W O R D S & P H O T O S BY E R I C M A R K S
University of Nevada, Reno cheerleader Mary Ross, 19, initially showed up just to perform the opening ceremony with UNR cheer, but then she decided to audition as well.
Hopefuls show up to audition for the blockbuster TV singing competition
O
ne of the highest rated shows in the history of television, American Idol’s audition tour bus drew local artists to Reno’s downtown City Plaza on Saturday, July 12, alongside perpetual tryout hopefuls who
rabidly pursue the mobile audition behemoth in their quest for stardom. The RN&R found an eclectic group of competitors who ranged from serious musicians and colorful entertainers to random tourists wandering by. The show, now headed into its 14th season, set up tents with the “American Idol Audition Bus” as a colossal backdrop for the producers, who relentlessly endured eight hours of lyrical assault by participants crusading to be the next American Idol phenomenon. A first-time audition city for the pop culture mega-machine, Reno served up blistering triple degree temperatures along with a few hopeful contenders for the iconic entertainment apparatus, which has struggled in the last few years to maintain its ratings and early prestige as a megastar-producing entity. Some contenders waited in line for up to eight hours while others arrived the night before to ensure they had a spot in line to present their skills to the judges, even though the show openly states under the audition section of their official website that, “there is no guarantee that we will have space or time to accommodate every person.”
Hannah Sloan, 17, was one of the many local high school kids who showed up to try their luck. The Damonte High School student said she wanted to audition to “prove to herself” that she could accept the challenge of competing against so many people.
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JULY 24, 2014
First in line and also the first contestant to make it past the judges’ table, 26-year-old Jordan Rasmussen drove 10 hours and arrived at the tryouts at 3:30 a.m. in order to secure her spot. She was one of many non-Nevada residents who tried out on the Reno stop.
