Hips were swirling and the music whirling at the Iowa State Fair with three of hip-hop and R&B’s biggest groups sharing the stage for an iconic night out.
The “It’s Iconic Tour,” featuring TLC and Salt-n-Pepa with support from En Vogue, lived up to expectations for the 15,458 fans on Tuesday, Aug. 18. The Iowa State Fair performance was only the second show of the 34-city tour.
En Vogue kicks off an iconic night at Iowa State Fair Grandstand
DJ Dubz opened the evening with a preshow hype, spinning classic 90s and early 2000s R&B, hip-hop and pop to get the crowd going, spinning behind the decks until the sun disappeared. It gave the audience only a little taste of what was in store for the rest of the night.
Leaving the stage at 8:30 p.m., there was a pause in the night, with the preshow songs playing before the lights dimmed and En Vogue catapulting onto the stage at 9 p.m., opening the night back-to-back with their most iconic tunes “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” and “Free Your Mind.”
In coordinating black outfits, with bustles on their skirts and studded knee-high boots, the trio hit every move on stage and sang every note with precision. The audience found perfect harmony with them, even hitting the legendary and soaring vocal run of “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It).”
TLC brings hits, heart and a homecoming
The short yet powerful introduction from En Vogue got the crowd on their feet. When TLC seemingly materialized out of thin air and through the haze of the fog machine, the crowd was jumping. The group opened with “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg / What About Your Friends,” followed by a mash-up medley, squeezing in songs from their five studio albums and 36-year-long career that might of otherwise been left off the setlist.
The group, comprised of Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, felt at home on stage and were in complete control, performing with ease.
For T-Boz, the show at the State Fair was a homecoming for the Iowa native.
“This crowd is alive, but guess what, ya’ll? I’m home,” T-Boz said. “This is where I was born and bred, y’all. This is kind of the s—, I’m not gonna lie.”
The duo then shot right into “Baby-Baby-Baby” and “Diggin’ on You” from their Grammy Award-winning album “Crazysexycool.”
Salt-N-Pepa brings swagger, hits and hip-hop history
If this were any other concert, TLC could have kept the power going all night. But it was not just any regular concert; it was the “It’s Iconic Tour.” When the final notes of “Diggin on You” were played, the stage lights went black. The iconic opening lines “My mic sound nice, check one. My mic sound nice, check two” rattled the rafters of the Grandstand as the award-winning duo soared into “My Mic Sounds Nice” and “None of Your Business.”
If there was anyone in the audience still sitting, at this point they were surely on their feet, as Sandra Denton, best known as Pepa, Cheryl James, best known as Salt, and backing beats from DJ Spinderella radiated infectious energy from the platform on the back of the Grandstand stage to the nosebleeds of the venue.
The duo commanded the stage with undeniable swagger as the background dancers matched their energy at every turn. Hitting every line and bar with razor-sharp precision, Salt-N-Pepa sounded less like a nostalgia act performing to thousands and more like they were cutting tracks in the recording booth.
The confidence and chemistry oozed, and talent was center stage at every point, a reminder of the lyrical and trailblazing skill that helped make Salt-N-Pepa one of hip-hop’s most influential acts. That legacy still shines brightly after 31 years, when the duo made history as the first female rap act to win a competitive Grammy Award for their performance of “None of Your Business,” followed by a lifetime achievement award from the Recording Academy in 2021.
That lifetime of pioneering energy and talent was left on the stage with hit after hit, including “Get Up,” “Champagne,” “I’ll Take Your Man,” and “Whatta Man” featuring En Vogue.
In total control from start to finish, when Salt-N-Pepa said “jump,” the crowd jumped; when they said “get loud,” the audience got loud; and when they said “put your hands up,” the crowd went up swaying, mimicking a summer breeze that was otherwise absent.
En Vogue and TLC showcase the softer side of R&B
En Vogue then slowed it down for the evening with a cover of Aretha Franklin’s “Something He Can Feel” and their first single from their debut album “Hold On” before welcoming back TLC for the night.
TLC also slowed things down, creating an emotional valley amid the night’s high-energy peaks. Songs like “Creep” and “Red Light Special” brought the sultry confidence and sensuality that helped define the group’s sound to the spotlight, while “Unpretty” showed the vulnerable side.
The shift was not an unwelcome one, but a natural part of any live show, and it showcased not only TLC’s range but also the breadth of the genre they helped define.
Salt-N-Pepa and TLC’s hit-filled finale lights up the Grandstand
The vibes weren’t slowed down for long, and when Salt-N-Pepa made it back to the stage, the duo sent the Grandstand’s energy level into overdrive. They played the classics like “Expression,” “Do You Want Me” and “Let’s Talk About Sex” before passing the mic to DJ Spinderella. DJ Spinderella is an icon in her own right, as the group’s live mix genius became the first female DJ ever inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when Salt-N-Pepa were inducted in 2025.
Never missing a beat, DJ Spinderella led the crowd in a power hour of decades of pop, hip-hop and R&B, serving as the ultimate vibe barometer. Though the crowd was in high spirits from start to finish of the show, the break in set reinvigorated something in the audience when Salt-N-Pepa returned to the stage with the ever-recognizable “Shoop” and “Push It.”
Salt-N-Pepa could have ended the show right there. The combined energy of En Vogue, TLC and Salt-N-Pepa had already turned the Grandstand into a funky, hit-filled celebration spanning generations of R&B and hip-hop. But the show wasn’t finished pushing the limits.
TLC hit the stage one more time, treating the crowd to “No Scrubs” before closing the night with the timeless “Waterfalls.” The crowd’s phone lights illuminated the Grandstand, the sea of lights shimmering and rivaling the drone show that would soon light up the sky. The glow remained until the final note faded and every performer gathered on stage for one last bow, a perfect end to an iconic night.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: TLC, Salt-N-Pepa bring iconic hits to Iowa State Fair Grandstand
Reporting by Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen / Des Moines Register
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By Jessica Rish, Iowa City Press-Citizen | USA TODAY Network
