America's Got Talent Thread (pres. by Shryke and Geezer)

[Geezer]

I'm watching now. Against Me! and Gaslight Anthem were playing in Boston last night, so I had to miss it live.

Quintavious - WOW. this kid is just absolutely incredible. He sings like he's been doing it for 30 years.

Matt Franco - I really want to see this guy perform. He's funny, charismatic, and absolutely brilliant at magic. How does he do it???

Emily West - I didn't love it. I thought it was off. And it is weird, because I too thought the first time she did Chandelier was her best performance (and is better than the original song) I completely agree with what Mel B said.

Miguel Dakota - He should never not have a guitar in his hands. He's so much better with it than without it. Still, I could hear him on the radio sooner rather than later.

Sons of Serendip - Nailed it as they always do. I love that song for them. Perfect choice, perfect performance.

AcroArmy - I'm so into this group. They are absolutely phenomenal. I'd absolutely pay to see them in a heartbeat (and I wrote that before Mel B said those exact words!). They never mess up, they never stop being entertaining, they never fail to go bigger and better. I would love it if they won.

Second Performance:

Matt Franco - HOW DOES HE DO IT???? Uggh!!! I want to know but I totally don't want to know. He's awesome. I told my girlfriend to vote for him for me last night without seeing the show, and I'm glad I did.

Sons of Serendip - I liked the first better, but still great. I don't think they get the votes, but they absolutely deserve to be here.

Quintavious - I'm just never going to stop being absolutely flabbergasted at how that voice comes out of that tiny person. He's a prodigy. It's much like Jackie Evancho. He's a star. He can win, he doesn't have to, he's just awesome. We need to be hearing this kid for a long time.

Miguel Dakota - He is just so much better with that guitar in his hands, it must be more comfortable for him. I loved this performance. Someone sign him now.

AcroArmy - EVERY SINGLE TIME THEY GO BIGGER!!!! HOLY CRAP!!! I'M TYPING IN ALL CAPS BECAUSE THEY ARE THAT INCREDIBLE!!! I love them, I almost wish I had told her to vote for them, or at least split it. They are going to get their own show regardless. They are perfection. I've never seen anything like that 4 tier human pyramid. Jaw-dropping. The performance of the night.

Emily West - Yes she can sing with anyone on planet earth, but at this stage, I just can't support her winning. Not with acts like Matt Franco, AcroArmy and Quintavious in the competition. She is great at what she does, but I wouldn't pay to see her perform. I just watched AcroArmy with my jaw dropped the entire time. I watched Emily West and felt myself dozing off.

[Geezer]

Didn't get to watch the live results but.....

HELL YEAH MATT FRANCO!!!! MY FAVORITE FINALLY WON!!!

[Shrykespeare]

Well, how about that.

Here's how it ended:

6th place - Miguel Dakota. No surprises there.

5th place - Quintavious Johnson. A bit of a surprise, but it shows how smart America is collectively... Q did not NEED to win, so he didn't.

4th place - Sons of Serendip. Again no surprise, as I picked them to finish 5th.

3rd place - AcroArmy. Well, if you take Q out of the equation, I would have thought they would finish no worse than 2nd. I hope like hell they get a huge stage somewhere all to themselves.

2nd place - Emily West. I was so hoping she would win, and I hope that a second place finish doesn't relegate her back to obscurity. I hope her career takes off like Jackie Evancho's did after her second-place finish.

1st place - Mat Franco. I am ecstatic that a magician finally won, and he is one of the best that's ever been on AGT, so I can't be sad. Apart from Emily, he definitely NEEDED to win more than the others did.

So that now makes THREE straight years that a singer hasn't won it, after six straight years that a singer did. What an interesting pattern!




