Welcome to Pure America’s Got Talent

This was without a doubt the absolute best quarterfinals performance of America’s Got Talent history. What kind of pisses me off is that I think that the producers did this on purpose to add to the drama. It’s just unfortunate, since a dog act went through last week and so many incredibly talented groups below got sent home. Ok, I’m glad I got that off my chest.

Now on to an analysis of the pairings and who was sent home.

Jeffrey Ou won over Bri
This was the heartbreak of the night. No one wanted Jeffrey Ou to go home since he had technical difficulties that made it seem unfair. However, Bri did a nice performance too. I think Bri has a good future. Piers was right about her being kind of like a Katy Perry or Amy Whinehouse(sp?). Bri just needs the right opportunity. Too bad it wasn’t America’s Got Talent. That said, I’m happy to see Jeffrey Ou perform again.

Lawrence Beamen won over Jay Mattioli and Dave Johnson
This was the least amount of surprise for the night. Dave Johnson choked. Jay was a bit amateurish. I still say Lawrence Beamen is overrated.

Mario and Jenny won over Marcus and the Serenades
I was happy about this one. Marcus kind of disappointed me. The Serenades were still horrible and I think it was the wrong song to show off Marcus’ talents. I don’t know why I like Jenny so much. Maybe it’s just how hard she tries to perform that I love. I like passion and heart and she has it. I’m not sure where Mario and Jenny go from here though. Should be fun to see. They definitely have vegas in them though.

Hairo Torres won over GForce and U4ria
I was really fine with Hairo Torres and GForce going through. I was sad that one couldn’t go through. I would have preferred GForce, but I’ll enjoy seeing Hairo again too. U4ria was good, but as I predicted too weird for America.

FootworKINGz got picked over Pixie Mystere
I was a little disappointed in the judges pick here. They based it on Pixie’s future. Come on. Base it on talent. Pixie had more talent and had a greater potential as a Las Vegas show. I’d love to see FootworKINGz for a nice 30 minute stop, but not more. It got far too repetitive for me and basically boring after a little while.

Tonight was by far the best night of the America’s Got Talent top 40. Piers was dead on when he said that it was likely the best episode ever in the America’s Got Talent top 40. The sad part for me is that I bet that the producers planned it this way. I hate that since a bunch of great acts aren’t going to make it through and a few mediocre acts made it through on previous episodes of America’s Got Talent.

That said, here’s some of my thoughts about the episode and the videos from the America’s Got Talent quarterfinals for season 4.

Jay Mattioli

Jay did a nice performance. It was basic tricks. I give him credit for fighting back when Piers and the judges said it was basic. The kid has the passion and a lot of people were pissed when he didn’t make it to the top 40, so I give him a long shot to go on.

FootworKINGz

Nice act. The smoke got in the way at the beginning and kind of tainted the act a little. For me the biggest problem is that more than what they did on this show would be pretty boring. I wouldn’t want to go and watch an entire show of this.

Marcus Terrell and the Serenades

Not going anywhere. The backup singers weren’t really much better than his previous ladies.

Dave Johnson

He could never live up to the Hoff song. However, it was nice to see him try.

Bri

Was anyone else bugged by the way her leg was split out. I think she was trying to face the cameras/judges, but it felt awkward. I’m not sure it’s the best song for her, but she has some talent. She just needs the right songs to make her special.

U4RIA Dance Crew

Great great performance. I’m just afraid it’s probably too out there to put them through to the next round. Too bad since it was awesome. Maybe on a different night.

Hairo Torres

Very cool tricks. It’s just too bad he’s a one trick pony. I hope he turns up on So You Think You Can Dance or America’s Best Dance Crew or something.

Mario and Jenny

Great act. Kind of slowed down and had a weak ending. Sadly, it’s such a great night I think they may be left out.

G-force

This wasn’t the best performance. The vocals were bad, but I do think the comparison to Jonas brothers is great. Plus, the 8 year old drummer I just absolutely adore. Too bad they’re on a great night since I’d like to see them again.

Jeffrey Ou

The opening was too long and the dancers weren’t needed. The rest we can’t judge. He deserves another chance for that.

Lawrence Beaman

He’s got talent, but not the way the judges and even Nick gushed over him.

Pixie Mystere

I disagree with the judges. I say more contortion and less dancing. I was glad to finally see a full act from the Pixies

Tonight is the reason that I love America’s Got Talent. A wide variety of great talent. I just wish that the entire America’s Got Talent top 40 had been this good. Then, this season would be soooo much better.

Check out the following video where Nick Cannon and the Judges (Piers, Hoff and Sharon) discuss how it feels to finally have the America’s Got Talent top 40.

