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America’s Got Talent Season 7: First Semifinals Top Three

Wow… I have to say that even though I agree with the Top Three in some capacity or another… all the possibilities didn’t really match up. I mean this episode was literally up in the air in a lot of ways. So let’s start at the beginning:

Last week I posted a poll asking our reads whom their Top Ten acts were

Of the poll’s Top Ten… eight of them were in the first semifinal… that can not bode well. In fact the three that made it through to the finals placed third (William Close), fourth (Tom Cotter) and sixth (Joe Castillo). So within the Top Six, not too bad.

Looking at Katie’s impressions of the acts that participated in the first semifinal she notated who she thought was going to be going through and who might go through:

My Top Three:
1. Todd Oliver
2. Dittleman
3. Donovan and Rebecca

Who I Think Will Go Through:
1. Tom Cotter
2. William Close
3. Academy of Evil

She got two of the three acts right, but in her “top six” as opposed to her “top three”. Not too bad.
Read more..

August 30, 2012 I Written By

America’s Got Talent Season 7: Semifinal Music List

SEMIFINALS GROUP ONE
Andrew De Leon: Franz Schubert – Ave Maria Ave Maria - Piano (Franz Schubert) - Ave Maria - Piano (Franz Schubert)

Donovan & Rebecca: Angus and Julia Stone – Big Jet Plane Big Jet Plane - Down the Way (Bonus Track Version)

Edon: One Direction – What Makes You Beautiful What Makes You Beautiful - Up All Night (Deluxe Version)

Turf: Chris Brown – Yeah 3x Yeah 3X - Yeah 3X - Single

Bria Kelly: P!nk – Perfect F**kin' Perfect - F**kin' Perfect (Perfect) - Single

Joe Castillo: The Youngbloods – Get Together Get Together - The Best of the Youngbloods

William Close: Muse – Starlight Starlight - Black Holes and Revelations

Academy of Villains: Skrillex – Cinema and One Republic – Secrets Secrets - Waking Up (Deluxe Version)

August 29, 2012 I Written By

AGT Semi-Finalists Put Best Foot Forward in Tonight’s Act

Wow — what a night! For the most part, after each act I thought to myself, “This one is definitely going through!”, only to have the same thoughts after the next act. I’m truly at a loss for who I think will be going through, as I can think of reasons for just about everyone to make it through. By the end, I had forgotten about some of the acts, despite loving them when they happened. All I have to say is, Vote! Tonight, I will be putting my top 3, and the 3 who I think will go through. I’ve been wrong the past few weeks, so don’t put too much stock in my predictions! But I’m thinking tomorrow night’s results show is going to be exciting.

Andrew De Leon: Well, he does sing very well. However, I feel like his act is getting a little bit old. Howard Stern was right when he said he has a great personal story, but I’m not sure how well his act would sell in Vegas, and just a career in general. He’s very unique, that’s for sure. Ave Maria is a very well-known song, and I’m not sure if that really is going to play in his favor. Sad to say, but his appearance may not appeal to the mainstream audience. We’ll see though. There might be enough people that like him who will put him through, but I’ll be surprised if we see him again.

Todd Oliver and Irving, his talking dog — Last week, Todd’s act sealed the deal for me. His material was right on, and I was laughing so hard. So, I was excited to see if he would bring it again tonight. And did he? ABSOLUTELY. It was one good joke after another, and I loved the “talk show” set up. I think this is definitely my favorite act, and I’m so glad he took all of Howard’s advice. I feel like he really knows his audience, and created material that most everyone watching could understand and appreciate.  The whole act was hilarious, and I really hope he gets through. I might even make the trip to Vegas to see him if he wins.

Donovan and Rebecca: What else can I say, other than, WOW. Rebecca’s strength is incredible. I think they have a great relationship, and that chemistry makes the act even better. They have been one of my top acts since the beginning, just because I can tell how difficult it must be, yet it seems as if they do it with such ease.

Edon: His vignette before he performed was so cute. While I wasn’t a huge fan of his last performance, tonight sold me on him. He has such a powerful voice, and I think he did a great job. However, I agree with Howard — it wasn’t the best song choice. But that song just isn’t one of my favorites, so it’s not really anything against him. If he was trying to swoon all the tweenage girls out there, it was a smart choice. One Direction is quite popular with that age nowadays. I would more than likely download some of his songs if he were to make an album.

