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

[Shrykespeare]

Up tonight: Standby Acts.


First Group: Magicians.

With only Scott Alexander making it yesterday, it fell to Seth Grabel, Landon Swank, and The Halls of Magic to try to join him. The Halls pulled off the illusion but the guy made a dog's dinner of the presentation. A fourth magician that I didn't recognize did a disappear/reappear trick involving a pretty girl and a giant yellow snake. Pretty sure they won't make it. Landon did a very cool levitation trick involving a crate, some balloons and his fiancee. Seth pulls off a couple of neat tricks despite a major equipment malfunction at the beginning (one of his assistants took the blame). Sometimes, that's enough to get you cut.


Second Group: Child acts ('bout time...).

Lil'T does basically the same routine that pissed Surfer off before, only shorter. Avery and the Calico Hearts sing their little hearts out, performing an adorable rendition of "It's Your Thing". Love them. They are followed by this season's child ballroom couple, who we didn't see in auditions, and after that is a willowy black girl with frizzy hair who does a very passable job at singing. The SH'Boss boys do one of their kiddie rap songs, and they haven't lost any of their swagger. Anna Graceman KILLS her vocal performance ("Rolling in the Deep"), though she admits to missing a few notes on the piano, and I maintain is a shoo-in for Top 10 if she pulls it together. How she wasn't a judge's favorite is beyond me.

I love how all the kids just bond as friends backstage, regardless of age or gender. It's so sweet.


Third Group: Danger acts.

Frank Olivier ditches his unicycle and juggling, doing a fairly impressive fire-eating routine. Preston Weber juggles his flaming tikies without any apparent mishaps. Sandou Trio Russian Bar adds a "fire" element to their acts as well, and also avoids any spills. The Smage Brothers did some amazing, harrowing motorcycle stunts.


Fourth Group: Dance acts.

The Attack Dance Crew (I think) performs, as do the sexy Purrfect Angelz. Sam B cracks me up, he's so into his fat-guy dance moves. Dude needs a few weeks on a Stairmaster, though.


Fifth Group: Novelty acts.

Leonid the Magnificent, surprisingly, blows his third chance by doing a simple dance routine that was only average. On a happier note, juggler Thomas John plows through a juggling routine with a dose of comedy thrown in. Tricky Jackson sheds his clothes and strikes a few more poses. Meh. Ian Johnson does some more yo-yo tricks, some of which impress even me. Meet Me at Fairfax and 3rd are still old and pointless.


Sixth Group: Male singers.

Dylan Andre impressed me a lot on his acoustic guitar. He is followed by a couple of guys I don't recognize, and then Taylor Davis who does an acoustic version of "Firework". Mauricio Herrera, one of the cheesiest acts ever, does the cheesiest song ever written ("Strangers in the Night", followed by "Stayin' Alive"), and he still sucks. Daniel Joseph Baker is incredible.

[Shrykespeare]

Standby Show results:

Through to the Show:

Smage Brothers Riding Shows
Sandou Trio Russian Bar
SH'Boss Boys
Avery and the Calico Hearts
Anna Graceman
(The willowy black girl whose name we still don't know)
Landon Swank
Seth Grabel
Thomas John
Ian Johnson
Sam B (wow)
Attack Dance Crew
Purrfect Angelz
Daniel Joseph Baker
Mauricio Herrera (WTF?!)
Dylan Andre (you were right, Geez)
Taylor Davis (ditto)


Cut from the Show (barring a return on the Wildcard episode):

Preston Weber
Frank Olivier
Lil' T
Tricky Jackson
Meet Me at Fairfax and 3rd
Leonid the Magnificent
The Halls of Magic



Now, there were a whole host of acts who were were introduced to in the auditions that we didn't see hide nor hair of in Vegas. Most of them only got the 30-second treatment, so I'm not surprised that they didn't make it. There were, however, several acts who got the eight-minute segment who were very conspicuous by their absence:

Rachel Zamstein
The Art of Teknique
ELEW
Narcissister

With the exception of Narcissister, I'm at a loss as to why they weren't shown. Perhaps they didn't show up. In any case, I hope that Rachel, AoT, ELEW, Cindy Chang, Michael Turco and Ryan Andreas are brought back on the WildCard show.

Otherwise, what do you think of the Top 48, Geez? Who are your favorites?

[Shrykespeare]

Some updates on some of the acts that disappeared somewhere between their auditions and Vegas, from what I was able to glean from various comments on YouTube (hope they're true):

ELEW apparently dropped out so he could join Josh Groban on tour. Nice gig.

