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

[Shrykespeare]

Two years ago, they cut the field from 20 to 10, and then from 10 to 4. (The four were Michael Grimm, Jackie Evancho, Fighting Gravity and Prince Poppycock), but they didn't do that last year. I don't think they are doing that this year either, since Nick said the remaining acts were only two performances away from the title. So in all likelihood, the show where the Top Ten perform will be the one that determines a winner.


Breaking it down even further, so much will depend on how the acts are placed in the show. At least there is not one genre that is top-heavy, like the danger/illusion acts this week.

Singers/musicians: Obviously, Andrew is the front runner. Edon is a prodigy, but I don't think he's quite good enough yet to compete with the best of this crowd. And Bria has no shot. And equally obviously, Willam is a lock if his performance is anywhere near his last one.

Dancers: Well, you have the Scott Brothers, Turf and Academy of Villains. If I had to give one of them the nod over the others, it would be Academy of Villains; they have the capacity to be more creative and innovative than Turf, who basically just does contortions. I love the Scotts, but this may be too big a mountain to climb.

The rest are wild cards: Joe Castillo so deserves to go to the Top Ten, and so does Tom Cotter and Dittelman. I know you love Donovan & Rebecca, but I can't see them advancing beyond this point. And the less said about Todd Oliver, the better.

Who I would love to see advance:
Andrew De Leon
William Close
Joe Castillo
Tom Cotter
Dittelman

Who I think will advance:
Andrew De Leon
William Close
(beyond that, no idea)


As for the second show, it is definitely a less fearsome field, but at least it's more likely that the more deserving acts will move forward. We can pretty much throw out The Magic of Puck, Clint Carvalho and All Wheel Sports. As talented as All That!, Jacob Williams and the Hayes Family is, I think they've come as far as they were meant to.

The good news is that David Garibaldi and Olate Dogs have a much clearer path to the Top Ten. Same with Light Wire Theater. I also think Tim Hockenberry will advance because he and the Hayes Family are the only singers on the show this week, and he is the better of the two. Which means the fifth spot will come down to one of two "kid" acts, Sebastien or the Untouchables. I would hate to be one of the judges to have to make that choice.

Who I think will advance:
David Garibaldi
Olate Dogs
Light Wire Theater
Tim Hockenberry
The Untouchables

[Geezer]

Shryke, they didn't cut it down to 4? I am almost positive that they did. And the top 4 were Team iLuminate, The Silhouettes, PopLyfe and Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. Am I wrong?

But anyway, here we go with my thoughts:

First Night:

I love so many of these acts. It will be a very sad night for sure. You are right that I love Donovan and Rebecca. I think they are fantastic. But I also agree with you that in this group, they have no shot, which is unfortunate. Hopefully great things will come of them. Some act somewhere has to be able to use their skills. Andrew is probably the front-runner to win the show (though I still didn't like his last performance... maybe it's just my ears but it had some "nails on a chalkboard" moments). The judges are all ready to hand William Close a check for a million bucks. Joe Castillo is absolutely fabulous and one of my favorites this season. Dittleman is just so great at what he does. One of the best I've ever seen, in both talent, stage presence and personality. Then there's Tom Cotter, the best comedian this show has ever seen. And I haven't even gotten to the singers or dance acts! Turf and his personality which everyone clings too and brings in the votes, vs the wild awesomeness that was Academy of Villains. I think they will be hurt by the fact that we have only seen them once. I loved them the first time out, but they haven't had time to get the following that many of these other acts have. I think that hurts their chances. The Scott Brothers aren't as good as Turf nor do they have the personality edge he does. I like them but this is the end of their road. Edon is my girlfriend's favorite act in the entire competition, and I still can't get over how great his live performance was for a kid his age. It's going to be an insanely tough night. One slip up, one wrong note, one wrong step and you are GONE. There are more than 5 deserving acts here.

Who I want to go on:

Joe Castillo
Dittleman
Andrew De Leon
Tom Cotter
William Close/Turf/Edon/Donovan and Rebecca/Academy of Villains... basically anyone but Todd Oliver.


