Sassy Salt-N-Pepa Throw a Party at Concert

Salt-N-Pepa delivered the sassy charisma and party-time energy Thursday at the Galaxy Theatre in Santa Ana that are two of the veteran New York-based hip-hop trio’s most appealing trademarks.

Most remarkable was Cheryl (Salt) James, who performed while six months pregnant. The diminutive James didn’t miss a step as she confidently bounded about the stage while sometimes executing elaborately choreographed moves with her partners Sandy (Pepa) Denton and Dee Dee (Spinderella) Roper, as well as with the group’s four intermittently used dancers.

James’ condition did cut into the group’s usually siren-esque sex appeal. As usual, Denton and Roper were vamped up in some of their most alluring come-hither outfits. But James performed in coveralls and a bandanna.

The group’s set lasted a little less than an hour, possibly a concession to James’ pregnancy. During one brief stretch, both James and Denton left the stage and Roper--who serves both as a deejay and a upfront rapper--spun vinyl while a male emcee executed a passable version of an old-school Run-D.M.C. number.

Still, it was hard to feel cheated considering the amount of physical energy discharged by Salt-N-Pepa and the combustive nature of its raps. It also didn’t hurt that the group had plenty of hit material to choose from. The troika is the most commercially successful female rap act ever, with numerous multi-platinum albums.