Rachel Zamstein joined a group called Lily Red.

The Art of Teknique dropped out because they "couldn't fit it into their schedule" (this is a quote from their Facebook page).

I wish all three acts well.

[Geezer]

Through to the Show:

Geechy Guy- He had a few really funny jokes, glad he is moving on.
J. Chris Newberg- I liked him as well.
Scott Alexander- I love magic
Yellow Designs Stunt Team- Just seems tired to me at this point. Go try out for the X games, not AGT
Frank Miles- No possible way that its real, but he pulled it off with such bravado that you were almost convinced. Can't wait for his next act.
Charles Peachock- he was AWESOME.
Poplyfe- I like them a lot, girl is really talented.
The Fiddleheads- I hate bands on AGT. They come across as just glorified cover acts that should be singing in a bar. BUT, these guys bring something DIFFERENT, and I love it.
The Kinetic King- He just CAN'T be a Vegas show. His show takes 6-8 hours to set up for 15 seconds of entertainment, that is NOT a Vegas act.
Those Funny Little People- YOU KNOW I LOVE THOSE FUNNY LITTLE PEOPLE!!! SO PUMPED!
Echo of Animal Gardens- I CAN NOT believe they put her through!! She sucked! And not only did she suck, she sucked doing the exact same act as her first audition! If that bird don't sing in a Vegas show, thats a lot of money you have to refund!
Mona Lisa- meh
Fatally Unique- good dancers, which doesn't impress me THAT much
Dezmond Meeks- ehhh, he wasn't THAT good. I wasn't impressed.
Snap Boogie- He, however, was VERY impressive. Top 10 written ALL over him.
Steven Retchless- as the episode went on, it became more and more clear he was getting through. And you know what, he MIGHT have a following big enough to move him past the next round.
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.- I think he can win the WHOLE DAMN THING. So amazing. Love him, by far, the best of any singer.
Zuma Zuma- I like them, but I think they don't move past the next round
The Daring Jones Duo- I'm over the whole trapeze thing.
Summerwind Skippers- I still LOVE them. More than most dance acts. They are flawless.
Dani Shay- SO glad she got a second chance, but still can't fucking stand that they don't ENCOURAGE artists to bring original music to the table. Its so much more TALENTED to do your own material than to cover songs. Isn't that what this competition is SUPPOSED to be about?

[Geezer]

Through to the Show:

Smage Brothers Riding Shows- They are ok, but they shouldn't go past the next round
Sandou Trio Russian Bar- So awesome! How were they on stand-by??
SH'Boss Boys- It definitely was weird that all of the child acts were on stand-by. So glad they made it though, couldn't be more adorable. What happened to your girl Sadie?
Avery and the Calico Hearts- They are cute, but I think the fact that they sound like Alvin and the Chipmunks will do them in.
Anna Graceman- Absolutely incredible. Top 10 written all over her.
(The willowy black girl whose name we still don't know)- So weird that they didn't name her. Unmemorable anyway.
Landon Swank- I think he might be this year's Michael Grasso.
Seth Grabel- I was glad he made it, if only to protect the life of that poor woman. He was really looking like he was about to beat her.
Thomas John- I really liked him. Can't wait to see what he does next.
Ian Johnson- He is still REALLY good at Yo-yo... which still can't be entertaining for an hour.
Sam B- AMERICA REJOICES!!! The funniest act I've ever seen. I love him so God damn much. The best part is that he actually can dance, he's just so fat that it looks hilarious. I know I will be voting for him!
Attack Dance Crew- Still think they are the most original of the dance crews, which gives them an edge for me.
Purrfect Angelz- yeah, they are hot.
Daniel Joseph Baker- I didn't like him the first time, but he knocked it out of the park this time around!
Mauricio Herrera- He was actually entertaining this time around! In a stupid cheesy way, but entertaining. Don't worry, he won't go any further.
Dylan Andre - It will be interesting to see...
Taylor Davis - How these two grow through the next round. I like them both a lot, and I think America will too.

[Geezer]

Oh, and out of the 10 that were immediately put through (most of which, i think they just didn't want to take the time to set up their acts, since they knew they were just going to let them through, like Splash and the Cycle dome)

Captain & Maybelle- I don't get it!
The Rhinestone Ropers- Again, just think they didn't want to take the time to set up, they are not a top 10 act.
The Fearless Flores Family- I stick by my previous sentiments
Team iLuminate- still AWESOME. I'm thinking top 10
Lys Agnes- Might be the best singer in the competition, but not necessarily my favorite.
Melissa Villasenor- Very surprised to see her go straight on through, but also pleased by it.
Miami (Atlanta) All-Stars- It's not my thing.
Professor Splash- I think he should light himself on fire, and THEN jump. That would make me like him more.
The Silhouettes- Still my ABSOLUTE FAVORITES in the competition, and I hope they win it all.
Squawk Opera- Who?