Night Two:

I agree with your analysis. I wish that any two of the acts from night one that I just listed got in here, and they moved a couple of the lesser acts there (say All Wheel Sports and the Hayes family). I think it would have been more fair that way. I think that an act like Turf or Edon or Academy of Villains could beat an act like The Untouchables. Or if you put Tom Cotter here and Jacob Williams there, he'd have a better shot at representing comedy in the top 10. But, as it stands right now, it is what it is. Here's my analysis:

Olate Dogs are an absolute lock. Best animal act we have ever seen and totally deserving. Would have gone through either night. Tim Hockenberry is one of the favorites to win it all. Got the voice, the story, the everything. Light Wire Theater has basically had the easiest path to the top 10 of anyone in the field, so despite my hatred of these rip-off artists, they are 100% going to move through. David Garibaldi would have had a tough time moving through if they were put on night one, but here they are a lock if they don't royally screw up.

The last spot, like you said, should go to The Untouchables or Sebastian (both who would have had almost no shot at moving through on night one). I give Jacob williams an outside shot at making it, IF he absolutely knocks it out of the park with his act. But no one else here is even close to making the finals.

[Geezer]

Andrew De Leon - I thought he was great, better than last time. Should be tough going first though. And whats up with this "only three go through" thing?

The stupid dog guy - He still fucking sucks, and I actually watched this time.

Donovan and Rebecca - Every time they perform my jaw just hits the floor. I love everything about them. They are completely spectacular.

Edon - This kid is a star. What a voice on someone so young and STAGE PRESENCE. Tonight is absolutely proving to be just as tough as we predicted.

The Scott Brothers - Definitely stepped it up. They could definitely be a show. I liked it a lot. No shot to move on though.

Dittleman - THE BEST ACT ON THIS SHOW. Easily. I have NO IDEA how he does it. The shape thing wasn't that great, kind of a minor level thing, but cool that he included the audience. But the colors, that is making the impossible happen. 100% awesome. I hope he wins the whole damn thing.

Turf - Absolutely world-class at what he does, but on a night like tonight, I just can't see a solo dance act going through. It just doesn't have a high enough ceiling.

Bria Kelly - She is a country singer, why didn't she pick a country song? I liked it, didn't love it. Crazy that they even put the two good youtube acts on this good night.

Joe Castillo - Wow. another absolutely phenomenal performance. He needs more time to expand his act. He needs his own show. If Dittleman is the best, he is second. He needs to be in the finals. I want to see this guy perform. He is incredible.

William Close - His act is really cool, but I just still don't like the full band with the mediocre singing. They think he is guaranteed to move on. I'm not so sure. I also bet it is so much better live.

Tom Cotter - THE BEST COMEDIAN THIS SHOW HAS EVER SEEN. And probably will ever see. He has so much material that he could have been on with any one of a number of topics and he was hysterical. Completely rooting for him. I love it. Awesome awesome awesome.

Academy of Villains - They were awesome too. Could totally be a Vegas act. I agree with Howie that they are the best dance act I have seen on this show. I loved it, but I loved almost every act tonight. Tonight might as well have been the finals for me. It completely proved why this is the best reality competition show on television. It is never boring and the acts are just so damn talented at this stage. Man, why did they put the best Youtube act on the good night.

I voted, 4 times for Dittleman, 3 for Joe Castillo and 3 for Tom Cotter. But shit I love almost all of these acts.

Andrew, Donovan and Rebecca, Edon, and the Academy of Villains would be the next in line, but I like William Close, Turf and The Scotts as well. Shit the only act that didn't belong was the dog guy. What a great show. Spectacular entertainment. I'd pay to watch the majority of them.

[Shrykespeare]

I'm behind you, as usual... I have to wait for the damn convention to end.

As for the "only three go through" thing, I don't know. Nick said the finale was only two weeks away, so they must have decided that a Top Six was the right number to have on a finale. Still, that's a freaking brutal cut. I find myself rooting for Andrew, Joe and William (and Dittelman too).


