The Kent, 1131 Collins Avenue, Miami Beach, Florida 33139
Familiar Faces
I arrived at the Kent at 6:45 AM. I talked with Stewart Clawson, the owner of the PA system they used for Friday's performance. He was the second person to arrive there after me. He said they liked it so much, they wanted him to give a price quote. It turns out Jauhar liked the PA system, but Donnell did not.
I followed Jesse and the film crew as they discussed the set up. The humidity fogged up the camera lens at the time.
Maria took me to room 108 to watch Sookie and the wardrobe people. She said that I could only go there early since I couldn't film the dancers when they were naked (while changing, which I understood completely). Omar and the other wardrobe woman were there. Sookie had a number of outfits. After she changed into them (not with me in the room), she went to Jesse to have him choose which one she would wear for the shoot.
The very first scene shot in the day was a dance scene with Sookie and Los in the lobby. Mr. Cheeks and his entourage arrived during this set up. I asked Los afterwards if this was his first music video. He said yes, but that he had done other types of video shoots before. This scene took hours of time. The video and sound were done separately. Jesse would ask them both to roll, and there were two horns/beeps that would sound before the actual music. The slates called it "Can I Get a Lap Dance". It is a remix, not the same as on Evolution apparently. Donnell said that scene went so well, they cut a scene of his.
Donnell asked that I have his son Derek accompany me so he could ask the questions of people as I filmed.
Derek Floyd and I interviewing Nikiya
We interviewed a number of people, including Donnell while Cindy applied his makeup. Halima inserted herself into a number of pictures - she said she wanted to be in everyone's pictures of the event. I said, "you mean like Kilroy was here?" She was obviously very excited and happy.
The second scene was on the patio - set up as a performance - like the actual performance but with tables in front.
Jacques getting makeup
Film crew - Marcus Smith in middle
Film crew - Jesse Vaughan with the hat, Marcus Smith looking into the camera
Film equipment
The band mimed performing with fans as extras sitting at the tables. They set up a number of light reflectors.
Standing: Bobby Smoot, Mr. Cheeks, Mike, Lorenzo, Donnell
After they shot this scene, they took a lunch break. They served chicken and pizzas in the hotel.
The camera people knew exactly how long clouds overhead would take to pass over. There was a scene with the band members and no extras.
Three of the dancers - Simone, Sookie in white and Christine in the mirror reflection
Dancers in the shoot
Also, there were also a number of scenes with each of the individual band members (including substitues Bobby Smoot, Mike Smith & also Mr. Cheeks), standing and dancing.
During the break, Donnell played drums while two kids (I think they are both Jauhar's sons) played the congas and cowbells. DP joked, "the drummer ain't sh*t, but the other two are good..." The next scene was a scene with Sharmba Mitchell and a dancer, Elizabeth, outside against the fence.
Elizabeth and Sharmba Mitchell
DP said he wanted a copy of that. I said, "with your head inserted over Sharmba's?" He said, "Yes!" Then there were a few more scenes against the fence with more of the dancers.
Los and Sookie
DP said RE has done about 7 videos, he's been in all of their videos except the Live in 2004. They worked with Marcus Smith on a number of them. He asked me where I was from and told me he was from Gaithersburg. I discussed how the audio was good, but that it was not in synch with the video. That was really obvious when GoGo Mickey was shown playing the congas.
There was another long break. Then they told everyone to change into club clothes. The next scene they made up a bar in the back of the garden at the Kent and allowed anyone who wanted to to be an extra in the scene. Donnell told me I should be the bartender, so I took that role, along with a member of the film crew. Halima sat on the bar so she could be seen. One of Donnell's sons talked about it being like a slave being forced to constantly wait. Halima said, "you don't know what being a slave is like" to him. I said, "Slave to the rhythm." She said okay. I then told her that JuJu from EU had played drums on that track. Bobby Smoot was impressed and said most people here don't know that. He said people also believed Sugar Bear was on the track but he wasn't. Donnell had to constantly wipe sweat off with a towel. There was a second club scene with Donnell, DP, and Mike Muse sitting in chairs getting so-called "lap dances" (not very much like real lapdances, Donnell said he wanted it to be tasteful) from Tata and two of the dancers. Halima still sat on the bar in the middle, with Elizabeth on her left and Christine on her right. Elizabeth kept playing with her own hair. Donnell joked that I should take Mike's place after the first take. At the end, Donnell kept joking, "one more take!"
The final scene was in a convertible with Donnell driving, Marcus filming from the front passenger seat, and Halima sitting on the back, like in a parade (like Miss Marigold in her words). After they left (and Jauhar said, "Someone better tell Donnell to turn the lights on or he will get a ticket"), we hung around and talked.