[Shrykespeare]

Two things: first, the willowy black girl with no name, now has a name. She calls herself Monet, and she is 12 years old. I kind of feel sorry for her, she was probably watching the show at home, waiting for her audition to be shown, and it never was. Then, she got 20 seconds of screen time in Vegas, and they didn't even say her name. Which means she's already going in with a handicap. That just seems unfair, as almost all of the other acts at least got their names up on the screen.

Second, the Squonk Opera (not "Squawk") appeared in the auditions in the form of a 30-second clip during one of their "montage-o-suck" bits. I just assumed they didn't make it. Not only did they make it, but they got passed straight through? Just weird.

[Geezer]

And just for fun, since I presume these will be broken down into 4 groups of 12, with 4 going on per group, here are my final 16 (of course not taking into account a Wild Card or Youtube show). I guess this is kind of a mixture between personal opinion, and what I think will happen. I expect one from you, Shryke!:

Team iLuminate
Lys Agnes
Professor Splash
The Silhouettes
SH'Boss Boys
Anna Graceman
Landon Swank
Sam B
Attack Dance Crew
Daniel Joseph Baker
Dylan Andre
Taylor Davis
Frank Miles
Snap Boogie
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
Dani Shay

wow, it was REALLY hard to cut some of those acts. The talent this year is really DEEP.

[Shrykespeare]

I've divided it up a little differently:

Shoo-ins for Round Two:
Anna Graceman
Fearless Flores Family
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
Lys Agnes
Professor Splash
SH'Boss Boys
Silhouettes
Team iLuminate

Above-average chance:
Avery and the Calico Hearts
Charles Peachock
Daniel Joseph Baker
Melissa Villasenor
Poplyfe
Rhinestone Ropers
Scott Alexander
Snap Boogie

Decent chance:
Dani Shay
Dezmond Meeks
Dylan Andre
Landon Swank
Miami All Stars
Sandou Russian Bar Trio
Seth Grabel
Taylor Davis

Outside chance:
Attack Dance Crew
Fatally Unique
Frank Miles
Geechy Guy
Mona Lisa
Monet
Smage Brothers Riding Shows
Steven Retchless

Slim chance:
The Fiddleheads
Ian Johnson
Kinetic King
Purrfect Angelz
Summerwind Skippers
Thomas John
Yellow Designs Stunt Team
Zuma Zuma

No chance:
Captain & Maybell
Duo Aero (Daring Jones Duo)
Echo of Animal Gardens
J. Chris Newberg
Mauricio Herrera
Sam B (sorry, dude)
Squonk Opera
Those Funny Little People



Of course, how tragic would it be if they put 12 of our favorites on ONE SHOW?

[Geezer]

You are SO wrong about Sam B, Shryke. America is going to love this guy. He at least has a legitimate shot at the next round. The guy's audition on youtube is over 300 thousand views, right up there with some of your shoe-in acts, and sometimes even more (Professor Splash is at about 36 thousand). People want to see this guy. He might not make it, but it will depend on who they group him with. I'd put him in the Decent chance category, at least. I'll try and do a breakdown like this later on.

[Shrykespeare]

According to Wikipedia, these are the acts that will be performing tonight.

They usually space out similar acts over the course of the show. There are four singing acts, two dancing acts, two comedic acts, one animal act and three danger acts. They also have a tendency to put the early favorites near the end of the show, a slightly lesser favorite at the start of the show (so as to not start off totally lame), and the one-and-done acts in the #2-#7 spots.

Here is the order that I would imagine they will perform in, or close to it...

Miami All-Stars, dancers
J. Chris Newburg, comedian
Duo Aero, danger act
Fiddleheads, band
Echo of Animal Gardens, animal act
Squonk Opera, singers
Those Funny Little People, comic act
Sandou Russian Bar Trio, danger act
Dezmond Meeks, singer
Snap Boogie, dancer
Fearless Flores Family, danger act
Anna Graceman, singer


Given this group, I would imagine that the Top 3 vote-getters will be Anna, FFF and Snap Boogie. The judges will have to choose between two of the following: Dezmond Meeks, Miami All-Stars and Sandou RBT, and who they choose will depend on their performance.

Stay tuned for tonight.

