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Page 6 Flagpole Magazine > October 9, 1991
Raging Disco
It really took a while to put this story
together. I had heard about the Direct Effect
Benefit Disco at the 40 Watt more than a
week ago. I knew it was destined to take
place this Wednesday night, October 9 and
that Michael Stipe and Jim McKay were
going to be the DJ's at this spectacular
event. I even knew it would cost $3 bucks at
the door to get in, but that was all I knew. I
had to find Michael and Jim.
Believe it or not, it is incredi
bly difficult to find Jim McKay
and Michael Stipe at the same
place at the same time. They're
both so busy So, I made a lot of
phone calls, canceled my whole
social calendar and waited pa
tiently to hear something in re
turn Luckily, my perseverance
finally paid off. Jim McKay calls.
He says f he only lime he and
Michael can do the interview is
Thursday afternoon at their
regular meeting I had to be
there at 3 p m sharp and I
couldn't take too long — No,
problem. So, there I am. stand
ing at the door of the main build
ing at the C-00 complex at 2:55
pm, tape recorder in hand,
ready for anything. I think. — /
ring the bell. The intercom
comes on It's Jim's voice,
sounding kmda winded "Come
downstairs We're in the gym,"
he says The gym? He buzzes
me in
I am immediately greeted by their scru
pulously polite, three-hundred pound
Samoan man-servant, Toa The big islander
escorts me to the stairwell and gives me a
hearty grin as I descend. I see that the stairs
open up into a large room at the bottom.
Strangely familiar, yet unidentifiable noises
float up the stairs to my straining ears. I can't
quite make out what they are. Suddenly, I
hear shouts...and cursing! I bound down
the last few steps into the open room. What
I see is hard to believe.
It looks like something out of a Scorsese
film. It's a big room with bare, red brick
walls, furnished with various implements
one would expect to find in a gym with a
special emphasis on boxing equipment.
There is even a practice ring in the middle
of the room. Two wiry guys in sweats, gloves
and headgear are going at it, toe to toe at
center ring. I look around for Michael and
Jim. Nowhere in sight. All I see are two old
veterans with ruined faces standing at
opposite corners of the ring They shout
encouragement to the two pugilists. Then I
listen to what they're saying: "Jab Mike!
Jab! Now hook!" and “Keep that right up
Jimmy! Atta boy!' I look back at the fighters,
a little closer this time. — / can't believe it,
but it's true: it's Michael and Jim in the ring.
I just stand there staring in disbelief. It is
soon apparent to me that not only am I in the
same room with two of Athens' more no
table celebrities/artists, but more than that,
I'm looking at what appear to be a pair of
fairly lethal bantam weights. I wasn 't exactly
sure how long they had been at it. but
seemed that Jim was pretty weary from
chasing the more agile Stipe. However, it
was also obvious that Michael had devel
oped a healthy respect for the superior
reach of McKay. The old guy in Jim's corner
yells, "Time!" The two fighters drop their
gloves a little reluctantly and head for their
corners. I meet Jim at his. Jim's corner man,
Jimmy"The Cheese"Fontina is working on
a cut just under Jim's left eye. He's talking
in a gravelly New Jersey accent, "Jimmy,
you gotta cut off 'da ring — Corner 'da little
bastard." I attempt to speak.
eos to produce these spots. But,
that money has not been enough. Really,
it’s been a loss completely. Now the third
series is almost finished, but we don’t have
quite enough money to complete the last
few spots.
FP: What for? To do the final post-produc
tion and editing?
Jim: Yeah, that and we need about $7,000
ALEX HAYDEN
Flagpole: Uh, hi Jim...Nice
jab.
Jim: [spitting out his mouth
piece] Yeah, tanks... look, you
gotta do the interview while we
fight. Me and Michael got som
ethin' to settle.
Mr. Fontina: Don't let him fool
you, they do dis every week.
FP: Well, uh.. OK, I guess we
can do it.
Jim: Good. You got anything to
ask before I pulverize this little
creep?
FP: Yeah, what's this benetit for
anyway?
Jim: Well, we've been doing Di
rect Effect over two years now
and although it’s a low budget
operation comparatively, it still
adds up. Each spot cost about
$2,000 and a series [of seven] is
bout $15,000. Publicity costs a
lot, too. And until now we've used
money from [making] music vid-
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