I must admit that I’m a little disappointed that I didn’t get this list posted last night. I had it nearly ready and then my internet went out. Oh well, better late than never. Below you’ll find the list of music from America’s Got Talent Top 20:

The Cadence Performed to “You Really Got Me” by The Kinks

Queen Emily Sang “Hero” by Mariah Carey

– Original Music Video
– Live Mariah Carey Music Video
The Wright Kids Sang “Rockin Robin” by Bobby Day

The James Gang Performed “Hit the Road Jack” by Ray Charles

Daniel Jens Sang “I’m Already There” by Lonestar

– Original Music Video
ZOOperstars! Performed to “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now)” by C+C Music Factory

– Original Music Video
Neal Boyd Sang the song “Mama” by il Divo


Jessica Price sang the song “Bubbly” by Colbie Caillat

– Original Music Video
Extreme Dance FX danced to the song “Let’s Get It Started” by the Black Eyed Peas

– Original Music Video
Paul Salos sang the song “Come Fly with Me” by Frank Sinatra

You can find the entire list of America’s Got Talent music and songs here.

Below you’ll find a list of all the performances and music from the America’s Got Talent Semifinalists part 4. If you’re looking for the AGT Semis videos, you can find them here. Also, here’s a link to a list of all the America’s Got Talent music from previous episodes.

The fourth episode of the live performance semifinals broadcast from Los Angeles, California on September 3, 2008 had the following performances along with links to the music they used:

Dallas Desperados Dancers
General: The dance team of the Dallas Desperados Arena Football team.
Preliminaries, Week 5: Passed through
Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4):

Bryan Cheatham
General: Singer, a former Chippendale dancer
Preliminaries, Week 5: Sang “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing” by Aerosmith .
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Sang Percy Sledge’s “When A Man Loves A Woman”
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4):

Flambeaux
General: Fire breather
Preliminaries, Week 4: Passed through
Las Vegas Callbacks: Only shown briefly in a montage. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4): Received 3 X’s from the judges, who complained his act this time was boring, his timing was slow, and that in general his act was too scary.

Kaitlyn Maher
General: four year old singer
Preliminaries, Week 1: Sang “Somewhere Out There” by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Sang “When You Wish Upon A Star”
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4): Sang “What a Wonderful World” .

Dorae Saunders
General: transexual Tina Turner impersonator
Preliminaries, Week 5: Lip-synced and danced to “Proud Mary” .
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Performed to “The Best” .
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4): Performed to “Disco Inferno” .

Donald Braswell
General: Former professional opera singer, his vocal cords were severed in a freak car accident eleven years back. He was told by doctors he might never speak normally again, let alone sing.
Preliminaries, Week 5: sang “You Raise Me Up” by Josh Groban .
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Sang One Day I’ll Fly Away from the musical Moulin Rouge .
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Eliminated (Judges Wild Card)
Semifinals (Part 1): Won the Wildcard slot and returned to the competition.
Semifinals (Part 4): Sang “Impossible Dream” by Robert Goulet

Indiggo
General: Romanian twin sisters Mikaela and Gabriela
Preliminaries, Week 1: Sang “New York, New York” by Frank Sinatra
Las Vegas Callbacks: Montage shown singing “Viva Las Vegas” . Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4): Sang an original song.

The Tapping Dads
General: A large group of tap dancing dads.
Preliminaries, Week 7: Passed through
Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4): Performed to “Puttin on the Ritz”

Eli Mattson
General: Singer and pianist
Preliminaries, Week 2: Performed “Walking in Memphis” by Marc Cohn .
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Sang “Your Song” by Elton John .
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed Through.
Semifinals (Part 4): Sang “Nobody Knows it But Me” . Osbourne commented “No dancers, no fire, no backing tracks, just talent.”

Nuttin’ But Stringz
General: Sibling violinists Tourie and Damien. They combine classical music with hip-hop.
Preliminaries, Week 1: Passed through
Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 4): Their performance earned a standing ovation, including the judges.

Below you’ll find a list of the various performances and music from America’s Got Talent semifinalists participating on September 2, 2008. Here’s a link to find all the AGT Semifinal videos from this batch or feel free to browse through the entire list of AGT music.

Texas State Strutters
General: precision dance team from Texas State University.
Preliminaries, Week 6: Performed to “September” as made famous by Earth, Wind, and Fire
Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Performed to “Boogie Wonderland”

Michael Strelo-Smith
General: Opera singer who appeared on America’s Got Talent, Season 2, however, was not passed through to the live shows.
Preliminaries, Not Shown: Passed through.
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): sang “Somewhere” from the musical West Side Story
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Sang “I Am What I Am”.

Bruce Block
General: Magician/general performer. Appeared in the previous season of the show as well.
Preliminaries, Week 5: Brock lay on a bed of nails and held a board on top of himself for his assistant to dance on and sing “Anything Goes” . Hasselhoff then asked to stand on Brock as well, to establish that the bed of nails was indeed real.
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): escaped from a straitjacket
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Performed an act where he transformed a divided pantomime horse into a small living pony.

Shequida Hall
General: Female impersonator and operatic singer. Able to sing both in a very low bass range and a extremely high tenor range, sounding both male and female in a single performance.
Preliminaries, Not Shown: Passed through.
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Passed through.
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Sang “I will Survive” completely in falsetto.