And yet, I just can't seem to ever pick a winner. Here's how my favorites did in the past few years:

2014 - Emily West (2nd place, lost to Mat Franco)
2013 - Forte (4th place, lost to Kenichi Ebina)
2012 - William Close (3rd place, lost to Olate Dogs)
2011 - Team iLuminate (3rd place, lost to Landau Eugene Murphy)
2010 - Fighting Gravity (3rd place, lost to Michael Grimm) (also Michael Grasso, who just missed the Top 5 and still is for my money the best magician ever to be on AGT, and I'm still jealous that you got to see him perform live and I didn't)
2009 - Barbara Padilla (2nd place, lost to Kevin Skinner)
2008 - Neal E. Boyd (winner)
2007 - Cas Haley (lost to Terry Fator)
2006 - Bianca Ryan (winner)

So that's two out of nine where my favorite won. I happen to know that Bianca, Terry, Michael, Olate Dogs and Kenichi have done very well since winning, but fuck if I know what has happened to Neal, Kevin and Landau. I wish I know how FG and iLuminate were doing now... they should be in Vegas, if they aren't already.

[Geezer]

I'm pretty sure iLuminate has their own show and tour. I'm also pretty sure that Landau has done absolutely nothing since winning. He hasn't sold many records at all (record sales are on wikipedia, hard to quantify results for non-musical acts). Jackie Evancho is SO MUCH MORE successful than anyone else thats ever sung on the show.

[Shrykespeare]

New season!!


Quarter Final #1

1. Siro-A - Holy shitballs, Batman. This is incredible. The timing is flawless, the coolness factor is a zillion. It's like Fighting Gravity and Kenichi had a baby. This is my favorite to win. Which means they'll come in third. Sigh.

2. Alondra Santos - She's incredibly talented, there's no doubt about it. But I have to believe that despite how talented and adorable she is, Tejano music really only appeals to a small percentage of the voters. I hate to say it, but not understanding a word she's singing makes me enjoy it just a little bit less. Still, doing a Selena song was a good choice.

3. Vita Radionova - There's one or two acts like this every year that make the live shows, but they almost never make the second round. It's difficult, it's graceful, but it's really tough to do this in a way that's memorable at the end of the night. Nothing about this blew me away.

4. Triple Threat - Never mind that I hate boy bands, this was just bad. Three buzzes this late in the game says it all. They can't dance, they can't rap, they can't advance.

5. The Gentlemen - Have to root for these guys, they're Filipino! They have the talent, and they have the cuteness factor, but I think this is not the time for them. In a few years when they're old enough to have sex appeal, they'll be huge.

6. Piff the Magic Dragon - How can anyone not love this guy? I was laughing my ass off the whole time. This guy is AWESOME!

7. Benton Blount - I'm sad they cut the other country singer who performed his own songs. This guy's good, but I don't think he's got near enough to win.

8. Craig & Micheline - Yawn. I forgot them the second it ended.

9. Drew Lynch - Stutter aside, this kid is funny. I love him.

10. Showproject - I don't know. Same with Vita. There's a lot to like about this, just not enough.

11. Paul Zerdin - This guy and Piff should team up. The hands-free think made my jaw drop. This was hysterical.

12. Samantha Johnson - Love her voice, but this was the wrong song, despite the glory notes.





And:


On to the next round:

Siro-A
Piff the Magic Dragon
Benton Blount
Drew Lynch
Paul Zerdin
Samantha Johnson (Dunkin Save)
Alondra Santos (wins Judges' Save over The Gentlemen)

[Geezer]

Quarter Final #1

1. Siro-A - Have to agree, they are awesome. It's like Kenichi, but if Kenichi had a whole crew with him. There's a few spectacular visual dance acts this year, but they are the best.

2. Alondra Santos - I don't like it, for all the same reasons you stated.

3. Vita Radionova - Find myself agreeing once again. One person doing this type of act is not enough, she simply needs to be part of a bigger show.

4. Triple Threat - I actually liked them prior to this performance, but what a kamikaze song choice.

5. The Gentlemen - They don't fill up the stage or hold my attention. Cute only gets you so far.

6. Piff the Magic Dragon - While I admit, this was not as good as the first two times we saw him, he's my favorite act in the whole competition.

