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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.

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.

Magicians, Singers, and an Air Guitarist — AGT YouTube Auditions – 8/14/2012

Well, after two straight weeks of watching the Olympics, I was excited to have America’s Got Talent back. It was the YouTube auditions night, so I was curious to see what was voted in this year. Jackie evancho was discovered on the YouTube auditions, and it goes without saying how successful she has been. Was there anything up to that level tonight? To be honest, I really don’t think so, but there were a few good acts. For the most part, I felt like the acts were mediocre, but these people also have less experience than some of the other competitors performing on the big stage.  I had a hard time deciding who was going to stay, as it really could come down to what the viewers of the show tonight are into. There were several acts that were good for different reasons. With that, here are my thoughts from the night:

Clint Carvalho: Did he practice this before? How else would the bird know how to get in? I’m impressed that the bird did exactly what he said, but I have no clue how he did it though. It is definitely a different animal act than what we are used to on this show. I think it’s cool that he uses birds that have been abused and he rehabilitiates them. I just wonder how much he can do with this act.

Reverse Order: Maybe I’m just totally out of touch with what is “popular” nowadays when it comes to bands and music, but I didn’t like them. There was just too much noise overall. I mean, they do seem talented, especially when it comes to the instruments, but I wasn’t a fan of the song choice or the style. I felt like Howard had some wise words from them. They need some more time to kind of combine their individual talents together to create something better. I did think it was a bit odd that they want to bea rock band, yet they chose such a poppy-voice. This was not a million dollar act for sure. We’ve seen some incredible acts this season, and I just don’t think they measured up.

Rudy Coby: He said his act is a nightmare come to life. I can definitely see that. This act was kind of creepy, not gonna lie. It was a kind of slow moving until the end, which was an interesting illusion. But I agreed with HOward, there was just a lot of filler stuff, that was boring. As usual, Howie and mine’s opinoins were totally opposite. Sharon’s comment was spot on — there really wasn’t timing. He could have a great act if he did neat tricks throughout the act like he did at the end.

7 in Unison:  It’s no secret that the dance acts this year were pretty great, so this group came in with a lot of competition. And unfortunately, I don’t think they live up to what some of the other acts have shown. I didn’t find their moves to be very unique, and it was slow. I actually agreed with Howie. I mean, they are good dancers, but they aren’t different from other groups we’ve seen that have been sent home. Dance is really hard for me to really impressed with, just because there are a lot of similar moves and . It was 90 seconds but it felt like 90 minutes. The music was slow, and the act was too. I think they’ll be going home.

Drew Erwin: This young man was the overall winner of the YouTube competition. When I heard this, the first thing I thought was that there were probably a lot of teenage girls voting. He is definitely some heart throb material. However, beyond that, he did have a powerful voice. I did really like he song choice, which may have won me over a little bit. It might have just been my television, but the sound seemed a bit off. My mom’s comment on this act? “Finally, someone I can listen to!” Sharon had some great points — the other competitors do have an edge over him (or whoever wins from tonight), and for being a rookie, he did very well. I really did enjoy him, and thus far in the night, I think he did the best. Hopefully all those teenage girls who voted for him in the first place will call in tonight, and a few others that will push him through. I think with some more practice, he could do really well.

Melinda Hill: She was…not really that funny. And you could tell the audience wasn’t supper thrilled either, especially by the lack of laughter and the less-than-enthusiastic applause at the end. I think her act was more just weird faces with strange comments. She did a lot better at the beginning, but she just wasn’t entertaining overall. I feel bad, because she obviously did a good job in  her YouTube video, or else she wouldn’t be here. You could tell she felt disappointed.

Eric Buss: I would have buzzed him, just like Howard and Sharon. He would be a great birthday act. Maybe I’ll hire him for my son’s first birthday. There didn’t seem to be any point to the act, so no, I don’t think he’ll be giong through. There’s nothing else I really could say about this.

Romeo Dance Cheetah:  I was very skeptical about this one. Really, how impressive can air guitar be? However, I believe everyone deserves a fair chance. However, I was not impressed, one bit. To me, he was just running around the stage, doing absoultely nothing but being kind of obnoxious. My almost-two-year-old nephew pretends to play guitar and it’s adorable. However, when a 30-year-old man does it, it’s not adorable. How he got through to the live shows is beyond me.

