SHAKE YA TAIL FEATHER

I understand there is more to life than mirth. But even in the darkest moments of Shakespeare’s darkest plays, some wise fool is waiting in the wings, ready to start the fires of mischief.

Yeah. We just spent 10 days in Brooklyn, with a crew of dancers, guerilla film types and musicians moonlighting as male dancers. The object was to make a video for my song “Underwear” (listen while you read, plzz).

It is my first proper music video, and a collaboration with director Naftali Beane Rutter, who pulled together the 25 beautiful people who had a hand in the production . I’ve known Naf since high school, but when his brain is flashing with ideas, you can’t be sure how well you know him yet. He’s the dude with the grey leather on:

To start them fires of mischief, we (everybody) met at 6am for a few days at Naf’s pad, where we’d also rehearsed. The main day of the shoot was mad frio, but Greg Scott and a few people said it reminded them of summer camp. Greg is a killin’ R&B singer and writer out here in the Bay Area, who sang all those crazy male ad-libs and co-produced on “Underwear”. He came out to NYC and made a cameo appearance, dancin’ and singin’. Here he is, leading the booty train in a Christmas carol (he takes it there a lot): (sorry for the small pic)

The song’s 3 minutes & 51 seconds long, but the video’s got a long intro with no music (peace to MJ). The song actually begins right when Ella Kay slaps me. (an action that we rehearsed extensively, and shot for a total of 9 takes. Slap # 3 hurt the best) Ella is a dancer out there in NYC, who plays NINA, Peck the Town Crier’s love interest

A lot of the video is about dancing, with blazing lady dancers torching their medusa powers unto a gaggle of hapless brosefs.

Eventually, when they heed the Crier’s sage rhymes, the dudes get in line and march.

As is the case with all Naftali’s stories, though, the video ends up being about everything: wizards, tutus, and the blue sky included. These photos are just a first taste, I’ll be posting more as I find’m. To any of the dancers and crew who are reading, I love you.