7. Benton Blount - I hate that he smoothed out the raspyness of his voice for this performance. Gave him far less appeal. Still good enough to advance in a field of 7 though.

8. Craig & Micheline - Well, if they don't find success in this, I bet there's a very lucrative career for the pair of them in porn.

9. Drew Lynch - He's funny. Not the best comedian I've seen, not even the best this year or in this show, but the story is going to make sure he goes a long way, and good for him.

10. Showproject - It's just gymnastics. I get my fill of that once every four years in the Olympics, I wouldn't pay to watch it on a Vegas stage.

11. Paul Zerdin - I HATE ventriloquists. I don't hate Paul Zerdin. His material is that good.

12. Samantha Johnson - Really? I thought she has been jaw-droppingly great every single time, and this was no exception.





And:


On to the next round:

Siro-A
Piff the Magic Dragon
Benton Blount
Drew Lynch
Paul Zerdin
Samantha Johnson (Dunkin Save)
Alondra Santos (wins Judges' Save over The Gentlemen)

I think the 7 that got put through were the seven best acts, but do we really need 7? Judging by next weeks lineup, I can't imagine which seven will make it through, seems like a weak night. There were acts that got cut in the judges cuts that were better than some that are going next week.

[Shrykespeare]

The math is weird. Instead of four quarterfinal shows of 12 each, with six making it through from each (24 semi finalists), now we have three QF shows with seven each (21 semi finalists). I have to believe that three acts who get cut will worm their way back into the competition to round out the field of 24.

Loved the porn comment. Hee.

[Shrykespeare]

Quarter Final #2


1. DM Nation - It's just so hard to get jazzed about traditional dance crews. No matter how good or in synch they are, it's just not enough. These girls were better than most, but there are a lot more acts I'd pay to see ahead of them. Plus, the staging sucked. The lights were so bright, and the background effects made it hard to see the dancers at all.

2. Derek Hughes - Like this guy. Don't know who would win in a battle against Piff, but it'd be close.

3. 3 Shades of Blue - Not bad, but they don't get my blood pumping either.

4. Animation Crew - It was a little corny, but it's eminently more memorable than DM Nation. Not that I thought they would advance, but Howard's X pretty much guaranteed they wouldn't.

5. Arielle Baril - LOVE this girl. Love this song (remember, this is the song that Forte auditioned with). Probably the best voice coming out of a kid's mouth since Jackie E. Brilliant.

6. Uzeyer Novruzov - Love this guy. Took a bit long to get to the good part (the really high ladder), but he's a born showman.

7. Ira - For the first time, I like this act. I LOVE this song, and it wasn't just pathetic kissing up to Mel B. It reminded me of the old Muppet Show. (And why don't we ever get to see the puppeteer?)

8. Damone Rippy - It's a great act, but it's not Vegas. There's only so many tricks he can do, and it's not something you can watch for an hour. I'm sure water parks would love to hire him.

9. Myq Kaplan - Liked this guy before, but not tonight. The set just didn't work. Plus, we've already got a bunch of comedians.

10. The CraigLewis Band - Much better than 3 Shades of Blue. They owned the stage, which was set up great. Terrific song choice, too.

11. Freckled Sky - This act blew me away the first time, and even got the Golden Buzzer. This time wasn't quite as good. No wow moment. And though I love them, Siro-A is much better.

12. Sharon Irving - She knocked it out of the park. Loved her. Wow, the musical acts blew the dance acts away tonight, didn't they?




Advancing:

Derek Hughes
Arielle Baril
Uzeyer Novruzov
The CraigLewis Band
Sharon Irving

Ira (Dunkin' Save)

3 Shades of Blue gets the judges' vote over Freckled Sky.

[Geezer]

1. DM Nation - I said the same thing about the lighting. It was awful, either in your face bright or too dark other times. They were ok, but like you said, it's still just dancing and I don't think that's enough to hold my attention very long.

2. Derek Hughes - I like Piff better, because I think he's a bit funnier, but this guy is a better magician. Glad both are going through.

