NASHVILLE |FROM: TODD BRODGINSKI/AMANDA CAGAN
TLC
SELL OUT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN AS SECOND LEG
OF ‘FANMAIL’ TOUR GENERATES CRITICAL ACCLAIM;
“TLC DAY” DECLARED IN HOMETOWN OF ATLANTA
THIS SUPER BOWL WEEKEND;
GROUP ADDRESSES BREAK-UP RUMORS;
ATLANTA PERFORMANCE TO FEATURE
OPENING ARTIST SELECTED FROM MP3.COM;
A sold-out crowd of over 14,000 exuberant fans were on hand at New York City’s Madison Square Garden Friday night (1/21) to catch TLC‘s critically acclaimed “FanMail” tour. The show marked another triumphant performance for the group whose FANMAIL CD (LaFace Records) recently generated eight Grammy nominations and features three singles so far: “No Scrubs” (#1 in both Rolling Stone and Spin’s critics’ polls) and “Unpretty”–which both went #1–plus the newly released “Dear Lie.” At the New York show, the former Prince joined the group for a quick guitar solo on “No Scrubs” and R&B singer Maxwell was serenaded on-stage during “I Miss You So Much.”
Meanwhile, the TLC tour wraps up in their hometown of Atlanta this Saturday, January 29, the day before the Super Bowl is in town. Atlanta Mayor Bill Campbell will be on hand for the show to give the group a key to the city and declare “TLCDay.” That concert will also feature a performance by Ebony Records’ Arika Kimble, an artist selected by the group from the MP3.COM website, a co-sponsor of the tour. Kimble–who has also won studio time with a major producer–was chosen from over a thousand applicants on MP3.COM. The group–TIONNE “T-BOZ” WATKINS, LISA “LEFT EYE” LOPES and ROZANDA “CHILLI” THOMAS–will greet fans in Atlanta on Monday at the cosmetics retailer Sephora (Lennox Square Mall location), the other tour sponsor.
TLC are also addressing the incessant rumors that they are breaking up. LOPES recently told the New York Daily News, “A lot of people are under the impression that I’m leaving the group. That’s not the case…” In speaking about a recent volley of complaints aired publicly, LOPES said, “We’ve gotten past that. The bottom line is we love each other.” She also added, “The magic of the group has everything to do with the chemistry between myself, Tionne and Chilli…with TLC, it’s like, if there wasn’t something going wrong, it just wouldn’t be right.”
Meanwhile, critical acclaim has followed the group on the “FanMail” tour. Natalie Nichols of the Los Angeles Times described the Anaheim show in a recent review as:
“…a thoroughly 21st century pop concert, with all the razzle-dazzle and sense of fun you’d expect…” and said “TLC delighted fans while underscoring the staying power that has made it the best-selling female trio in history.” Nichols went on to say: “…a seven-piece band managed to stay out of the way, playing TLC’s blend of soul, hip-hop, funk and pop with surprising verve…However, this was one modern multi-platinum act that had plenty of meat to match the sizzle.”
Darryl Morden of the Hollywood Reporter:
“Smart, sexy, stylish, sweet, daring, dazzling and diverse, the 100-minute performance Friday night was full of flash but grounded in personal charisma. Effects and gimmickry took a back seat to old-fashioned, engaging showmanship.”
Daily Variety’s Troy Augusto:
“an exciting evening of singing and dancing that delivered all of their hit songs in charming fashion.”
Gene Stout of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer added,
“Pent-up demand for the Atlanta-based trio’s incendiary blend of pop, hip-hop and R&B made the evening a celebration.”
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