The Scott’s Brothers: This act made me smile when I first saw it. And they are very talented to be able to be so in sync with one another. However, tonight I just didn’t overly enjoy it. I found myself a little bit bored, yawning even. They didn’t change the act up as much as I would have liked. I’m sad to say that, because I think they really had the potential to wow America. I liked the costume change, but I’m not sure if that was a enough to really get people to call in and vote for this act.

Dittelman: I actually forgot about that act, so I was pleasantly surprised with this. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this act. I usually don’t believe in the whole “psychic” thing, but I just don’t know how he could possibly of known what Howard was going to do on his picture. When I think of a Vegas act, this is what comes to mind. I would love to be a participant in this act. I definitely watched the entire act, and I really, really want to see him go through. Especially with the promise of an awesome finale. Man. This is a tough night.

Turf: howard had good words of wisdom for him. I’m kind of over the whole Turf-thing though, and would totally be okay with him going him. I think that his moves are getting a little bit old, and I’m kind of bored watching him now. I just don’t know though. There might be enough people out there that love him who will call in and get him through.

Bria Kelly: Beautiful voice, no doubt. But she isn’t one of the best acts tonight. I wasn’t convinced that she should have gone through the YouTube shows. This is a really tough night to perform. She is definitely a powerhouse though, and I think she will likely have a career after AGT. Maybe a show like the Voice would have suited her better, because there are a lot of acts from tonight that I think might have pushed her out of the running.

Joe Castillo: As with all the acts tonight, it was great. He created a beautiful piece of art. Inspiring even. However, I don’t think he’ll make it through. I mean, only three acts are going through, and I am not convinced that America will choose him as the best act for tonight. I did enjoy the act though, don’t get me wrong.

William Close: From the first time I saw this, I felt like he might have a good chance of winning. The Earth Harp is incredible, and his acts just keep getting better and better. There is so much excitement in what he does, and I found myself very mesmerized by the whole thing. I would love to see him go through to the end, and I hope that the rest of America agrees with me.

Tom Cotter: Here’s the thing — I really don’t think that two comedians will get through. And those that enjoy comedy acts may be split on who they like more — Tom or Todd, which may, in turn, cause neither of them to get through. Tom is definitely extremely talented. I mean, as long as it really wasn’t staged, I think it’s incredible how they just picked a topic and he went off on it for the act. I personally didn’t really like his jokes, as they were a bit to racy for my taste, but I’m sure it did appeal to a lot of people watching the show. If I had to pick, I would rather Todd go on…but I’m not sure what will happen at this point.

Academy of Evil: I’m not a dance fan, but for this group, I am. It’s not a typical dance act, I think that’s why I liked it so much. It was so fun to watch, and I love how they changed style right in the middle of it. I found it very impressive that they had to re-choreograph the act so recently because they were done one cast member. That shows a lot of talent. Once again, I feel like this would be a great Vegas act, and they have a lot of potential.

 My Top Three:

1. Todd Oliver

2. Dittleman

3.  Donovan and Rebecca

Who I Think Will Go Through:

1. Tom Cotter

2. William Close

3. Academy of Evil

August 28, 2012 I Written By

Katie Clark is a journalism student at Brigham Young University in her senior year. She is originally from Littleton, Colorado, and hopes to move back there after graduation. Reality television is her favorite to watch, and has enjoyed writing about America's Got Talent and A Chance to Dance. She is a stay-at-home-mom who enjoys writing (especially blogs), cooking and sewing (while spending far too much time on Pinterest finding inspiration) and being outside with her husband and son.

America’s Got Talent Season 7: WildCard Auditions Top Four!

Last week I posted a poll that asked which of the four Wildcard acts would you want to make it through to the semi-finals. From that original poll:
– Andrew de Leon
– Todd Oliver
– Spencer Horsman
– Lindsay Norton

After watching last night’s episode Katie’s top four picks were:
– Todd Oliver
– Bandbaz Brothers
– Andrew De Leon
– Spencer Horsman

Interestingly enough three of the four acts appeared to have stepped up their game enough for Katie to place them in the top four. Lindsay however, was in the middle of the pack for Katie. Where was Bandbaz Brothers in the original poll? Oddly enough at the bottom of the poll.. interesting.

