Anyone wondering when gentrification will have officially and completely taken over Williamsburg should mark Saturday on the calendar. That’s when ’90s Fest, a nostalgia-soaked bill more typically found at suburban amphitheaters, makes its way to 50 Kent. In case you’ve been too busy with jobs, kids and a mortgage to keep up with your old favorites, here’s what you need to know before you dig the flannel and cargo pants out of the attic.
Salt-N-PepaBIGGEST HIT: “Whatta Man” (1994)
MEMORABLE ’90S MOMENT: Salt-N-Pepa became one of the first hip-hop groups to talk about safe sex and AIDS awareness when they rerecorded the single “Let’s Talk About Sex” as “Let’s Talk About AIDS.”
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Salt-N-Pepa broke up in 2002 when Salt quit the music industry. They re-formed in 2007. Pepa has written an autobiography and been the subject of a reality show, “Let’s Talk About Pep.” Spinderella has worked as a radio DJ.
Blind MelonBIGGEST HIT:
“No Rain” (1993)
MEMORABLE ’90S MOMENT: The classic “Bee Girl” video for “No Rain,” in which a young girl in a bee suit is laughed at until she finally meets up with her fellow bee people to frolic in a field. It sounds crazy, but this was all over MTV at the time. VH1 later named it one of the 100 Greatest Videos of All Time.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The band broke up in 1995 when lead singer Shannon Hoon died of an apparent drug overdose before re-forming in 2006 with current singer Travis Warren.
CoolioBIGGEST HIT: “Gangsta’s Paradise” (1995)
MEMORABLE ’90S MOMENT: In 1996, Coolio created one of music’s strangest feuds when he publicly complained about Weird Al Yankovic’s parody “Amish Paradise.” The two of them later made up, with Coolio saying that getting mad at Al was “a stupid thing to do.”
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Coolio hosts an online cooking show, “Cookin’ with Coolio.” He has also appeared on the reality shows “Celebrity Big Brother” and “Wife Swap.”
Lisa LoebBIGGEST HIT: “Stay
(I Missed You)” (1994)
MEMORABLE ’90S MOMENT: “Stay” shot to No. 1 after it appeared in the closing credits of the film “Reality Bites,” making Loeb the first unsigned artist to top the Billboard chart. Hawke also directed the video, which featured Loeb walking around an empty apartment.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Loeb made two kid’s albums and wrote two kid’s books before returning to adult music with 2013’s “No Fairy Tale.” She also has her own line of eyewear and has appeared in TV shows ranging from her own reality shows “Dweezil and Lisa” and “Number 1 Single” to “Gossip Girl.”
Naughty By NatureBIGGEST HIT:
“O.P.P.” (1991)
MEMORABLE ’90S MOMENT: Band leader Treach appearing in the movie “Juice” with Tupac Shakur, who would become a close friend.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The band broke up in 2002 before reuniting four years later. Another split happened in 2013 when Treach announced that fellow MC Vin Rock had been fired. Rock rejoined the group earlier this year. Treach also continues to act, appearing in shows including “Law & Order” and “CSI.”
Smash MouthBIGGEST HIT:
“All Star” (1999)
MEMORABLE ’90S MOMENT: Smash Mouth’s most memorable year was 2001, when the group landed two songs (“All Star” and a cover of “I’m a Believer”) in “Shrek,” and appeared as themselves in the final scene of the comedy “Rat Race.”
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? While many members have changed over the years, Smash Mouth has continued touring with its original lead singer Steve Harwell and bassist Paul De Lisle. The band got some unwanted publicity earlier this year when a video of Harwell yelling obscenities at fans who threw bread onstage during a food and music festival went viral.
TonicBIGGEST HIT: “If You Could Only See” (1997)
MEMORABLE ’90S MOMENT: Besides its music, Tonic may be best remembered for getting its name on seemingly every soundtrack in sight in the late ’90s and early 2000s, ranging from “The X-Files” to “American Pie.”
WHERE ARE THEY NOW? Tonic went on hiatus in 2004, but never really broke up. The band has been back touring since 2008, while members also work on other projects, including the music for the TV show “Fargo.”
If you go: ’90s Fest is on Saturday from 1-10 p.m. at 50 Kent Ave., Williamsburg, $60-$85.