Andrew De Leon - Well, his song choice HAD to be Ave Maria. There was really no other way to go. I love him, I adore him, I totally see bits of myself in him. But the fact that he went first and that the judges chose to bag on him for his lack of formal training as well as his image (which, granted, can be a bit off-putting seeing as how it's such a stark contrast to the soprano voice, but I don't think it needed to be mentioned) is just further proof that the show desperately wants to crown a non-singing act champion. (I wouldn't be surprised if Tim Hockenberry went first next week for the same reason.) If nothing else, I am glad that this show game Andrew some small measure of social acceptance and self-confidence. I wish nothing but the best for him, both career-wise as well as personally. I respect the shit out of him.

Todd Oliver - Well, Geez, look at the bright side... if Todd had not made it through last week and some act like Spencer Horsman or the Bandbaz Brothers had, they would have had the same mountain of talent staring down at them. With Todd getting through, though, we have the luxury of hating on him, and pretty much dismissing him as probably the longest shot to make Top Three in this whole field. Actually, I don't hate him as much as you do... my biggest problem is that Todd's speaking voice as well as the one he gives to Irving are too close to each other. Look at Terry Fator and Jeff Dunham - they can not only throw their voices, they can change them significantly.

Donovan & Rebecca - They are remarkable, no doubt. They need to get a company together, and they would have a Vegas show. Howard hit on it, though... something like this doesn't translate quite as well over TV. This is why an acrobatic act has never made the Finals.

Edon - You know, I'm getting sick of Howard going out of his way to pick on the singers. I want a non-singer to win as much as the next person, but not this way. The same way I hated Simon Cowell for stacking the deck against certain singers, I don't like Howard sandbagging the singers just because... they're singers. I think the song choice was great, Edon is mega-talented, and fearless, and charismatic, and he could be the next Bieber. Do you think he should keep the yarmulke, Geez, or is he better off losing it?

The Scott Brothers - I love them. There's nothing as cool as watching people do "The Robot" WELL. If you get a chance, Geez, check out Brian Gaynor and Remote Kontrol on YouTube. These guys deserve a stage show. But you're right, this will be the end for him.

Dittelman - Jeez, this kid. He is amazing. FREAKIN' AMAZING. The whole "shape" thing kind of went by too fast for me, but I'd give my eyeteeth to know how he does it. He's not a traditional magician, but he's a damn good one.... even on Michael Grasso level (and I NEVER thought I'd say that).

Turf - This kid is a great story, and a great dancer, and there's no question he's got the heart of a champion. But him by himself... it's just not enough. He needs a whole crew.

Bria Kelly - You're right, she should have done a country song. That being said, I like the way she countrified Pink. If I hadn't heard the song before, I wouldn't have known it was a pop song. The good news is, she's got a GREAT voice, and I hope some record label signs her. The bad news is, she really never had a shot on a night like tonight anyway.

Joe Castillo - This guy never ceases to amaze me. The fact that he can do six immmaculately detailed pictures in ninety seconds is phenomenal. To think what he could do in an hour... My only concern is that this show is this act, much like the Silhouettes last year, that it may be too low-key for a Vegas stage. This kind of act, the kind with a serious message, needs to tour America. This is on the other end of the artistic spectrum from David Garibaldi, who has found a way, with rock and roll music, to really Vegas it up. Am I making sense?

William Close - I have to disagree with you on the singing, I quite liked it. There's no doubt that this act needs vocals, and if William can't to do, then he can't do it. One thing this act has that other acts don't is a full measure of spectacle. And that counts for a lot. I didn't enjoy this performance as much as the last one, but there's no doubt in my mind that he deserves one of the three spots.

Tom Cotter - This guy is a genius. The shout-out to Dittelman had me on the FLOOR. He may not win, but if he's not in the Finals, I will be very very upset.

Academy of Villains - My God, what a night. You won't remember this, Geez, but there was a dance act that auditioned in Season One or Two called the Jabbawockeez, and they got cut EARLY ON. And now they are world-famous. And as good as this dance act is, and they are phenomenal, I have to wish the same fate for them. They might move on because they got the pimp spot, but I have to actively root against them. Damn the producers for making this show so top-heavy.