Nephew, Black Heart, Slim Goodie, 02, a friend of his out of Charlotte, NC (he asked me how I hooked up with FF, I told him I am a grad student at UNC, he said he is at UNC-Charlotte), Tata and I had a long discussion on music. They discussed the fact that Familiar Faces performs Rare Essence songs that Donnell and Godfather wrote. 02 said he has a friend who really doesn't like that. Nephew said they both have a right to play the old Rare Essence songs. Donnell wrote them, so he should be able to perform them, and he wrote them for Rare Essence, so they should be able to perform them. Nephew talked about how many people have talked about Familiar Faces and Rare Essence being on the same bill for a show together, but that Rare Essence is ducking it. Nephew said that it would have mattered more for 911 back when they first formed, but now they both do their own thing. He further went on to say many current Rare Essence fans wouldn't even know who Donnell Floyd is, that their crowd has changed. We discussed the Chuck Brown Birthday Concert. We agreed that 911's was the best performance of all the bands there (that's why I am following FF now I was at that show). We talked about their showmanship, with the opening dancer. Other nuances were discussed such as that when Rah said something about going to the next song, that he didn't really want to. 02 talked about the Onyx sample in Uh Oh (Heads Up). They also talked about a mistake Blue made. Nephew said that was 911's best performance ever. He also said that originally Rare Essence was going to perform rather than 911, but 911 had the hot song Brown & White and was cheaper. Nephew further discussed how 911 had the most talent, but the current band is a better band. Boolah is extremely talented, but he doesn't even like GoGo. Dwayne isn't as talented (a guitar player as Boolah), but has a lot of musical knowledge. Plus, given how busy (in terms of their playing) so many other band members are, that it is better with Dwayne than Boolah. Nephew said that Smoke is held back in the way he plays with Familiar Faces. He also said, "No one wants to see Bojack on the roto-toms (he meant that as a positive)." The personalities in 911 didn't go together well. Nephew said that Donnell wouldn't be in GoGo if it weren't for Bobby Smoot. He said that Donnell was studying Jazz at Ellington, and Bobby got him to join Chance Band. His teacher said he had to choose between Jazz and GoGo, and since he was making money playing GoGo, he stuck with that.
We talked about Northeast Groovers and the planned reunion which was posted on the TMOTT board by Khari the day before. I said Duane would be happy. We talked about him playing with EU.
They discussed in detail the first Fur show (which I was unable to attend. It was on May 22nd and I was helping my sister move.), where FF took the wind out of L!ssen's sails, or as 02 put it, "turned L!ssen into OP Tribe". Nephew said that FF was the only one that played songs that the other bands that night didn't play. They talked about how they performed songs really well that L!ssen wanted to perform. Nephew said Yannie was really frustrated.
The conversation shifted to Halima, who walked into the lobby in the middle of the discussion, but didn't join in. We talked about her stage presence and her voice. 02 asked where she learned to sing GoGo. Nephew said she was incredibly observant. 02 was really impressed with how quickly she picked up specific songs. Nephew said he didn't understand why Donnell didn't have her perform more the song she composed around Minnie Riperton's Memory Lane. He said she composed that in an hour at Bike Week. They talked about Halima's development with the band, an early show where Donnell interrupted Work the Walls to have her sing My Funny Valentine. He told the crowd, "Tell people you heard a little something." Nephew said when Adia first joined FF, that she was timid, afraid to touch the mic. 02 was surprised since she sang with Sounds of 1 Luv. Nephew said she had good stage presence. They talked about Ms. Kim. Nephew said her voice isn't as good as Halima's but with her stage presence, she's a better overall performer. Nephew talked about Linda Wills hooking FF up with Halima. He said something about her singing with them at Cranberries - I will have to ask him more about that.
Nephew's ex-boss came in; she said she saw him from the street. 02 asked, "Did she call him Nephew?" She asked his name, he gave a phony name, then told her he was 2. She said, "What happened to 1 and 3?" I told him and Black Heart that Nephew really is Donnell's nephew and that his full name is Eric Leon Floyd Sr.
02's friend asked what Black Heart's tattoo was, I think he said it's Ethiopian. I said that it says, "Your favorite band sucks". They laughed and I told them that was from the Onion.
02 said he thinks Mike has the best voice in GoGo. Nephew said it was a very 80s voice.
Wayne of Fatal Attraction found FF boring.
02 said he couldn't talk to Donnell; he would have too much to ask him. I told him how nice he was with Duane Face. When Donnell came down, he told 02, "I'm not all that." I said, "That's the most humble thing I've ever heard from him."