[Geezer]

Yeah it will probably be the last 3, although I wouldn't pick the FFF. I'd replace them with Sandou Russian Bar Trio, and throw in Those Funny Little People, because they are awesome. I'll be sending them my votes

[Shrykespeare]

Here is the actual order tonight:

1. Miami All-Stars, dance troupe
2. Dezmond Meeks, singer
3. Those Funny Little People, novelty performers
4. Fearless Flores Family, stunt motorcyclists (#4? Really?)
5. Squonk Opera, opera singers
6. J. Chris Newberg, comedian/musician
7. Snap Boogie, dancer
8. Echo of Animal Gardens, talking bird act
9. The Fiddleheads, bluegrass band
10. Duo Aero, acrobatic/trapeze act
11. Anna Graceman, singer
12. Sandou Russian Bar Trio, Russian bar acrobats

Strange that SRBT was put in the final spot. Hmm.

Will give reviews in a few hours. I am stepping out for a bit.

[Geezer]

Anna is actually 11, Shryke. Sandou Russian Bar Trio is going last.

[Shrykespeare]

Tonight's performers.

#1. Miami All-Stars - Suffered a blow a couple of days ago when they found out that the music they were planning on dancing to was unusable because of "legal reasons", so they had to come up with an entirely new routine, to new music, from scratch. Given that they had a relatively small stage to work with (and the fact that they are a LARGE group), they did very well. I saw no hitches or flubs in the dancing, and it was precise, sexy and with a lot of flair... or as much flair as you can have in only 90 seconds. Great way to start the show.

#2. Dezmond Meeks - Interesting choice to do "Satisfaction" while wearing Lionel Richie's Commodores hat. The dancing girls were a nice touch, too. However, as good as he was, I think the early position in the night, added to the Sharon and Howie's less-than-stellar comments, will ultimately be his undoing. After Anna Graceman sings, he will probably pale by comparison.

#3. Those Funny Little People (X - Piers) - Well, you knew going in Piers would buzz them, this kind of act just isn't his cup of tea. You love them, I love them, and it's cool they made it this far, but I really will be disappointed if they get voted through ahead of some of the other acts.

#4. Fearless Flores Family - THREE motorcycles in that small a space? Color me impressed. They are a spectacle, no doubt. I'm sure you'll say "where do they go from here," but they seem to have ideas on that subject, and I'll root for them to continue. Fire would be a cool addition.

#5. Squonk Opera (XX- Piers and Sharon) - I'm sure that there are audiences for bizarre shit like this. I've done some research, and they are very popular in Pittsburgh, and are booked quite often. The visual effects were cool; however, the music was just too damn weird and discordant for me. Why on earth were these guys put straight through to Hollywood?

#6. J. Chris Newberg (X - Piers) - We'll just have to agree to disagree on this guy, Geez. I laughed more at the kids' chorus fake beards than any of his jokes. He is NOT FUNNY. I think the audience clapped more out of pity than because they like him. He's actually begging for votes? Not cool.

#7. Snap Boogie - Sucks that he injured himself practicing his routine. I love this kid, and I love that he plowed through the pain and performed anyway. The black-clad backup dancers were a very nice touch. I just worry that he will be overshadowed by the volume and sexiness of Miami All Stars. Can both of them make the semis?

#8. Echo of Animal Gardens - This act made it to Hollywood just for the variety factor, and the fact that they were no other animal acts that were as good. Echo may be the smartest, most talented parrot in the country, but it's not a Vegas show.

#9. The Fiddleheads - There's a reason that bands often struggle on this show; it's because they get on that big stage and try to become something their not. These guys gambled huge and lost.

#10. Duo Aero (X - Piers) - I figured of the three "danger" acts tonight, this would be the least interesting of the bunch, and I was right. I fully appreciate the difficulty with combining jazz dancing with trapeze, but that didn't make it interesting.

#11. Anna Graceman - Brilliant choice. "What a Wonderful World" is a song that everyone knows, and she sung it in a unique way. She didn't show the nerves that she did in Vegas, and she got a standing O. Outstanding performance.

#12. Sandou Russian Bar Trio - Holy shit. I wondered what the producers were thinking putting this act last, and then I saw it. They really upped their game, even upstaging the Flores Family. They couldn't have possibly done any better tonight.


Based on their position in the rotation, the judges comments and my own personal observations, I think the top three vote getters will be Anna Graceman, Sandou Russian Bar Trio and Snap Boggie. The judges will then have to decide between Miami All Stars and The Fearless Flores Family... I honestly have no idea how they will decide that one.