The Magic of Puck: The second magician-type act of the night. I’m not sure if I liked it, or just thought it was weird. Who knew you could do so much with a handkerchief? It was definitely more impressive than some of the other acts from tonight. I think if he adds some more exciting aspects to the act, he could have some potential in the show. He was definitely one of the best of the night, and I liked this a lot more than the “scary” magician act.

Bria Kelly: I’m a big country-music fan, so I was excited for this girl. She seemed a little bit nervous — there seemed to be some shakiness to her voice. There was a lot of background noise, which made it hard to just concentrate on Bria. She has a good country voice, but I wasn’t a fan of the song choice (however, I know it is a popular song currently, so it’s understandable why she chose it). Just like Drew Erwin, she obviously hasn’t had the chance to get more comfortable performing like some of the other acts. She did seem like she was shouting at times, as Sharon said, but I really think that was because she had to in order to get over the background music. I don’t think she was the best of the night, as Howard suggested, but she did well. I just wish she sang something different.

Cast in Bronze: We’ve already had a new instrument introduced this season, the Earth Harp. So the thought of another one being introduced was kind of exciting. This was kind of a let-down though. Definitely not as awesome as the Earth Harp. However, he did a good job playing them. It seemed like Christmas came early (kind of what Sharon said — it did seem a bit department store-ish).The whole “masked figure” thing was kind of weird. I don’t think he deserved three X’s though, and I felt like the judges were being a bit harsh. I liked his act a lot more than some of the other acts. Do I think it’s a million dollar act? No, not really. However, I kind of want to vote for him in spite of the judges, because I disagreed what they said.

Academy of Villains: When I was a senior in high school, I was in the musical Fiddler on the Roof. I played the dead grandmother, and the beginning of this act very closely resembled that scene. The sudden switch to hip-hop dancing was kind of col though too. But with that, what is up the creepy acts tonight? Even though it creeped me out, I surprisingly really liked this act. It wasn’t a typical “dance” act. They showed something new, and I loved it. They most definitely are going through in my opinion. I think the best really was saved for last, because it was new and inventive. I loved how the leader of the group was emotional at the end. That usually seals the deal for me when I really like an act.

My Top Four:

1. Academy of Villains

2. Drew Erwin

3. The Magic of Puck

4. Bria Kelly

Could Move On

5. Clint Carvalho

6.  Reverse Order

7. Cast in Bronze

 

Going Home

8. Melinda Hill

9. 7 in Unison

10. Eric Buss

10. Rudy Coby

11. Romeo Dance Cheetah

August 14, 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.

Which Four AGT YouTube Acts Will Advance On?

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.

AGT Blast to the Past: Lindsey Stirling – Now a YouTube Sensation

Remember the hip-hop violinist from AGT Season 5? She made it to the quarter-finals where she was ultimately eliminated. However, that wasn’t the end for her.

Before I get into that though, here is her Top 48 performance from Season 5.

This probably wasn’t my favorite performance, but it was pretty cool. However, leaving America’s Got Talent early in the competition ended up being a good thing for her. Devin Graham, a cinemetographer, approached Stirling about making a YouTube video with him, and from there, her career took off. The YouTube channel she started in 2007 took off after that video debuted, and has done very well since then. As of this month, she has over 100 million views, and her music has been on Last FM and Pandora. In addition, it is anticipated that she will release a CD later this year.

In an article written about her in BYU Magazine, where she is currently an undergrad, Stirling made this interesting statement after she posted her first video on 2011 on YouTube:

My music quadrupled in sales overnight. YouTube did more for me than America’s Got Talent. I realized there’s something to this.

This shows just how powerful YouTube is. I think it’s pretty cool that she was able to find a lot of success, even though she didn’t make it to the finals of AGT. It sounds like that was the catalyst for her career, but that YouTube is really what helped her become popular. Has anyone heard of any other former AGT contestants that were YouTube sensations as well?

The article also provided some interesting insight into what she’s been up to, as well as how she almost missed out on learning the violin. Apparently, her older sister wanted to play an instrument, and so Stirling wanted to as well. All her parents had was a trumpet, but she really wanted to play a violin. So they let her, although they could only afford for one 15 minute lesson a week, which some of the teachers scoffed at, believing there was no way she could learn. She obviously proved them wrong!

Her videos feature her in a variety of situations and places, including in Africa and New Zealand. I spent some time watching some of her videos tonight, and I have to say, I’m very impressed. They are so much fun, and this girl has some serious talent. I’ve never seen a violinist like her! I posted a few of her videos below, including the one filmed in Africa. It was the first time many of the people in the video had seen a violin. Whenever her album gets released, I think I will purchase it. She seems to be very successful, and is also on track to graduate from Brigham Young University with a degree in therapeutic recreation in 2013.


