Photos by Andy Argyrakis

On their own, Salt-N-Pepa, TLC and En Vogue are legendary ladies of hip-hop, R&B and pop, but when embarking upon a joint tour together, “It’s Iconic” in the maximum sense of the description.

That’s because each act maintains a pioneering presence in any of those genres and beyond, co-led by a cast of empowering, culture-shifting women whose significant impact was apparent to a beautifully diverse crowd at Huntington Bank Pavilion, placed beside the breathtaking skyline of Northerly Island.

Rather than going the typical opener, middle act and headliner route, the superstars rotated through two briskly-paced hours like a mega mixtape, starting with “Funky Divas” En Vogue confidently belting out “My Lovin’ (You’re Never Gonna Get It)” and “Free Your Mind.”

Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas, representing TLC, took the next turn, serving up soulful renditions of “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg,” “What About Your Friends,” “Baby-Baby-Baby” and “Diggin’ On You,” holding it down for an ill Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins, who suffers from sickle cell disease, and in honor of the late Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes.

Newly inducted Rock & Roll Hall of Famers Salt-N-Pepa, comprised of Cheryl “Salt” James, Sandra “Pepa” Denton and DJ Spinderella, dropped the groundbreaking rhymes of “My Mic Sounds Nice,” “None Of Your Business” and “I’ll Take Your Man,” reuniting with En Vogue for the mighty groove “Whatta Man.”

From there, Terry Ellis, Cindy Herron and the recently returning Maxine Jones covered Aretha Franklin’s ballad “Something He Can Feel,” featuring their signature harmonies, then brought the beats back up to “Hold On” and “Don’t Let Go (Love).”

“Chilli” delivered another couple TLC slow jams, “Creep,” “Red Light Special” and “Unpretty,” then took it home with the colossal sing-a-longs “No Scrubs” and “Waterfalls.”

As unforgettable as they all were, Salt-N-Pepa bumped the bangers “Let’s Talk About Sex,” “Shake Your Thang,” “Shoop,” “Push It” and even the God’s Property/Kirk Franklin collaboration “Stomp,” bringing the tally to well over two dozen tunes that dominated the radio throughout the 1980s and ’90s, yet remain as relevant for the subsequent generations.

For additional information on Salt-N-Pepa, TLC and En Vogue, visit Salt-N-Pepa.com, TheOfficialTLC.com and EnVogueMusic.com.

Upcoming shows at Huntington Bank Pavilion At Northerly Island include Dermot Kennedy (Sept. 11); Chief Keef (Sept. 12); Logic and G-Eazy (Sept. 22); Yeat (Sept. 24); Sofi Tukker (Sept. 25); Foster The People (Sept. 26) and Mt. Joy (Oct. 3). For additional details, visit LiveNation.com.

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