Wow. Three acts? I want to see Andrew, Dittelman, William and Tom go through. One will go home. God, I HOPE it's only one of this group.




Now that we know the format for next week, I'm counting on big performances from Olate Dogs, David Garibaldi and Light Wire Theater. If any of them screw up or perform early on, an act like The Untouchables, Tim Hockenberry or Jacob Williams could sneak in, maybe even Sebastien. I don't really give any of the other five acts a shot.

[Geezer]

Great analysis, Shryke. Good read. Some responses:

Yes, it was great to at least have ONE act (Todd Oliver) that I know isn't going to be competition for the great ones.

I wish Donovan and Rebecca the utmost success with whatever acrobatic troupe they end up joining.

On Edon, I really don't think it makes a difference. The kid can sing and he's being true to who he is. Maybe he should lose it, maybe not, but either way the kid is a star performer. I'm sure a manager will help him make that choice.

No one on this show makes me go "I just want to see what he does next!" more than Dittleman.

On Joe Castillo, yeah, you are probably right. He should be touring America, and I would go see him. He's easily my second favorite act of the season.

I am aware of the Jabbawokees. I've seen them perform various tv spots. I can't say that about any other act, so they certainly prove that you don't have to win to be a success. You just have to be really good.

This three acts thing SUCKS. What was so wrong with going from 24 to 10 to 4? Don't they want to stretch this out. Hell if I had my way they would Idolize it and once you got to the top 10 they'd only cut one per week!

[Shrykespeare]

Wow. I can't believe that Todd Oliver came THAT close to the Finals. That means that he actually got more votes than both Dittelman and Andrew.

Well, thankfully, the three acts that DID make it were worthy. The top two vote-getters were Tom and William, and the judges decided to put Joe into the Finals over Todd. I am so sorry to see Dittelman and Andrew go home, but that's just how tough a night it was. I wish both of them a huge amount of success in the future.

And how about that... not one singer in the bunch.

The three acts that have the best shot next week are Olate Dogs, Light Wire Theater and David Garibaldi. Considering how both the judges and the producers have stacked the deck against the singers, you can bet that both the Hayes Family and Tim Hockenberry will either be put early in the lineup, get negative comments, or both. If any act can rise up and threaten the above acts, it will probably be The Untouchables. They are a terrific dance act (and with more appeal than All That), and I think they would win the judges' choice over anyone not in the three I mentioned simply because there are no dance acts in the finals. Sebastien has been given high praise for his singing ability and his showmanship that belie his age, but he's a singer. And win Tom advancing, can Jacob Williams also make it? We'll see.

[Geezer]

I didn't even get to watch it, it was blacked out because of the stupid Patriots game.

I'm glad I didn't get to watch. I probably would have thrown something at my tv seeing Todd Oliver in the top 4. HE WAS SUPPOSED TO BE THE SURE THING NO-BRAINER ELIMINATION. The ONLY one with no shot, and he makes the fucking top 4!!!!

If he were to make the finals, on this night, over these truly awesome acts, I'd have quit the show.

Anyway, the three that went through are awesome and deserving. I hope Joe or Tom wins the whole show. They are my two favorites remaining. So pissed about Dittleman, but hey, that is the night we were given.

[Shrykespeare]

Well, going in, it seems clear what the show's agenda is, by putting the three acts they want to advance the most at the very end of the show. At least they gave Tim Hockenberry and The Untouchables a fighting chance by also putting them in the second half.


All That! - Well, we both know that they're only still here because of horndog Sharon, but to their credit, they stepped up their game about as far as they could. They added a new element (shoes on fire), and they wore the leather as promised, and they also had several guys do solos (as Howard requested). Kudos to them. But their run needs to end tonight.

Sebastien "El Charro de Oro" - He's got true star potential, but he still needs work in his lower register. If this is his final performance, I'm glad he went back to a Spanish song. The flamenco dancers were a nice touch. Can mariachi music become widespread? I'm doubtful. But I love this kid.