 

July 31, 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 Blast from the Past: Michael Grimm

Now let’s take a look at Season Five’s winner, Michael Grimm.

If a little a refresher about his tenure on America’s Got Talent is needed, here is his audition that sent him straight to Vegas. I have to admit, just like Piers Morgan says in this clip, I wasn’t expecting much when I first saw him, but boy, I was blown away when he started playing and singing. He definitely deserved advancing to the next round.

And here Grimm is during the finale (singing “When a Man Loves a Woman”. Love that song.)

There was some debate as to whether Grimm should have beat out Jackie Evancho, he was charming and seemed like an overall nice guy. I had no qualms with him winning. Personally, I found it quite touching that a portion of the winnings went to his grandparents, whose home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.

So what has Grimm been up to since winning? Well, his self-titled album was released in March of 2011, which made it to #13 on both the US Pop Music Charts and the Billboard Top 200. Not too shabby. Toward the end of 2011, Grimm opened for Stevie Nicks autumn tour.

After doing some research, it seems as if Grimm is doing just fine. I mean, I couldn’t find any juicy gossip…but that’s probably a good thing, right?  Last November, he had a two week gig with his own show at the Flamingo in Las Vegas, and starting in April of this year, he became a permanent headliner at the Ovation Room in Las Vegas.

Grimm’s grandparent’s home was recently finished, which was an exciting moment for him. I’m glad that he is a man of his word and was able to do that for them.

I don’t know, I just like seeing people remain successful after winning a competition like this. What I like even more is when it doesn’t go to the winner’s head, and I don’t see any evidence of that happening to Grimm. What was your opinion on him? Have you bought his most recent album?

July 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.

AGT Final Top 48 Performances Commentary – 7/24/2012

I think that many of the best were saved for the last. There were quite of a few acts I really enjoyed, and I’m at a loss for who I think is absolutely staying. I guess it comes down to separating the really good acts, from the spectacular ones. I like to think that my predictions are usually pretty accurate, but tonight, I’m not so sure if I’ll be guessing the correct ones. With that, here’s my thoughts and power rankings on tonight’s performances:

David “The Bullet” Smith: This act was interesting in the auditions. Definitely dangerous. But I always have wondered, what more can he do? Sure he can fly through the air, but there’s only so much you can do with that. I felt like the cheerleaders were a little ridiculous, and the fireworks just were there to make the act seem cooler, but in the end, it was pretty much the same act we saw when he auditioned. I do not think he should go forward after tonight.  The cannon cam was pretty neat though.

All That!: They were cool, but not as good as some of the other dance acts, which, as we’ve been told time and time again, is the hardest category this year. I like the shirt colors. They looked like they were having a lot of fun up there though. I did enjoy them but we will see how they fare against some other acts tonight. It sounded like this was going to be a tough night to be performing in.

Ulysses:  I was shocked when he got through initially, and I’m going to be even more shocked if he gets through tonight. He’s a nice guy…but that’s not what this show is about. I think the triple X’s from the Judges says it all. And the dancers? It’s like they were trying to take away from his badness.

Joe Castillo, Sand Artist: What this man does is very powerful, and he does it with such zest.  I’ve been excited to see his performance tonight, and I wasn’t let down. I loved the images he created, and I feel like the possibilities are endless for his act. This act is something that should be appreciated, and I hope people who do appreciate it will take the time to call in and vote.

Eric & Olivia: An any other night of the Top 48, I think they would have had a good chance. However, tonight, the competition was tough, as I already mentioned. Olivia has a good voice, there is no denying that, but I really don’t think they will get through to the next round. Even though they were good, there were even better performances tonight that I think will push them out of the competiion.

Eric Dittelman: It blows my mind how he does this. My husband is convinced he has an ear piece in his ear, but I feel like they would have discovered that by now. Who knows. I love it though, and I’m curious to see what else he can do. It seems like it could be a bit repetitive after awhile, but I do like how he switched it up tonight with the mock “Deal or No Deal”. I’m not sure how he did it. It seemed more like he predicted the future though, rather than reading their minds. My friend suggested that maybe he gave the case to the most attractive girl, betting that Howie would pick her in the end. I really hope he goes through.