However, after seeing the results show we have a surprising change in the standings… America chose:
– Todd Oliver
– Andrew De Leon
– All That
– Sebastien “El Charro de Oro”

Now, Todd Oliver and Andrew De Leon appear to be “shoo-ins” from all different realms depending on which poll or post you look at, however, the other two… well to say that I was surprised is a bit of an understatement. So let’s look at how I think they will fair:
All That: What they pulled this week was inventive and fun to watch. The stripping wasn’t too bad either. What I like about this group is that there are ways to turn a group into a full one hour show. There is that much flexibility where they could dance a full group of seven or in smaller groups or even as individuals… This is going to be an interesting to see what else they could bring to the table after this though. I would love to see lots of layers of dance and the numbers of people dancing so we’ll see. In the end it would be largely dependent on what they bring onto the table come the Semi-Finals that would help decide how they will do.

Todd Oliver and Irving: Oh Em Gee. I am really liking this comedy act. Now that Todd Oliver has changed up his jokes and did something topical he is really drew my attention. One issue, he could create really slick jokes without having to be topical but it is nice to have that as a part of his repertoire. In fact the other comedians that have come through thus far had really good material and haven’t even touched the surface of current events. So I would be curious to see what else Todd and Irving could bring to the plate that would be entertaining, because right now I am not 100% sure he’d make it to the finals, but he could give others a run for their money as long as he stays on this upswing.

Andrew De Leon: I would have to agree with Katie when it comes to Andrew, I think he has a magnificent voice and a really good story to boot, but honestly with the talent as tight as it is this season and polished to boot I really don’t think that Andrew will stand a chance. Unless he brings something absolutely mind-blowing to the table during the semi-finals, I really don’t see him progressing any further. However, he has the natural raw talent and in all honesty he could come out on top in the end… he is a “diamond in the rough” and with time and training could really polish and shine down the road. And I intend to be towards the front row when he gets there. Side Note: Maybe he and Prince Poppycock could duet together… I’ll pay to see that!

Sebastien “El Charro de Oro”: As I have mentioned before I have never been a fan of children on this show… I really don’t like the idea of a pre-teen or younger having a full one hour show revolve around them. That being said Sebastien is rather entertaining and I am curious to see what else he could bring onto the table, however, he still has a lot of growing and polishing to do. I am curious to see how far he can go but I would be surprised if he makes it to the Finals.

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Ukraine’s Got Talent: Alexander Shtifanov – Juggling / Bartending

We’ve seen a few juggling acts on America’s Got Talent, but honestly juggling hasn’t been able to catch my interest… til now. From Ukraine’s Got Talent we have Alexander Shtifanov with his own little juggling act:

The music in the above video includes:
Nirvana – Smells Like Teen Spirit
and
GeoDaSilva – I’ll Do You Like a Truck

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America’s Got Talent Season 7: YouTube & WildCard Music List

YOUTUBE AUDITIONS
Reverse Order: Katy Perry – I Kissed a Girl I Kissed a Girl - One of the Boys
Rudy Coby: Devo – Puppet Boy Puppet Boy - Shout
7 in Unison: Peggy Lee – Fever Fever - The Best of Peggy Lee
Drew Erwin: Natalie Imbruglia – Torn Torn - Left of the Middle
Eric Buss: The Blue Danube The Blue Danube - Strictly Ballroom Series: Strictly Viennese Waltz
Romeo Dance Cheetah: The Darkness – I Believe in a Thing Called Love I Believe in a Thing Called Love - Permission to Land (Bonus Track)
The Magic of Puck: Pitbull, T-Pain, Sean Paul – Shake Senora Shake Senora (feat. T-Pain & Sean Paul) - Planet Pit (Deluxe Version)
Bria Kelly: Miranga Lambert – Gunpowder & Lead Gunpowder & Lead - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend
Cast in Bronze: Mykola Leontovych – Carol of the Bells Carol of the Bells - Joy to the World
Academy of Villians: Queen – Bohemian Rhapsody Bohemian Rhapsody - Classic Queen & Remy Ma – Whuteva Whuteva - Most Anticipated

WILDCARD AUDITIONS
All That!: Nuttin But Stringz – ThuNder Thunder - Struggle from the Subway to the Charts
Jake Wesley Rogers: Lady Gaga – The Edge of Glory The Edge of Glory - Born This Way (Bonus Track Version)
Sebastien “El Charro de Oro”: Frank Sinatra – New York New York Theme from New York, New York - Nothing But the Best - The Frank Sinatra Collection (Remastered)
Andrew De Leon: Il Divo – Regresa a mi or the Tony Braxton version Regresa a Mí (Unbreak My Heart) - Il Divo