3. 3 Shades of Blue - I hate this generic rock bs. Does nothing for me.

4. Animation Crew - Yeah they were doomed from the X. I liked these guys, but again not a million dollar act.

5. Arielle Baril - She's great. I liked her last performance more, but this was still a no-brainer.

6. Uzeyer Novruzov - Best act of the night. That was the most frightening thing we've seen on stage in a long time, and he nailed it. Got my vote.

7. Ira - I don't hate Ira. It is very reminiscent of the muppet show. But its not a Vegas act, its much more geared to being on television. I wouldn't pay to see this. Better acts have been sent home.

8. Damone Rippy - I just don't get a sense of how difficult this is. It kinda looks like the machine does most of the work and he's just having fun. I'd love to try the thing out myself, or at least see someone try and fail at it to get a sense of actual talent. He was never moving on, and he takes himself way too seriously.

9. Myq Kaplan - Yeah he definitely used his best material to make it this far. Not good enough at this stage if you can't keep bringing new stuff that is just as good as the auditions.

10. The CraigLewis Band - Absolutely fantastic. Just nailed this song. Couldn't have done a better job.

11. Freckled Sky - Yeah I always knew they'd be hurt by Siro-A in the long run (kinda like The Silhouettes and Team i-Luminate). But they should have made it to the next round. There is certainly more potential greatness here than in 3 Shades of Blue and Ira.

12. Sharon Irving - She's brilliant. Great performance, great song. Short of watching John Legend and Common perform this on the Oscars, I don't know how it could have been better. Contender to take the whole thing.




Overall I'd have liked to see Freckled Sky advance, but they didn't have much of a shot at winning the whole thing. Very top heavy show with some absolute contenders to win and then a whole bunch that may not even deserve to be on this stage.

[Shrykespeare]

Quarterfinals #3


1. Chapkis Dance Family - Notice how they always put the really large dance groups first? We've been here before. These dance acts, no matter how crisp the dancing is or how good the stage or the lighting is, unless they have something that makes them truly special, like small kids dancing like pros (Miami All Stars), a visual element (Siro-A) or a real element of danger (Acro Army), there's just nothing there to hook me. Name one dance act like this that has ever worked in Vegas. (Me neither.)

2. Metal Mulisha Fitz Army - They must have filmed this part at the same time they filmed last week's QF, because Heidi is wearing the same shark-fin dress. I suppose that doesn't matter, no sense shlepping everyone out of the building twice if they don't have to. It's entertaining, yes, dangerous, yes, but really, could you watch this for an hour? Howard does have a point, it's probably a lot more impressive in person.

3. DADitude! - I remember these guys being eliminated in Vegas. I know for a fact that the 60-year-old crossbow lady had to pull out, and THESE are the guys they asked back? Seriously? Did the judges ask them back just so they could get four X's? What a waste. Just sad. So many better acts than this that went home in Vegas. Damn, you could almost hear crickets after the X's.

4. Alicia Michilli - Across the board, this season has more talent in the female singers category than any past season - Alondra, Samantha, Arielle, Sharon made it through, and Daniella is a shoe-in too. They all have powerful voices, and to her credit, Alicia brought her A-game, and more charisma, than she ever had before. She was like a brunette Emily West tonight. She has a definite shot at making it through.

5. Gary Vider - Why do comedians' pre-performance packages make them look like such losers? Was it their choice? I know we're supposed to look at them like Joe Schmos trying to make it in the cutthroat world of comedy, but really, can't we just see them in their real lives like everyone else? Anyway, I love this guy. He reminds me a lot like Taylor Williamson, who was effing brilliant at this. He should go through. But leave the stupid roommate at home.

6. Mountain Faith Band - Well, these guys blew 3 Shades of Blue out of the water, but that doesn't say much. The lady is hot, and she plays a mean violin, but something about this act just doesn't sit right with me. Maybe it's the presence of banjos? I didn't care about the guys in the band, and the lady has a much less alluring voice then all the solo women.

