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FADE IN:
INT. RADIO STATION STUDIO - DAY
Camera pans around the room and we see numerous posters of contemporary hard rock bands. As the camera pans, we hear JEFF REED, the lead singer of a band called GENNEX describing the band’s sound and their place in modern music culture.
JEFF REED (OS)
We’ve been at this for years,
you know. When I was a kid...
when we were all kids, things
were so much different. And now
... I mean music really has a
lot to say right now. And I think
we’re one of the best bands out
there saying it.
The camera focuses on a large microphone. A pair of hot pink lips are now talking into it. The lips belong to LUCY BRIGHT. She is an attractive disc jockey in her early thirties. Lucy has long dirty-blonde hair, lots of make up, and wears tight and revealing clothing. Lucy also sports a lot of jewelry and some tattoos that her clothing cannot begin to hide.
LUCY
(faking interest)
Wow. That’s really something.
Now, tell me more about this new
album entitled Revolution that
you’re out there promoting.
The camera shows us the four members of Gennex sitting across the control panels from Lucy. Jeff Reed is holding a microphone and doing most of the talking.
The other three members; MARK WATTERS, JASON AYRES, and CHRIS TENNEY look bored. All members of Gennex sport short hair, numerous tattoos, and plenty of body pierces. They all wear sloppy clothing. Nobody has shaved in days.
JEFF REED
Revolution is just that. Just
what the title says. Music has
changed, and it will continue
to do so. I mean, twenty years
ago... what did we have out in
L.A.?
CHRIS TENNEY
(interrupting)
Cock Rock!
The other members laugh. Jeff Reed looks annoyed by the outburst from a fellow band member.
LUCY
Well, that’s one way to look at
it, I ‘spose. This is Lucy Bright
on KLYN 106.5 Lincoln, Nebraska.
We’re talking to the guys from
Gennex, and we’ll be right back!
EXT. PARKING LOT - DAY
A bright-red Honda Civic screeches into a parking stall outside the radio station. JORDAN JANEY is late again. We see her car door open and a pair of legs in skin-tight jeans gets out.
We track her from behind as she hurries into the building; stumbling once in her high heels. From behind, we can see she is a tiny young woman with long blonde hair. Jordan is wearing numerous bracelets that clank together as she moves along.
Jordan bursts through the front door of the station, nearly spilling a box of tapes containing pre-recorded bits for her show. She notices MARTHA, the receptionist who is just about to leave for the day.
JORDAN
I’m here! Nobody panic!
MARTHA
Thank goodness! Bob was just
about to have me file a missing
person’s report with the police.
JORDAN
(hurrying past her)
He’d do that for me? What a
sweetheart!
Jordan swipes her ID card through an electronic security device and a door to the inner rooms of the station opens for her.
CAMERA FOLLOWS JORDAN INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE BUILDING:
Jordan quickly moves down the hallway toward the main studio. She passes the open door of BOB GARAVAGLIA, the station manager. Bob is an ex-hippie in his mid-fifties with a long gray beard and long hair on his head which is going bald on top. He tries to be strict with his employees, but nobody is scared of him.
BOB
You’re on the air in five
minutes, Ms. Janey!
Jordan stops and sticks her head inside his office. We finally get a close-up look at her beautiful face. She is 22, petite, and full of sass and energy. She is made up heavily, but not as much as her mentor Lucy Bright. Jordan has a tattoo on her lower back that is clearly visible when she shows off her midriff as she is currently doing.
JORDAN
Really? I still have five
minutes? For a second I was
almost worried there!
BOB
You know what I mean, kiddo.
Most people in this business
use a little thing called show
prep to get themselves ready
to go on the air. Stumbling
(cont’d)
into the studio five minutes
before it’s time to go on just
won’t cut it, young lady.
JORDAN
It won’t? It always has so
far. Maybe we should sit down
and talk about this show prep
thing. I’ve never heard of it
before.
BOB
(motioning toward the studio)
Get!
