Review: TLC Lit the Main Stage Ablaze at State Fair of Texas

During their Saturday performance, which kicked off the opening weekend of the State Fair of Texas, TLC reminded their Dallas-Fort Worth fans why they remain one of the most iconic R&B girl groups of all time.

The 2025 fair season commenced, marking a time to celebrate Dallas’ rich and nostalgic Black culture with a splash of Atlanta in the mix. The first weekend filled the city with big energy, as the beloved annual State Fair Classic football game celebrated its 100th anniversary this year. The game took place between longtime HBCU rivals Prairie View A&M University and Grambling State University. The HollyHood Bay Bay’s annual Baybay Block Party also brought the heat in the endzone as Zillionaire Doe, HeadHuncho Amir and Johnnie Damn D made appearances.

While the showdown was ending on the field, with PV beating their opponent 28-13, another highly anticipated show took place off the field at Fair Park, and was the cherry on top of the night for fairgoers.

Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins performed on stage for nearly an hour on the Chevy Main Stage in front of a jam-packed crowd that spilled beyond the sectioned-off area. With dancers in crisp white tees and jeans, the duo, Chilli in a black cut-out top with bedazzled jeans and a jewel glimmering between her eyebrows, and T-Boz rocking a distressed Led Zeppelin tee with sparkling black and grey bottoms, set the tone before even hitting their first note. They wasted no time diving into early hits from their debut album, Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip, as soon as they stepped on stage. They started their set with “Ain’t 2 Proud 2 Beg” followed by “What About Your Friends” and “Baby-Baby-Baby.”

Celebrating 30 years of their second album, CrazySexyCool, they transitioned seamlessly into singing “Red Light Special” and “Diggin’ on You.” T-Boz then took a moment to share how she was enjoying the atmosphere of the audience.

“Y’all are a live crowd, I love it!” she said to the cheering crowd.

Before they sang their other standout song, “Unpretty,” she then noted how the “words” of the single are relevant today.

“My words still stand true today, especially with social media and people chasing this word called ‘perfect.’ Because nobody’s perfect and that’s what actually prompted me to write this song…people bullying people, picking on them, making them feel ‘unpretty,'” T-Boz noted.

A favorite, “Girls Talk,” from their 3D album, was the next song before the Atlanta natives showed some love to their roots with a fun dance break to fellow ATLien Lil Jon’s classic hit “Snap Yo Fingers.” They took a quick stage exit for an intermission that led into an energetic choreography moment, highlighting their dancers. The momentum carried into the DJ, who stepped out from behind his booth to keep the energy going for about five minutes.

TLC then returned to the stage to perform “I’m Good at Being Bad,” “I Bet” from Fan Mail, and “Way Back” featuring Snoop Dogg from their fifth and final studio album, TLC. After that, Chilli teased that “Case of the Fake People” is “like a part two of ‘What About Your Friends.'”

TLC Is Still Creepin’, So Keep It on the Downlow

Next up was “Creep,” which was clearly a crowd favorite. The audience’s reaction proved why it remains one of TLC’s all-time classics.

The set flowed with the ease of true veterans the entire night. Chilli, forever the dancer at heart, kept sliding back in line with the crew, smiling as if no time had passed since the ’90s. She then cracked jokes about the Texas heat, telling the crowd, “Humidity is good for the skin. We’ll take sweat over dry skin, right?”

She continued as fans screamed, “I love that you guys have brought the little ones to the TLC show, cause TLC shows are what? Educational.”

This callout and statement served as the launchpad for “No Scrubs.” When the No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 song dropped, phones instantly went up as the entire crowd sang along. At one point, the beat cut out, leaving nothing but the fans’ voices echoing back at Chilli and T-Boz. Some audience members started leaving, thinking the show was over, but TLC returned with their signature hit, “Waterfalls.” They hit their classic shoulder bounce moves as Left Eye’s verse played over a dance break that included a fresh remix-style breakdown.

Before closing, the DJ gave a special shout-out to Left Eye. The group then lined up with their dancers, held hands, and bowed before staying on stage to wave at fans one last time before clearing the stage.