September 18, 2008
America’s Got Talent Top 10 Performance Show
Written by: John
It looks like it’s going to take about a day before I’ll be able to post the videos from America’s Got Talent top 10 performance show. However, there’s no need for me to delay in posting my thoughts about the performances.
Best Performances of the Night
Jessica Price - I admit I’m a little biased towards Jessica, but who can argue about that performance. Beauty, grace a wonderful set and just raw talent singing on stage.
Queen Emily - Just like Gladys Knight graced the Las Vegas strip for so many years, I could see Queen Emily doing the same.
The Wright Kids - There’s a wonderful innocence about these 3 that just makes me watch and smile. Tonight was no different. I also love how at the end they totally highlighted the little one spinning the bass.
Disappointing Performances of the Night
Nuttin’ But Stringz - I normally love these guys, but when you’re competing for 1 million dollars you have to stick to your best stuff. Still better than the other performances listed below, but not up to their previous performances.
Eli Mattson - His piano work was good and singing still excellent, but it seemed like a really poor song choice. Of all the famous Elton John pieces he chose that one? I expected something a little bit more from him.
Donald Braswell - This guy always chooses good songs and I think that’s why he’s gotten this far. I’m sad to say, but the Hoff was right in the video montage. Donald doesn’t connect with the audience. I’d buy a CD, but I wouldn’t want to see him perform in a show in Las Vegas.
Neal Boyd - Another poor song choice. Sounded too high for him and didn’t showcase his vocal talent very well.
Unremarkable Performances of the Night
Joseph Hall - The crowd was more entertaining than him. Watching the crowd go wild made me laugh, but that’s about it. Unfortunately, I’m from Las Vegas and there’s too many Elvis in Las Vegas already.
Kaitlyn Maher - She finally had some movement. She sang as she walked out on stage. Piers said it all.
Paul Salos - I think I was a little distracted by Paul’s song choice since it was the same song that Indigo (sp?) had slaughtered in their audition.
Of course, these are just my observations of this performance. Not necessarily for the entire show and not necessarily who I think will be going home tomorrow. I’ll save that for another post tomorrow.
UPDATE: Someone who claims to be a friend of the family commented on another post that “Kaitlyn was very sick this week with a very bad cold and had lost her voice right up until just before the show. She was still excited about singing for everyone and did a great job even with the larygitis.”
I’m not sure that it changes my opinion of her, but she did do very well since I didn’t really notice any major difference than usual.
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I’m flabbergasted that you would list the Wright Kids among the best performances of the night (I would say they were clearly the worst) and then list Eli as being disappointing despite correctly pointing out his good (I would say fantastic) piano work and excellent singing. So his song choice wasn’t the best big stage show… who cares? He pulled it off because he brought the raw emotion to it that that song requires, and it is refreshing to see an act not blindly take on the famous songs but rather go for something with meaning.
Along those same lines, when Emily announced what she would be singing, I asked “who sings that song?” and she responded “Every fat woman on American Idol” and when she started singing I realized how true that was. BE ORIGINAL!
Well, don’t ask me why, but I really enjoyed the Wright Kids tonight. An entertaining performance that pleased me. I’m sure they won’t make the top 5, but that doesn’t make it any less entertaining.
You are correct that Eli’s performance of that song was stellar, but his song choice was disappointing for me. The great thing about Eli is that he can take a popular song and make it his own. Just look at his audition performance of Walking in Memphis. It was absolutely original, despite it’s popularity. That’s what I hoped from him today.
I can agree that Queen Emily wasn’t all that original. However, she did exactly what I expected her to do and came out and rocked her performance. I could just see her entertaining a large audience similar to Aretha Franklin or the above mentioned Gladys Knight.
I think I use entertaining as the most important criteria and you don’t always have to be original to really entertain.
Top three: Eli, Emily, Nuttin’ But Strings in that order.
I think your opions were a little off. I understand that they are opions, but come on… The top five will be rounded out, I think with one of the impersonations and one of the operatic performers. In other words, between Paul and Joseph and between Neal and Donald. I think, overall, it was a VERY disappointing night. If you look at where Cass and Terry were at this point, a lot of the talent doesn’t measure up. Some of them should not have even been considered for the top 20. The top three will be the ones listed unless some cruel twist of fate where America got it wrong.
I still think that Donald should win the show he was great last night I loved his singing and Piers, Sharon and David were wrong about him. His voice is wonderful and he would fit every well in Vegas. As I told you I would go and see him in a heartbeat!!!! I know he will make it tonight and the finals. Good Luck Donald.
beverly,
So I guess we can assume that if Donald Braswell wins the show (which I think he has a decent shot at winning), that you’ll be making the trip to Las Vegas to attend the America’s Got Talent Winner show at MGM Mirage?
Maybe we should put together an America’s Got Talent dinner somewhere in Las Vegas before the show. Granted, I live in Las Vegas so that’s easy for me.
Nuttin’ But Stringz performance was fabulous. As always, they brought originality, passion, intensity and talent. The difference in this song was that it had less momentum as previous songs, but it didn’t lack the same energy as other performances. I think it was a bold move to move away from the hip hop everyone’s become so fond of, but as always they displayed their uniqueness, ability and versatility. The song was moving, and my favorite yet!
I do not believe the Wright Kids performance was among the top. The little bass player carries the group. Although I find them charming, I think they lack the talent and skills to compete with some of the better performers such as NBS or Queen Emily.
Donald Braswell has a strong and powerful voice, but the only performance he’s drawn me into was when he performed Phantom of the Opera. His performances would have enticed me more if it were still the early 90’s when his type of style was popular, but I’ve moved beyond it. He’s 15 years too late.
Nuttin’ But Strings are talented, but all their original songs are beginning to sound the same.
Queen Emily has a great voice, but Laksiha Jones, and Bianca Ryan sang that Billy Holliday song much better then she did last night.
Eli is talented, but a bit of a Elton John clone. All his songs are the same style.
Donald Braswell is my favorites, however, I don’t think last night was his best performance. I would like Donald to sing opera so the audience can see that his voice is much better and more versitile then Neal Boyd.
Neal Boyd totally butchered the song he chose last night.
I don’t understand the judge’s gushing over Jessica Price. I thought she sound flat and sang it with no feeling.
I know the judges were being nice to Kaitlyn Maher, but I thought her voice sounded horse. I was waiting for them to ask her if she was feeling okay.
Piers was right about Joseph Hoff. His Elvis is awful and I’m not just talking about his voice. Someone should compare him to the guy who won the Best Impersonist contest a couple of years ago on TV to see a great Elvis.
The Wright Kids were awful. The lead singer has an average voice and the youngest kid has no personaility.
Paul Salos should never gotten to the top 20 let alone the top 10. Nice guy, but not good.
Lorie,
Did you see the update above? There was a report from a family friend that she’d been sick all week and maybe that’s why you thought she sounded horse, because she did.
Well, I disagreed with one of the selections. I thought that Jessica Price’s rendition of the Sarah MaClauglin song was moving, emotional, and fantastic! Even Piers liked it. I think she deserved to be in the top 5. Since she was my favorite, I really don’t care who wins it now, although I probably would favor Neil E. Boyd. But Jessica was fantastic and deserved to move on.