Jordan gives him a sassy smile and continues down the hall toward the studio. From her POV, we can see Lucy still interviewing Gennex on the other side of the glass.
Jordan stops by the window and waves at Lucy. Lucy promptly scribbles something down on a cue card.
She holds it up so only Jordan can see it. The words HELP ME! are visible on the card.
Jordan smiles and enters an adjacent studio room where she will be broadcasting from.
INT. LUCY’S STUDIO - DAY
Lucy is still interviewing Gennex.
JEFF REED
So, that’s pretty much what we’re
all about. I’d like to think
of us as the embodiment of
contemporary rock music.
LUCY
And what exactly is that?
JEFF REED
We’re real. We don’t have to
hide behind a bunch of spandex
(cont’d)
and big hair. We let our music
be our image.
MARK WATTERS
(chiming in)
For sure.
LUCY
The album is Revolution, and
we’ve been talking with Gennex.
This is Lucy Bright, and I’m
just about outta here. Jordan
Janey is up next on KLYN, the
LYNX.
(to Gennex)
What’s up next for you guys?
MARK WATTERS
Headin’ west. Back home.
JEFF REED
Yeah, we’ll be in Denver this
Saturday. Salt Lake after that.
One in Reno... Truckee... Fresno
... then we’ll be winding it all
up at THE GROVE in L.A.. It’s
where we played some of our first
decent shows.
LUCY
So, I take it you won’t be making
an appearance out at DRY GULCH?
Jeff Reed looks a little confused. He has obviously no idea what Lucy is referring to.
Lucy points to a show bill on the wall for the DRY GULCH MUSIC FEST that will be taking place that upcoming weekend.
Jeff Reed scans the poster over quickly.
JEFF REED
Naw, man. I don’t think we’d
fit in there.
LUCY
Why not?
JEFF REED
Well, from the looks of some
of those bands who’ll be out
there... I don’t know. It looks
a little corporate for our
taste.
LUCY
(laughing softly)
I see. Well, good luck to you
all, and this is Lucy Bright
saying goodbye. And I hope to
see everyone else out there with
me and Jordan this weekend. We’ll
try to keep those dirty corporate
types out. Anyway, Jordan’s up
next. Adios!
Lucy hits a switch, and the next song in the rotation replaces her voice on the airwaves.
She and the members of Gennex rise to shake hands.
LUCY
Thank you all again for coming
by.
JEFF REED
Not a problem. You just keep
giving us those spins, and
we’ll be eternally grateful.
LUCY
We’ll see what we can do. You
fellas can just go out the way
you came in, okay? Thanks.
The band members say another round of thanks, and then begin to exit the studio.
Chris Tenney stops to smile at Jordan who is visible through the glass. Jordan gives him a polite nod back.
INT. JORDAN’S STUDIO - DUSK
Once Gennex has left, Lucy stops in to talk to Jordan for a moment.
LUCY
Oh, my God! Those were the
creepiest guys I have met in
forever!
JORDAN
(laughing)
The interview not go so well?
LUCY
As a matter of fact, no it
didn’t. I swear... listening
to that little shit go on and
on about how much integrity
they have...
JORDAN
Oh, I thought he was kind of
cute.
LUCY
The guy who was practically
drooling over you?
JORDAN
No. He was gross. I mean the
singer.
LUCY
Oh, please! You have got to
be kidding me.
(beat)
You are, aren’t you?
Jordan bursts out laughing.
LUCY
You bitch.
(cont’d)
You know, those guys are so
typical of rock musicians
today. Not a real man in the
bunch.
JORDAN
Can’t argue with you there.
LUCY
Where are the guitar gods of
today? Where are the drummers
with big dicks?
JORDAN
Last I checked, Tommy Lee
was still out there.
Lucy rolls her eyes.
JORDAN
And you wonder why I don’t
date musicians.
LUCY
I’ve seen you snuggle up with
one or two since you’ve worked
here.
(beat)
Who was that kid I caught you
with a couple weeks ago in the
back of the van?
