FanMail Tour
| Tour by TLC | |
Promotional poster for tour
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| Associated album | FanMail |
|---|---|
| Start date | October 22, 1999 |
| End date | January 29, 2000 |
| Legs | 2 |
| No. of shows | 33 in North America |
| TLC concert chronology | |
The FanMail Tour is the debut headlining tour by American group TLC. The tour support their third studio album, FanMail. The tour visited North America with dates planned in Japan and Europe. However, the international dates after the second North American leg were cancelled, due to member Lisa Lopes' Honduras trip.
TLC went on a nationwide tour simply named The FanMail Tour after their album. Most dates of the tour were sold out. TLC performed all their hits. The tightly choreographed concert featured a five-piece band, seven dancers, cybertechnics, and a giant-screen android named "Virtual Vic-E". On September 27, 1999, TLC donated an exclusive track entitled "I Need That" to MP3.com, that the fans could download from the company's website for free. In exchange, MP3.com sponsored the tour and donated ten cents to the Sickle Cell Disease Association each time the song was downloaded.
At the time, TLC had to address the incessant rumors that they were breaking up. Lisa Lopes 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..." 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." The tour wrapped up in their hometown of Atlanta, months after Super Bowl XXXIV took place. Mayor Bill Campbell gave the group a key to the city and declared January 29 "TLC Day".
On March 18, 2000, the group had a PayPerView special of the full live show in Atlanta, called TLC: Sold Out.
A few performances from their concert at MCI Center, Washington, D.C. on January 23, 2000 have later been included on their Japanese compilation TLC 20: 20th Anniversary Hits (2013).
The tour received very positive reviews from critics. Natalie Nichols of the Los Angeles Times described the Anaheim show as: "...a thoroughly 21st century pop concert, with all the razzle-dazzle and sense of fun you'd expect [...] TLC delighted fans while underscoring the staying power that has made it the best-selling female trio in history [...] 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".
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