In 1964, Guy Patterson, an aspiring jazz drummer, is working in his family's appliance store when he is asked by Jimmy Mattingly and Lenny Haise to cover for their regular drummer in their new pop-rock band at a talent show. It's called "The Oneders" (pronounced "wonders", but often mispronounced "oh-NEE-ders") as Jimmy likes names containing wordplay, like The Beatles. At the talent show, Guy launches into a faster tempo than Jimmy intended for his original song, "That Thing You Do". Jimmy is upset, but Guy's version wins them the talent show.