’s Got Talent cemented their status, and within two years they were touring nationally. Last night’s Orlando stop proved exactly why audiences keep coming back.
They opened with a jolt: Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now delivered with the kind of precise, muscular vocal work that left the audience instantly aware they were in the presence of world-class technicians. From there, they jumped to the joyful nostalgia of A Goofy Movie’s “I2I,” before shifting gears into a delicately layered Elton John tribute (Your Song and Can You Feel the Love Tonight). It was here they introduced the “fourth member” of T.3: Edwina Menzel, a well-loved microphone condenser whose warm resonance replicates that stairwell sound that first made them TikTok famous.
The night’s first original (Hogan’s finger-snapping “Dilly Dilly”) showed off their songwriting chops, followed by a lush, almost cinematic take on The Little Mermaid’s “Part of Your World.” Picking up instruments, they delivered a heartfelt Falling Slowly from Once, proving their artistry isn’t confined to vocals alone.
Before launching into Kansas’ Carry On Wayward Son, the group shared a backstage story from America’s Got Talent: they had intended to audition with this very song, only to be redirected by producers. Last night, they sang it the way they had always envisioned, and it landed with powerhouse precision.
The mood shifted to the sleek pop of Hide and Seek (their first single with Straight No Chaser) and seamlessly into Jason Derulo’s Whatcha Say. Their Disney day-trip the day before inspired a sweeping “Disney Nature” medley (Colors of the Wind, Reflection, How Far I’ll Go), a whimsical Liam Fennecken original, and a meticulously controlled Rogers & Hammerstein segment (My Favorite Things, The Hills Are Alive, Edelweiss), where their mastery of crescendos and diminuendos was particularly breathtaking.
Guest vocalist Jessica Morrow joined them for a tender reading of When She Loved Me before they debuted their ballad When I Knew You, a Brendan Jacob Smith composition brimming with sincerity.
The night’s home stretch was pure fan service: a “classic Disney” medley (Chim Chim Cher-ee, The Bare Necessities, When You Wish Upon a Star), Defying Gravity, Let It Go, Hogan’s She Used to Be Mine from Waitress, and their very first song together: Into the Unknown.
The encore, Bring Him Home from Les Misérables, was as much a benediction as a farewell, its quiet intensity sending the audience out into the warm Orlando night with goosebumps.
What sets T.3 apart isn’t just pitch-perfect blend or the crystalline beauty of their harmonies, it’s the way they make the complex sound effortless. Their arrangements are dense with intentional dissonances, intricate rhythmic interplay, and scoring that would make even seasoned musicians sweat. Yet, for the listener, the result is easy, joyful, and emotionally direct.
Onstage, they’re as gracious as they are gifted. Warm, funny, and self-deprecating. But, the musicality underneath is razor-sharp. This is artistry that rewards both casual fans and those who understand the craft.
Here’s hoping Orlando won’t have to wait long for their return. If T.3 comes back, don’t just think about going, GO! Your ears (and your heart) will thank you.
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