7. Oz Pearlman - Both Piff and Derek Hughes skated by despite not hitting it out of the park. This guy hit it out of the STATE. I don't know how the fuck he did that, but I love it. He's awesome. Maybe my favorite act of the night.

8. Selected of God - Something endearing about big black women with big pipes. They were very good, though I'm not sure about the song choice, and it got a little screamy at the end. They have a shot, but they're not my favorite.

9. Stevie Starr (The Professional Regurgitator) - This guy has been busy. Did you know he finished in fourth place on Britain's Got Talent five years ago? He also made the finals in the Czech version of the show in 2011, the semis in the Italian version in 2013, and came in fourth place on the French version in January of this year? Wonder where he'll go next! According to Wikipedia, tonight's trick is the same one he did on BGT five years ago. Seriously, I don't know how he does this. It's stomach-churning, but it's incredible. Wow.

10. Benjamin Yonattan - Except for perhaps the stuttering kid, this is the biggest sympathy vote of the season. You gotta love this kid, he's an inspiration, and he's very talented. I want him to have a long career. I'll give him a pass to the next round this time, but beyond that, nope.

11. Daniella Mass - LOVE her voice. I still prefer Arielle over her for the operatic voices, but damn. Mel B got it right: she has the perfect voice for theater. A.L. Webber would love this girl. Give it up for the ladies this year! Yeah! (Plus, she's sooooo hot. Whew.)

12. Freelusion Dance Company - These guys are very good. Siro-A is better, and will go further in the competition, but at least they didn't drop the ball like Freckled Sky did. THAT is how you combined dance with visuals. Somewhere, Kenichi is smiling. Or doing the Matrix. Or both. This told a great story, and I was entranced the whole time.




Who should go through:

Oz Pearlman
Freelusion Dance Company
Alicia Michilli
Stevie Starr
Daniella Mass
Gary Vider
Benjamin Yonattan


Who might have a small shot, based on the judges' comments:

Selected of God
Metal Mulisha Fitz Army
Mountain Faith Band

[Geezer]

1. Chapkis Dance Family - You nailed it.

2. Metal Mulisha Fitz Army - My problem is, I've already been watching this my entire life. They call it the X games. It's fun once a year, and then its over. And these guys aren't as good as those guys.

3. DADitude! - Again, you nailed it. Of all the acts, why them? A waste.

4. Alicia Michilli - I don't know man, this didn't do it for me. Of all the great female vocalists, she's on the bottom.

5. Gary Vider - He was just ok for me. Some jokes were great, some missed. But overall I do like him. And I'm sure it is their choice to do the package that way, because losers are easier to relate to and connect with, and thus easier to laugh along with. Though some play it up much more than others as part of their stage character.

6. Mountain Faith Band - They are just like The Willis Clan, who didn't get very far but at least they got their own tv show out of it. I like them, but they aren't a million dollar act.

7. Oz Pearlman - Unbelievable. I can't even begin to guess how he did that. Just impossible what he did. One of my favorites.

8. Selected of God - I thought they were the best musical act of the night, actually.

9. Stevie Starr (The Professional Regurgitator) - He is probably my favorite act in the whole competition. It has to be a trick, but that doesn't make it any less impressive to me. Just like any other great magician, if you can't explain how it's done, then they've done their job, and what he does is completely original and equally as mind-blowing. And he's a fabulous showman.

10. Benjamin Yonattan - I think he's incredible. How he can dance that well without being able to see and spot his landings and not lose his place, amazing. And at his age? He's inspirational and spectacular.

11. Daniella Mass - Phenomenal voice, but have to agree as well that its better suited for theater. Still, there's no way she should be going home. Spectacular pipes.

12. Freelusion Dance Company - I didn't love it. I thought the visuals were lacking, and Siro-A would crush them head to head.

[Shrykespeare]

Moving on to the semis:

Alicia Michilli
Mountain Faith Band
Oz Perlman
Stevie Starr (The Professional Regurgitator)
Freelusion Dance Company
Gary Vider (Dunkin Save)

Daniella Mass wins the Judges' Choice over Benjamin Yonattan. Which I think is the right choice.