Horse: I’m sorry, but I hate this act. Ever since I first saw it, I was disgusted. I don’t think he deserved to even make it to the initial auditions. This isn’t a talent, no matter how much he, or the judges, want to believe it. Acts like this just get through to get a rise out of the audience, that I am sure. Maybe I’m missing something, but could someone please tell me what the allure of this act is?

Lindsey Norton: Here’s the thing — I really like her. I think she’s an excellent dancer. However, I’m not sure if I want her to go through. There are SO many dance acts in this competition, and quite a few seem similar to this. The audience seemed to love her though, and maybe what she does is different from everyone else. It was very beautiful, and she has a great presence about her.

Olate Dogs: Well, Britain’s Got Talent just had a dog act win, maybe AGT will too. I think this act is so much fun, and definitely sets it self apart from the other groups. I was watching the show with quite a few family members tonight, and everyone, from my nephew who is almost 2, to my grandparents, were loving it. I’d love to see something so different from the typical singing/musical act win this year, and I think the Olate Dogs could be major contenders in the competition.

Sebastien “El Charro de Oro”: There is sure an abundance of younger kids in the Top 48 this year, hasn’t there? I think this was one of my favorites though, probably because he’s so dang cute. I kind of felt like I was being serenaded in a Mexican restaurant, but that’s okay, because I love when that happens! He has a great voice. I thought the rose at the end was rather classy though. My grandma commented that this little boy sounded like a full grown man — I have to agree. He definitely has an old soul, as Howie said. Was he the best of the night? I don’t think so. But he was adorable!

Unity in Motion: I really, really loved these girls. I feel like dance fans will have difficulty voting between them and Lindsay Norton tonight. They are definitely one of the best dance acts in the competition, and I hope they go through.

William Close:  Another home run act for the night. I love the instruments and vocals that were added to the performance. It was just an over all awesome act. It’s so different from a typical musical instrument act, and he seems to do with it such class and precision. He got a standing ovation, from the audience and the judges. I imagine that it takes a lot of time and talent to play the earth harp. It seems like the judges have already deemed him the winner, what does everyone think?

Staying:

1. William Close

2. Joe Castillo

I could see any of these staying:

3. Eric Dittelman

4. Olate Dogs

5. Unity in Motion

6. Lindsey Norton

I think they are going home, but it could be a surprise: 

7. Sebastien

8. All That!

9. Eric and Olivia

10. David “The Bullet” Smith

Definitely Leaving: 

11. Horse

12. Ulysses

July 24, 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.

Which Four Acts Will Advance From The Last Top 48 AGT Performances?

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 Blast from the Past: Neal E. Boyd

“The Michael Phelps of the Competition”. This is the title judge Piers Morgan gave  Usually when I hear the word opera, I tune out (is that bad?) So, Boyd wasn’t necessarily my favorite from the season or winner of America’s Got Talent, but that doesn’t discredit his talent at all. The man has an amazing voice. Nonetheless, the following clip of him singing “Somewhere” is definitely my favorite from the season:


He sure knows how to put emotion into his performances, eh?

As I said, I’m not big into opera, but it wasn’t difficult to find out what has been keeping Boyd busy since his time on AGT. I was a little bit surprised, as his most recent endeavor has very little to do with music but more on that later.

Boyd released his first CD a little more than six months after his AGT victory in 2009 and made it into the Billboard Top 200 for awhile. His most notable performances have been for President Obama, and former president’s George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. While dealing with his musical career, Boyd remains the co-owner of an insurance agency and the Vice President of sales for a company called Voluntary Benefit Services.

But what he is most recently up to? Well, Boyd has gotten into politics. Although he dropped out of the election for the Missouri House seat in order to get himself healthier, he recently announced that he is running as the Republican candidate for 149th district in Missouri. In addition, Boyd has lost over 65 pounds and ready for the election.

Successful musical career, weight-loss advocate, owner of an insurance company, and now politician? What’s Boyd going to do next? Only time will tell, but he doesn’t seem to forget where he came from and how lucky he is to be where he is:

My voice has opened the doors to a lot of avenues that a normal little African-American, Southeast Missouri, poor boy never would have gotten to see. It’s a pretty great little American dream story. 1

1. Boyd, Neal. “The Sunday Interview: Neal E. Boyd is raising his voice.” By Lucas Presson. Southeast Missourian. 2011. <http://www.semissourian.com/story/1764132.html>

July 20, 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.