BY MELISSA RUGGIERI
When she isn’t stuck on a tour bus or cooped up in an arena, TLC’s Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas has a few simple preferences of how to spend her time — catching a movie, going to a local mall and finding a spot to get her nails done.
Thomas and musical partner Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins are in the midst of the 40-plus dates “Main Event” tour with New Kids on the Block and Nelly, and the Atlanta natives have already bounced along the West Coast and Midwest.
They’ll hit Philips Arena on Saturday for a homecoming of sorts (Watkins moved to California a few years ago) and bring their trove of R&B-pop hits (“Creep,” “Waterfalls,” “No Scrubs”) and sassy dance moves.
Thomas checked in on Thursday from a tour stop in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to discuss the show and TLC's upcoming album.
Q: So how are you and T-Boz getting on with all of the boys?
A: We love it! The pranks are about to start up, we're getting ideas together. Now that everyone is loving each other, your guards are down, so the pranks will begin this week. We're coming up with different ideas to scare them…all of them, nobody is excluded! But really, this has been one of our favorite tours, everybody gets along so well. It's a really great package.
Q: What can fans expect from the show?
A: Nelly gets the hype going and he's such a good performer and he has some hits himself. Everyone is partying by the time we and New Kids on the Block get up there. It's nice to know we share a lot of the same fans. We see a lot of people with New Kids T-shirts on and they're going crazy for TLC and Nelly and vice-versa. Everywhere we've gone, I can't tell you which city has been better than the next because the crowds have been amazing.
Q: How about your set, specifically?
A: What's really cool is that the stage is humongous. It's so cool because you're right in the middle of the arena (in the round). We choreographed everything so we can give every side some attention. I was very nervous at first, like how can we pull this off? But we did! We added a few little remixes to some of our songs. It's just really cool. We have a band that plays for us and for New Kids.
Q: How will the Atlanta show be special?
A: We're trying to figure out some things. Whether they happen or not, I believe Atlanta will be happy with our performance. But we're trying to have a surprise or two. We are definitely ready to get down and party!
Q: Can you give us an update on the album?
A: Definitely. Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Carlton, Keyshia Cole) is going to executive produce. I always wanted to work with him back in the day. We had a conference call the other day and he's sending songs out to us. As soon as we get off the road, we're going to go right into studio. We'll probably do some recording here, but it depends. Some of the other producers we want to work with are in Atlanta, but we're definitely recording in L.A. There's no release date yet, but the album is definitely our priority.
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Credit: Melissa Ruggieri
Q: You mentioned when we talked a few months ago about wanting to do a dance-off with NKOTB. Has that happened?
A: It hasn't happened, but we're definitely better dancers! I love them, but I think we're gonna own that! It really is a party, from the moment Nelly hits the stage to New Kids going off. And it's so nice when we're leaving on the bus and all the fans are sitting out waiting.
I have to tell you this story about one special thing happened. I’m always tweeting and retweeting after the show and this lady tweeted to me that she had a picture of the three of us that had T-Boz and Lisa’s signatures, but not mine. She said, ‘Hey, I’m outside. Can I please get your signature?’ So I’m thinking, how am I going to find her? So I’m on the bus and it starts moving and she all of a sudden came out of nowhere and was chasing the bus on the side and I was like, ‘Stop! Stop!’ I didn’t know it was her, but whoever was it, I had to sign whatever they had. But it was her and it all worked out! That was amazing.
Q: Can you give us an update on the album?
A: Definitely. Ron Fair (Christina Aguilera, Vanessa Carlton, Keyshia Cole) is going to executive produce. I always wanted to work with him back in the day. We had a conference call the other day and he's sending songs out to us. As soon as we get off the road, we're going to go right into studio. We'll probably do some recording here, but it depends. Some of the other producers we want to work with are in Atlanta, but we're definitely recording in L.A. There's no release date yet, but the album is definitely our priority.
Q: I interviewed Bette Midler recently and she raved about you guys and how much she loves “Waterfalls” and said she contributed to your Kickstarter account. Were you surprised to find out she was a fan?
A: I always say, you never really know who is into your music and who is not. It didn't surprise me that she knew about us, but it did surprise me that she wanted to be part of the new album.
Q: Do you have any kind of pre-show ritual?
A: I have all of my Beachbody stuff, my Shakeology stuff. I went to Walmart and bought some free weights so I have a lot of the workout programs with me so I'm still working out on the bus. It's what I do at home and I don't want to get out here and not have my routine.
Q: Do you and T-Boz have any kind of pre-show routine?
A: We just joke a lot. We have meet and greets right before, so we have a good time, a bonding period with those fans. They bring us the most beautiful presents. And all of the young fans...the movie really got a whole new generation interested in TLC…it's been awesome out here.
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CONCERT PREVIEW
New Kids on the Block with TLC and Nelly
7 p.m. Saturday. $29.50-$105. Philips Arena, 1 Philips Drive, Atlanta. 1-800-745-3000, www.ticketmaster.com.
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