So pretty much the right choices, except possibly MFB, who I would replace with Benjamin or Selected of God.


So 21 of 24 acts are set. Three acts will round out the Top 24, which I'm guessing will be acts that we saw cut. If it's the three acts that lost the Judges' Choice, it would be The Gentlemen, Freckled Sky and Benjamin Yonattan. Which would be fine, as I don't think any of the other eliminated acts really deserve to be back with the possible exception of Selected of God, but I doubt it will be them for the simple fact that 11 of the 21 acts that made it through are music-related.

Performing Next Week:

Drew Lynch
Ira
Oz Perlman
Arielle Baril
Benton Blunt
The CraigLewisBand
Siro-A
Mountain Faith Band
Samantha Johnson
Derek Hughes
TBA
TBA

I'm going to assume that six acts from each semifinal will go through in each episode. Without knowing who they are bringing back, I'm rooting for:

Siro-A
Arielle Baril
The CraigLewis Band
Oz Perlman
Drew Lynch

And for the final spot, either Benton Blount or Samantha Johnson, whoever sings better.



The second semi final will be:

3 Shades of Blue
Alicia Michilli
Alondra Santos
Daniella Mass
Freelusion Dance Company
Gary Vider
Paul Zerdin
Piff the Magic Dragon
Sharon Irving
Stevie Starr
Uzeyer Novrozov
TBA


Who I'm rooting for here:

Paul Zerdin
Uzeyer Novruzov
Daniella Mass
Piff the Magic Dragon
Sharon Irving
Stevie Starr

[Geezer]

Shryke I think you nailed the first night. Oz, Siro-A, CraigLewis Band, and Arielle should be absolute locks. I think Drew Lynch is in the driver seat for the 5 spot, with Samantha Johnson having a shot to take him out, and Benton as a distant Dark Horse. No one else has a chance.

[Shrykespeare]

Good to know, Geez!

Five going through? So the finals will be ten and not twelve? That's tough, but I like that idea. Ten is a better number anyway.



1. Ira - It's official. Cute's worn off. Welcome ... overstayed. Thank God.

2. Mountain Faith Band - She's pretty, with a nice voice, but nothing about this excites me. Nothing.

3. Metal Mulisha Fitz Army - Fine. It's a great act. It's dangerous. And it would look better in slomo than real time. IT. DOES. NOT. TRANSLATE. TO. A. TV. AUDIENCE.

4. Samantha Johnson - I really like this girl. Great voice, great staging, That was her best song so far. Plus ... damn, she's hot. I'm rooting for her.

5. Derek Hughes - He looks like the love child of Jason Sudeikis and Ed Helms, you notice that? I love his whole working-class-dad image, but he's not as funny as Piff or as professional as Oz.

6. Drew Lynch - LOVED the prepackage. This kid is inspirational. And he's got balls of steel for doing this.

7. The CraigLewis Band - It's crazy how much these two outclass every other male singing act this year. Phenomenal.

8. Oz Pearlman - Jeez. How does he do it? Just incredible. He's so in the finals.

9. Benton Blount - He's good, he's cool, what else is there to say? I hope he gets a record deal. But he won't win, and I would certainly not put him ahead of Drew or Samantha.

10. Siro-A - These guys are so incredible. They should win. They need to win. It's got Vegas written all over it! They HAVE TO WIN! (Which means they'll come in third.)

11. Arielle Baril - Wow. Just... wow. If anyone can beat Siro-A, I hope it's her. Wouldn't it be ironic if nine years ago, a preteen girl wins the show, and now, in Season Ten, it happens again??



I'm scared to see who doesn't make it.

[Geezer]

My one criticism with Samantha is that it took so long for that song to build. The last 30 seconds were phenomenal, but I think it might have cost her that the first 60 were kinda boring. Tough night, tough at this stage. Someone great is going to get cut.