August 22, 2012 I Written By

AGT Season 7 Wildcard Performances: A Night of Incredible Talent

This was a great night. Really, I wouldn’t mind having this whole group (minus one act…) be the semi-finalists. I think it was Howard who said it is amazing that the people who performed tonight were the ones that got cut! It’s going to be hard for me to decide who I think is going to stay and who is going to go — it really is going to depend on who’s calling in. With that, if there was an act you loved, make sure you call in and vote! There were a lot of great performances, and unfortunately, some of the stellar ones will be going home. Be sure to vote for your favorites in our poll. Here’s my thoughts from tonight:

Howard’s Pics:

Ben Blaque: I disappointed that he didn’t get through before now, because I feel like his acts are always daring, and different every time. It was another great act tonight, but unfortunately, a bit slow for some reason. He did deliver, however, and pulled off his stunt successfully. The judges and audience seemed to like him, but I wasn’t as impressed tonight as usual. I’m split on whether or not I think he’ll go through.

Spencer Horsman: Escapes are always exciting, and he definitely outdid his last performance (but really, was that hard to do?)  I knew he was going to get out in the end, but my breath was definitely being held until I saw him emerge from the tank. He outdid himself tonight, and I’m glad he had a chance to come back and redeem himself.

Todd Oliver and Irving: I wasn’t super impressed last time. His jokes really didn’t make me laugh. Right of the bat though, it was apparent that he took Howard’s advice to make it topical and relateable to the audience, and I think he hit it right on the head. The jokes had the audience laughing, and I was laughing out loud. His first joke was a zinger, and it continued on from there. He is probably my top pick. We’ve had ventriloquism, but this is different than what we’ve seen in the past. LOVED IT. If he doesn’t get through, I will be very disappointed. You could tell he was so excited about the response he got from the audience and judges.

Horse: Why did Howard bring this back? I hate this act, and I don’t think it’s worth 1 million dollars. Who in their right mind would ever pay for this act? I couldn’t hardly stand to watch it — if it wasn’t my responsiblity to watch it, I would have changed the channel. What shocked me even more was how much the judges loved it. For a show that is supposedly “family friendly”, this was far from it. Maybe I’m just old fashioned and lame, but I really, really hate this act (I can hardly stand to even call it that). Please America, don’t vote him through and let the more talented people through.

Sharon’s Pics

All That!: I’ll admit, I loved the projection behind them. I thought it was pretty cool. However, this wasn’t my favorite act of the night. They did a great job, but on a night where there were quite a few incredible acts, they didn’t quite match up.

Bandbaz Brothers: It goes without saying that this act is incredible. I’m still trying to figure out how they did what they did, and wondering how they didn’t get through in the first place. It was breathtaking, and I hope they’ll go through so we can see what else they can do!

Jake Wesley Rogers: His downfall last night ws in the song choice, so I hoped he would pick a better song tonight. And I think he did. But even with the better song choice, I think he was among the bottom tonight. He definitely has a killer voice, but I’m not sure if he’s what America is looking for right now. Howie and Howard were right on with his comments. It’s just not his time to be the winner of a AGT. There was a bit of a disconnect between him and the audience, but there are some better acts going on in this competition, and tonight especially.

Lindsey Norton: Originally, I really liked Lindsey. But, plain and simple, I’d be very surprised if she went through. On a night of thrill, danger, and excitement, her act fell short. That’s not to say she did a bad job. Because she didn’t. On the contrary, she did an amazing job. She is very graceful, and has so much talent. But much like All That!, it wasn’t super memorable, especially compared to other acts from tonight. The good news is, she is young, and I do think she has a good career ahead of her. It’s just not her time to shine.

Howie’s Pic

Andrew De Leon: Okay, here’s the thing. He has an incredible voice. His story is pretty neat. I, myself, was quite shocked when he stumbled in Las Vegas, costing him a trip to the Top 48. And tonight he once again showed that a strong, powerful voice he has. But I just don’t think he should go through, and I know I’m likely in the minority thinking that. There was just something about his performance that I didn’t really like. Maybe it was the song, maybe it was his outfit, I have no clue. He seemed to get a great response from everyone though, so I won’t be terribly surprised if he gets through. Sharon seems to think he is going to win now.

Jarrett & Raja: First time they performed? Loved them. Last time? Very disappointing. How did I feel after tonight? They were back, and better than ever. It was very entertaining, and was quite mind blowing. I’m so glad that they really made their act better, and they definitely redeemed themselves. They could go through, but I think there were a few acts that might push them out of that top four.

