By Alexander Allen
JUNE 13 – I made the trek out to Jones Beach, which is still my favorite beach in New York. I have fond concert memories at this venue. Ms. Lauryn Hill, Prince, Janet Jackson, and most recently, Gwen Stefani. I love this outdoor theater, as every seat is a great one. My Citi VIP ticket tonight was exceptional.
TLC, my all-time favorite female group, was my draw to this concert. I also love En Vogue, another one of my favorite female groups. I had the pleasure of seeing them in May at the “Lovers & Friends Festival,” in Las Vegas, which I wrote about in the June issue of West View News. Make sure to subscribe to not miss any of my past and/or upcoming concert reviews. Seeing them twice in one year? WOW!
In the 90s, En Vogue were known for their incredible voices, unforgettable harmonies, bold fashion, and stunning music videos. They were and still are in a lane of their own. They sang their classics including, “Free Your Mind,” “My Lovin (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” and “Hold On.” A highlight included a medley to my all-time favorite artist Prince, which included “Glamorous Life” and “Let’s Go Crazy.” When I see an act multiple times in one year, I expect a different show and that’s what En Vogue gave me, as this was a different experience from their festival show in May.
TLC! TLC!! TLC!!! Coming off the hype of their recently debuted documentary, “TLC Forever,” which debuted on June 3, I was, especially, looking forward to seeing TLC live in concert, once again. The last time I saw them live was last year at the inaugural “Lovers & Friends Festival.”
This time, I noticed that there weren’t any images of Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes, just audio, as I’ve learned from their documentary that they can’t handle seeing Lisa on the screens, knowing that she is no longer with them.
TLC performed their fan favorites: “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg,” “Diggin’ On You,” “Red Light Special,” and “Unpretty. The crowd lost it, as soon as, we heard those indelible trumpets at the beginning of their smash hit, “Creep.” The same was true when they performed their mega hit, “No Scrubs.” The super successful “Waterfalls” single closed out their high-energy set.
“Mr. Lover, Lover,” himself, Shaggy closed out the Hot Summer Nights Tour and what a beautiful night on the water it was. Sometimes, depending on the time of the year and the weather, it can be hot during the day and quite brisk, at night.
Shaggy opened his set with the festive “Mood” single. A great choice, as it set the tone for the remainder of his set, which included, “Boombastic,” “Luv Me Luv Me,” and “Go Down Deh (Spice cover).” He ended his section of the tour with “It Wasn’t Me.”
This nostalgic 90s’ trip down memory lane was great fun.
