An all-star lineup of SNAP!, Tone Loc, Biz Markie, Naughty by Nature and TLC recently entertained nearly 2,000 fans at the Salem Civic Center as part of The I Love The 90s Music Tour.
“I was fortunate enough to attend last year’s show and really had a great time. I had so much fun again this year,” Karen Alexander said. “I loved hearing Tone Loc’s deep voice. I loved the personal touches that Naughty by Nature added to their set. I just loved everything about the show.”
Known for their popular 1990 record “The Power”, German Eurodance group SNAP! hit the stage first. “My mother used to play SNAP! all the time so seeing them perform live was truly icing on the cake for me,” Steve Jackson said.
Beloved by old school hip hop fans, Tone Loc remains one of the most colorful characters in all of music. “Obviously he is best known for his rapping skills but I think he could be a top-notch comedian if he wanted to,” Sydney Vesser said. “When he performed ‘Wild Thing’ my husband and I literally lost our mind.”
Over a career that spans 30 years, Biz Markie has sold over seven million records to date. “Just A Friend” is Erik Fisher’s go-to Biz song. “I play that record at least a dozen times a week,” he said. “I had high expectations when I purchased my ticket and my favorite rapper of all time didn’t disappoint.”
Naughty by Nature had three songs on the Billboard Top 100 Charts in 1991: “Everything’s Gonna Be Alright”, “O.P.P” and “Uptown Anthem”. Almost 30 years later they are still leaving it all on the stage when they are performing. “Jamming to Vin Rock and Treach was by far my favorite part of the concert,” Mike Beal said.
Like many others, attendees Cyndi Jennings, Jennifer Hutchinson, Danielle Banks, John Eller and Christian Rodgers were most excited to see TLC. “The last album I downloaded was the TLC self-titled album,” John said. “Since I donated to their Kickstarter, I was granted access to download the record on June 30.”
Only two American girl groups have sold over 65 million records. The Spice Girls did it in the 90s. TLC also holds that distinction. “I helped make that possible because when I was in high school I purchased multiple copies of every record they released,” Scott Henson jokingly said.
Seeing SNAP!, Biz Markie and Tone Loc perform live has been a goal of Cordell Wagner since he first heard their music as a teenager. “My birthday was the same day as the concert and my amazing girlfriend surprised me with tickets,” he said. “The fact that I also got to see Naughty by Nature and TLC is a memory that I will forever cherish.”