Sebastian El Charro: It was entertaining. I thought his outfit didn’t really fit his song, but I guess that is kind of his trademark, so whatever. He has a very, very powerful voice. He defintitely showed that he is dynamic and can sing more than just Latin music. We do have a few children-singers in the competition, which may hurt him. For some reason, none of the “traditional acts” from tonight really stood out to me as memorable, just because of the high level of excitement some of the other acts have. We’ll see though.

Cristin Sandu:  I thought it was unfortunate that last time, his act kind of failed him, so I was very excited that Howie brought him back. fire was awesome, I was very nervous when the metal started to fall, and my heart dropped when he fell. Not only because there was fire. It was a great act, and I feel bad for him because he probably won’t go through, but it was exciting and if it was up to me, he’d be back, because i think he has a lot of potential. I think what Sharon said about how he escaped it all was really amazing.  I think that a lot of people will hold it against him that he fell this time, and the last, so I don’t think he’ll go through. But he definitely has done some amazing things during his time on AGT.

 

The Best of the Best:

Todd Oliver and Irving

Bandbaz Brothers

Andrew De Leon

Spencer Horsman

Not Sure of Their Fate

Jarrett and Raja

Ben Blaque

Sebastian El Charro

Lindsey Norton

All Good Things Must Come to an End:

Jake Wesley Rogers

Horse

Cristin Sandu

All That!

August 21, 2012 I Written By

Katie Clark is a journalism student at Brigham Young University in her senior year. She is originally from Littleton, Colorado, and hopes to move back there after graduation. Reality television is her favorite to watch, and has enjoyed writing about America's Got Talent and A Chance to Dance. She is a stay-at-home-mom who enjoys writing (especially blogs), cooking and sewing (while spending far too much time on Pinterest finding inspiration) and being outside with her husband and son.

What Four Wildcard Acts Will Advance to the Semi-Finals?

I Written By

Katie Clark is a journalism student at Brigham Young University in her senior year. She is originally from Littleton, Colorado, and hopes to move back there after graduation. Reality television is her favorite to watch, and has enjoyed writing about America's Got Talent and A Chance to Dance. She is a stay-at-home-mom who enjoys writing (especially blogs), cooking and sewing (while spending far too much time on Pinterest finding inspiration) and being outside with her husband and son.

America’s Got Talent Season 7: YouTube Auditions Top Four!

This might be the first real “miss” that Katie has made with her Top Four predictions from last night’s episode.

She originally chose:
1. Academy of Villains
2. Drew Erwin
3. The Magic of Puck
4. Bria Kelly

However as we saw from tonight episode, Drew Erwin lost out in the judges decision for Clint Carvalho and His Extreme Parrots and honestly I could understand why.

After watching all the acts again below are my thoughts as to whom is a legitimate “Million Dollar Act” and how far I would like to see them go in the competition.
The Magic of Puck – Magic Act
I really liked how he worked the intimate magic trick into a stage audience like last night. More often than not you could figure out where the trick happens when it comes to these hanky magic tricks, but I couldn’t see anything here! I was far too mesmerized seeing the handkerchief going back into his pockets, hands, pants, etc. I might have been more impressed if it snuck up a pant-leg or something, but I do understand that there are limits to where a hanky can roam. So we’ll see… I haven’t had a chance to see his YouTube audition so I do not know his variety as of yet, but for a magic act… if he could pull off the larger illusions as well as the intimate tricks then I say he has a very strong shot at being at the top.

Academy of Villains – Dance Troupe
There aren’t a lot of dance troupe that struck me as a “Million Dollar Act”, but dammit this one is almost making me eat my words. They were in my opinion the most well developed of the acts from last night’s episode. It would be interesting to see how they fare in the Semi-Finals when up against acts that have performing for a while. I love how it isn’t just about the dancing, there is quite a bit of artistic work at the beginning that really stretched their comfort zone a bit. Hopefully they will make it thru to the Finals, but up against really strong talent? I’m not sure.

Bria Kelly – Singer
I was not all that impressed with her singing, and I feel like a broken record for saying this but it takes a lot for me to be impressed enough with a vocalist to consider them a “Million Dollar Act” I will agree that she was one of the stronger acts in the YouTube auditions, but I highly doubt she would go past the Semi-Finals.

Clint Carvalho and His Extreme Parrots – Novelty / Animal Act
For some reason this act screams out novelty to me… so I have no idea what to make of it. Yes it was cool what he did and I do want to see more, but at the end of the day is it enough? I’m not sure… the jury is definitely out with this one.

Since there is a Wild Card show coming up next week, tonight’s poll is going to be a little different:

August 15, 2012 I Written By