If Indiana has talent, NBC show will find it
When NBC's "America's Got Talent" invades Indianapolis for auditions on Jan. 25-26, the show's producers will be prepared to assess unconventional hopefuls.
You don't have to be a singer younger than 29, which is the rule at "American Idol." You don't have to be a singer at all, which makes "America's Got Talent" different from "The Voice" and "X-Factor."
Jugglers, contortionists, magicians and animal acts are welcome on "AGT."
Tony Rollins, leader of a band known as Polyester Starfish, said acts on the fringe of show business deserve a shot at mainstream exposure.
"This is a way for some of the more eclectic groups to step up and be seen," Rollins said. "I love those stories."
Rollins will take his Polyester Starfish quartet into an audition room at the Indiana Convention Center, not necessarily thinking the band will advance to perform for "AGT" panelists Howie Mandel, Howard Stern, Heidi Klum and Mel B (who won't be present for this phase of tryouts).
But Rollins and two more Hoosier acts wouldn't mind performing for the show's celebrity judges.
Amateur comedian Odie Bucholz is an avid fan of "America's Got Talent" who's trying to be part of the show's ninth season.
"Why wouldn't you watch it? Heidi Klum's on it," he said.
Amateur singer Jaimeson Wright said she tunes into "AGT" when "it gets good," meaning after early episodes punctuated by oddball auditions.
Wright admits that it would nice to sing in front of Mel B, who enjoyed stardom as one of the Spice Girls in the late 1990s.
"I did have her doll," Wright said. "But I unwrapped the cone in her hair, and it wasn't worth anything anymore."
And Rollins is prepared to shout a catchphrase or two at iconic radio host Stern. What harm has a "Baba Booey" — a nickname for Stern producer Gary Dell'Abate — ever done?
"To be honest, I wanted to get us in front of the NBC producers," Rollins said. "We can't control how they're going to deal with us, but you never know who those producers know. Maybe we're not right for the show, but maybe we're right for something else."
Get to know Polyester Starfish, Bucholz and Wright before they audition for "America's Got Talent", and check back with The Star on Jan. 27 to find out how they and other hopefuls fared.
Polyester Starfish
Who: The four members of this Indianapolis-based rock band are vocalist-songwriter Tony Rollins, violinist Tim Rickard, keyboard player Melissa Randolph and guitarist Mike Soper.
Performance plans: A rendition of Annie Lennox tune "Why."
Expectations: "I figure they're probably looking for three things: the really good people, the really odd people and the really bad people," Rollins said. "The hope is not to be average. We're not going to be odd, and we're not going to be really bad. We're hoping to be really good."
Talking point: After a decade as a band and six different lineups, Polyester Starfish will release its debut recording this year. Rollins said the likely title is "Fables by Glow Star Light," and he cites David Bowie's career of folk, glam, soul and jazz eras as an influence. "He's really the blueprint, how he slithered through all these genres," Rollins said. "But it's still him."
Odie Bucholz
Who: 58-year-old native of Beech Grove, graduate of Ben Davis High School.
Performance plans: As a specialist in self-deprecation, Bucholz said he makes fun of himself so he can leave other people alone. He's preparing 90 seconds of material for the audition, which likely will include this sample joke about long-distance relationships and technology: "My girlfriend lives in Florida. Sometimes I fight with her on purpose, just because I found I really love makeup text."
Expectations: Bucholz said he has "no false illusions" of winning this season of "America's Got Talent," but he did take top honors at the Jan. 15 "Great Indiana Mic-Off" at Morty's Comedy Joint. "I know it's a little bit late in life for me, but there's a lot of people who start late in life," Bucholz said, adding that he draws inspiration from comedian Tom Cotter, who placed second in the 2012 season of "AGT" at age 48. "He was an older gentleman," Bucholz said. "Why not?"
Talking point: Bucholz takes an unusual back story into the audition room. He's a 2009 inductee in the Indy United States Bowling Congress Hall of Fame, with 44 perfect 300 games and 27 tournament titles on his resume. He said the touring life brought on burnout in the 1990s. "When you're thinking, 'If I don't strike, I don't eat,' it's not fun," Bucholz said.
Jaimeson Wright
Who: 23-year-old New Palestine native.
Performance plans: Wright is considering a rendition of John Mayer's "I'm Gonna Find Another You" or Drake's "Shot for Me." "If you sing a woman's song, you are automatically compared to her," Wright said. "In a competition, a judge might say, 'Oh, you sound like Lauryn Hill. That's your style.' You may not want to be stuck with that."
Expectations: Wright, who doesn't sing in public on a regular basis, said she wouldn't travel to a different city for an audition. "I want to just have fun with it, really," she said. "It's not something I'm quitting my job for or anything. But it's something I'm passionate about."
Talking point: For her day job, Wright works as corporate sales manager for Jonathan Byrd's — the official caterer for the Indianapolis Colts. She said she enjoys visits to the NFL's teams headquarters, and she quotes a favorite term of punter Pat McAfee when explaining why she chose singing over dancing (another of her skills) for "AGT": "I feel like most people should stick to a boomstick. Singing is my boomstick, for sure."
"America's Got Talent" auditions
>> WHEN: 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Jan. 25-26.
>> WHERE: Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave.
>> INFO: Visit AmericasGotTalentAuditions.com. Online registration will close on Friday, Jan. 24, but walk-up auditions will be allowed if time permits.
>> Related reality: 'American Idol' finds a favorite in Indianapolis teen.
Call Star reporter David Lindquist at (317) 444-6404 Follow him on Twitter: @317Lindquist.