Back to Alternative acts
By Vincent Geerts
Ames247 Staff Writer
Stevie Starr has been the only known “professional regurgitator” for 28 years, yet his act still stuns audiences worldwide. He swallows and brings back objects such as light bulbs, live goldfish, coins, locks, billiard balls and more an estimated 250 to 300 times per year.
“I have no competition, there are no other people doing what I do out there,” Starr said. “And the great thing is that there’s no language barrier either, it’s a very visual act.”
During Veishea 2012, the Scotland native will make his fourth appearance in Ames. Late night Friday, “The Regurgitator” will entertain on Central Campus with his startling abilities.
He has been featured on numerous televised programs in the U.S., like Maury Povich, David Letterman and Jay Leno, but he makes waves internationally as well. In 2010, he placed fourth in the public vote of the semifinals during “Britain’s Got Talent,” and made it all the way to the finals in the German and Czech editions of the popular talent show.
Along with placing in several national talent shows, Starr also holds two separate records with the Guinness Book of World Records for swallowing half-dollar coins and hard-boiled eggs. However, his “act” doesn’t end on stage; Starr uses his talents for personal entertainment on occasion too.
“My career isn’t actually a big deal to me, I’m the same on stage as I am off stage,” he said. “I’m always doing it. I like to go into shops and cough up money to pay.”
During his visit to Ames in 2009, Starr sent a waitress away in shock after emptying and swallowing a salt shaker at his table. He also told of coughing up his boarding pass for a British airline attendant on his flight home, and catching the Italian flight later that day.
His on-stage act evolves continually, and Starr said he had a few “surprise” additions to his show from last year.
“I’m looking forward to doing these college shows,” he said. “Ames is serene, really, and the college crowd is really receptive.”
Starr travels nine months out of every year, and said his long time on tour has shown him people of every income level and taught him an important lesson.
“There’s more to life than money; you’re lucky to have a roof over your head and food to eat,” Starr said. “Everything is good, and most people don’t understand that.”
When he’s not up on stage or busy traveling from one venue to the next, Starr enjoys visiting his family back home or just “having a laugh in London.”
“I wouldn’t know what to do if I stopped now,” he said. Luckily for spectators everywhere, he doesn’t plan to.
Stevie “The Regurgitator” Starr
When: 11:30 p.m. Friday; 12:45 a.m. Saturday
Where: Central Campus (rain location: Memorial Union Ballrooms)
Cost: Free
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