The Magic of Puck - The illusion was quite impressive if not awe-inspiring, so good for him. But if Dittelman couldn't make it into the Top 3, this guy has no chance.

Clint Carvalho and his Extreme Parrots - A nice act, and any other season they might just be the best animal act of the year... but putting them on the same show as Olate Dogs pretty much guarantees they won't get the votes.

Jacob Williams - He's funny, but not all of the material worked tonight. I think he's got a future in comedy, but he had the misfortune of being the second-best comedian of the season.

Maurice and Shanice Hayes - Heartwarming, inspiring, and Shanice looked GORGEOUS tonight. Having the line of backup singers kind of took away from the overall, however, and like Howard said, there wasn't that "one moment" that made me want to pick up the phone.

All Wheel Sports - Can I see this as a Vegas show? For the first time, yes. But I don't think they're quite there yet. There's a reason a danger act has never made the Finals, and the one spill probably cost them any shot at it this time.

Tim Hockenberry - Apart from Andrew, my favorite singer of the season, and he's ten times more relatable. He really kept it simple, doing "Imagine" with just a piano and a cello. Maybe TOO simple? And I wish he'd kept his stubble, too. Enough to move on? We'll see.

The Untouchables - My God, these kids. The precision, the ferocity with which they do their thing is amazing. You totally forget that they're not even teenagers yet! That "quick change" thing they did was spectacular. I would LOVE to see them advance.

Olate Dogs - They did mostly stuff they've done before, along with a couple of new tricks. So impressive. I will weep if a dog act wins BGT and this doesn't even make the finals.

Lightwire Theater - I know you don't like this act, and tonight's performance felt too video game-y. I much preferred their last bit. Still, audiences eat technical stuff like this up. This is SO Vegas.

David Garibaldi and his CMYKs - Wow. Just... wow. Extreme art! I love this! What a great act! Gaaaah!


Holy shit, tomorrow's going to be brutal. I think any of the last five acts could move on. I, personally, would put through The Untouchables, Olate Dogs and David Garibaldi, though I'm sure Lightwire Theater will factor in somewhere. As for Tim, I think they downplayed him just enough to keep him out of the Top 4. My God, the judges are going to have a horrible decision to make tomorrow.

[Geezer]

I was really bored for much of the show. I absolutely loved the Olate Dogs and think they are a stone cold lock. David Garibaldi, however, was my FAVORITE act of the night. That was incredible. How he creates such beautiful art in such a short time with all the theatrics involved as well is just awesome.

As for the third act, it will come down to Light Wire Theater and Tim Hockenberry. I don't really like either one, but I know America does.

[Shrykespeare]

Really? You don't think The Untouchables has a shot? How could you not like that!

[W]

Some guy from AGT that does bicycle tricks is going to perform at my kid's school. She said the guy's name was Michael something...

[Shrykespeare]

Hmm... don't know. The only guy I can think of that had a solo bike stunt act was named Jeremy. Can you find out his last name?

[W]

I'll ask tomorrow. It's part of the kids selling stuff for school. If they sell enough useless crap they get an autograph.

[Geezer]

Really? You don't think The Untouchables has a shot? How could you not like that!

Shryke I thought they were great... but when is the last time a traditional dance act made the finals? Not since I have been watching.

[Shrykespeare]

Well, Geez, it's official.... The Untouchables are in on viewer votes, and so are Olate Dogs.

Traditional dance or not, when you add the kids' proficiency, precision and sheer adorability, that's a potent combination. What parent wouldn't want them to go through?

The judges had to choose between Lightwire Theater and David Garibaldi, and again, the vote was split 2-1. Sharon voted for LWT, but the guys opted to send through David and his crew.


So the finals are set, and they are:

David Garibaldi and his CMYKs
Joe Castillo
Olate Dogs
Tom Cotter
The Untouchables
William Close

I cannot complain about any single one of those acts making it this far. All of them deserve it. And for the first time, a singer WON'T win. (Yes, I know William Close's act does involve singing, but I'm not going to split that hair and I doubt the show will either.)

I honestly can't call it. Based purely on judges' hype, I have to figure the favorites are William Close and Olate Dogs.