JORDAN
Nobody. He’s nobody, okay?
LUCY
So you and nobody just decided
to jump into the KLYN van and
explore each other’s mouths
with your tongues. I got you.
Jordan just shakes her head.
The song on the air is coming to an end. It’s time for her own show to begin.
Lucy watches her protégé get started.
JORDAN
(into the mic)
Lincoln, Nebraska is it time to
rock?! It better be ‘cause if
I’m here, and you’re out there,
it’s time for me to rock your
world. This is Jordan Janey;
your sure thing on KLYN 106.5!
Jordan uses the control panel to switch on the next song in the endless rotation, and then gets back to her conversation with Lucy.
JORDAN
Look, I was drunk. He was, too.
These things just happen.
LUCY
What kind of things? Just how
far did he get?
JORDAN
That’s none of your business.
LUCY
Seriously. Who was he, again?
JORDAN
Chris somebody. He plays guitar
for one of those bands we saw
that night.
LUCY
Chris somebody? A minute ago he
was nobody, and now he’s
graduated to being a somebody.
JORDAN
And you’ve been with how many
band guys over the years?
LUCY
Too many. I’ll admit it.
JORDAN
And I make out with one guy
and it’s like it’s a big
scandal or something? What
the hell?
LUCY
You fucked him, didn’t you?
Jordan gives her the finger.
Bob joins Lucy in the doorway.
BOB
It’s about that time, I guess.
(to Lucy)
You leaving, too?
LUCY
Yepper.
BOB
You two both heading out to
Dry Gulch this weekend?
JORDAN
That’s the plan, anyway. How
about you?
BOB
I’m not sure that’s my crowd
out there.
LUCY
Your crowd is still stuck in
the mud back at Woodstock!
BOB
Hey! For your information I
was at Woodstock, young lady.
It was real. It was an event.
It was a hell of a lot more
(cont’d)
than a bunch of aging has-beens
and up-and-coming nobodys
playing to a bunch of hicks
drunk on keg beer. The least
you ladies could do for me
is get an interview or two
from somebody there who has
sold a thousand albums this
decade... if there is such
an act on that bill.
JORDAN
Well, if you’re going to ask
us that way, then forget it.
LUCY
I already told you. Jordan and
I are not on official station
business this weekend. We’re
just going out there to have
fun.
BOB
Isn’t that what I pay you for?
Isn’t all of this fun?
Jordan and Lucy just look at each other and roll their eyes.
BOB
Lucy, you know probably half
the guys who’ll be playing
in this thing. What about
Clark Stokley? I know you
could get me something in
depth with him.
LUCY
I may get something in depth
from Clark, but it won’t be
something we can use on the
air!
BOB
(after a pause)
Oh, I get it.
Jordan and Lucy share a giggle.
BOB
(to Jordan)
Well, you all set, kiddo?
JORDAN
I think so.
BOB
For some reason I’m just
always afraid the roof is
going to cave in here as
soon as we leave.
JORDAN
I’ve been flying solo for
months now. Seriously, have
I messed anything up that
we couldn’t fix? Have I got
us fined or said fuck or
shit on the air?
LUCY
She’s right. This one’s a
regular Mother Theresa when
she’s on the air. Thanks to
my training, of course.
BOB
Of course. Well, I’m locking
up. We’ll see you tomorrow,
Jordan.
LUCY
(to Jordan)
Call me later if you get bored.
JORDAN
Will do. Take care.
Jordan watches Bob and Lucy leave the studio and she is suddenly alone within the facility.
JORDAN
(to herself)
Well, I guess it’s just me
and the rest of Lincoln.
INT. JORDAN’S STUDIO - NIGHT
We cut to a few hours later. Jordan is in the middle of her show. The building is dark, save for a few security lights and the lights in her studio room.
A song is just coming to the end.
JORDAN
(with a sexy tone)
You’re listening to KLYN 106.5
Lincoln, Nebraska. And this is