Salt-N-Pepa Turn Truliant Amphitheater Into a ’90s Hip-Hop Party
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It was a night of nostalgia, big beats and plenty of familiar voices as Salt-N-Pepa, TLC and En Vogue brought the “It’s Iconic Tour” to Truliant Amphitheater on Sunday, September 20.
For fans who grew up on the R&B and hip-hop sounds of the 1980s and ’90s, the lineup was a chance to hear three influential female groups on the same stage. The tour brought together TLC and Salt-N-Pepa as co-headliners, with En Vogue joining the lineup.
The evening got started with En Vogue, followed by TLC, each giving the crowd plenty of reasons to sing along before Salt-N-Pepa took over the stage.
By the time the lights began to change for Salt-N-Pepa, the audience was ready.
Then came the entrance.
Salt-N-Pepa appeared high above the crowd on a platform toward the back of the stage. One was dressed in bright yellow, while the other wore red, making a striking visual as the two stood above the audience.
Behind them, the giant video screen came alive with photographs and video images from their career, taking fans back through the years. The screen featured different scenes of the duo from back in the day, creating a visual trip through hip-hop history as they performed their classic material.
The reaction from the crowd was immediate. Fans recognized the songs almost as soon as the music started, with people throughout the amphitheater singing along, dancing and throwing their hands in the air.
The set drew heavily on the Salt-N-Pepa catalog that helped make the duo a household name. Songs such as “Push It,” “Shoop,” “Whatta Man,” “Let’s Talk About Sex” and “None of Your Business” are among the signature tracks associated with the group and the tour’s celebration of their catalog. The broader tour has been promoted around iconic hits from all three acts, including TLC’s “No Scrubs” and “Waterfalls” and En Vogue’s “Free Your Mind” and “Don’t Let Go (Love).”
Adding to the production was a female DJ positioned in the center of the stage. She kept the beats moving while Salt-N-Pepa worked the stage, and a group of backup dancers added choreography and energy to the performance.
The dancers helped turn some of the biggest songs into full production numbers rather than simply a walk down memory lane. The combination of choreography, the DJ, the massive video screen and the elevated platform gave the show a modern concert feel while still celebrating the group’s roots.
What made the evening especially enjoyable was watching the audience respond to music that has remained part of their lives for decades. Some fans were dancing in their seats, others were standing and singing every word, and plenty appeared to know the songs from beginning to end.
There was a real sense of shared nostalgia throughout the amphitheater. These were songs that many fans remembered from their younger years, and hearing them live again brought those memories rushing back.
The production also made sure the past was always present. As Salt-N-Pepa performed, images from earlier in their career played behind them, reminding the audience just how long these songs have remained part of popular culture.
The It’s Iconic Tour was built around exactly that idea celebrating decades of music from three groups that helped shape R&B and hip-hop. Charlotte’s stop delivered that nostalgia in a big way, with En Vogue, TLC and Salt-N-Pepa giving fans an entire evening devoted to music many had grown up with.