The Taubl Family
General: Family performing group. Singers and miscellaneous instruments
Preliminaries, Week 2: Performed “The Sound of Music” from the musical “The Sound of Music”
Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Sang and performed to Umbrella by Rihanna

Jonathan Burkin
General: Baton twirler
Preliminaries, Week 1: Passed through
Las Vegas Callbacks: Only shown briefly in a montage. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Performed to “I’m Still Standing” . His performance included large amounts of flames, a sequence with him spinning flaming batons around his neck, and a more traditional juggling sequence with the batons.

Sarah Lenore
General: Singer
Preliminaries, Week 4: Sang “Before He Cheats” by Carrie Underwood
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Sang “Teardrops On My Guitar” by Taylor Swift
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): “Not Ready To Make Nice” by the Dixie Chicks

SickStep
General: hip hop dance troop.
Preliminaries, Week 1: Passed through
Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3):

Matthew Piazzi
General: impersonator
Preliminaries, Week 7: Passed through
Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Did impressions of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jack Nicholson, Vince Vaughn, and George Clooney.

Joseph Hall
General: “young Elvis” impersonator
Preliminaries, Week 2: Sang “Hound Dog”
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Sang “Heartbreak Hotel”
Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
Semifinals (Part 3): Sang “Jailhouse Rock”

I posted the videos from AGT Semis part 2 and all the music from AGT semis part 2.

Tonight they announced which 5 of these 10 AGT semifinalists will be going on to the AGT top 20. To me the only real shocker is the Zooperstars. I was also sad to see Jonathan Arons in the bottom 5, but other than Zooperstars I don’t see an act that he should replace. See below for my full review of the AGT top 40 acts.

5 Acts Going to the AGT Top 20
Queen Emily – She’s the queen. I think we all realized that she’d make the AGT top 20. A wonderful talent, a wonderful stage presence and a wonderful story. She’s just wonderful.
Paul Salos – I must admit that I’m not a huge Frank Sinatra guy, but this guy seems to do him pretty well. Maybe someone who knows Sinatra better than I should judge.
Wright Kids – There’s something nice, unique and innocently wonderful about this act. I think bluegrass music will be better for them, but let’s hope they choose some of the more modern bluegrass music that will be more popular with America.
Daniel Jens – I wonder how long he can last as a military man. He has a nice voice with moments of pure greatness, but also has moments where you just wonder if he should really be on the show.
Zooperstars – I always knew that the Hoff and Sharon Osborne were delusional, but there is just something deeply wrong about putting this act through over BBDC. It’s not even really a competition when you consider which one has more talent. It’s not even close and I feel very bad for BBDC. Piers was dead on with his decision. Too bad Sharon and the Hoff really screwed it up for BBDC.

5 Acts Getting Sent Home
Jonathan Arons – I can see why America didn’t keep him on the show, but he was very entertaining. The guy also has guts to go on AGT with a trombone. Probably the first and last one to do that and actually get compliments from the judges.
Beyond Belief Dance Company – Very unfortunate that we’re not going to see them again, but yet we’ll have to see Zooperstars do more or less the same routine again that we’ve already seen. What a pity. Sharon and the Hoff are fools and I’m sure they’ll later regret this decision.
Kazual – I hope the guy in this group that is a great lead will come back next year as a soloist and really knock it out of there. His voice was really great, but the group as a whole was just so so.
Slippery Kittens – Not my thing. Glad their gone. I did find it unique that such a riska act came from Salt Lake City. I think you can quickly say…not a mormon.
George the Giant – I liked a couple things he did in the beginning, but his performance in the end deserved to be sent home.

Check out the video of the actual announcement:

Most of these seemed really obvious except for Zooperstars and that was just Sharon and Hoff trying to make good television?

Part 3 of the America’s Got Talent semifinals happened tonight. I’ll talk about the results from part 2 of the semifinals in another post. In this post, you’ll find all the videos from America’s Got Talent semifinals including performances by the Texas State Strutters, Michael Strelo-Smith, Bruce Block, Shequida Hall, The Taubl Family, Jonathan Burkin, Sarah Lenore, SickStep, Matthew Piazzi and Joseph Hall.

**Click on the arrows to skip to the next AGT video.

I’ll be posting my commentary on these acts very soon along with link to the AGT semifinal music.

The second episode of the live performance semifinals was broadcast from Los Angeles, California on August 27, 2008. Below you’ll find a list of all the music that was performed on the live America’s Got Talent performance of these 10 contestants and their previous performances on America’s Got Talent.

If you’re looking for the video of their performances, you can find it here. Otherwise, you can look through America’s Got Talent music.

Acts that performed include:

* Beyond Belief Dance Company
o General: 22 member dance troupe from Mesquite, Texas.
o Preliminaries, Week 3: Danced to “Fashionista” . Morgan disliked the group’s outfits and makeup, but loved their performance.
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Danced to “Don’t Stop the Music” by Rihanna.
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Performed to “When I Grow Up” by the Pussycat Dolls

* Paul Salos
o General: Frank Sinatra style singer/performer
o Preliminaries, Week 3: Sang “Fly Me to the Moon”
o Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Sang “My Way”

* Kazual
o General: A cappella barbershop quartet style group
o Preliminaries, Week 7: Passed through
o Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Sang “Can You Feel It” by The Jackson 5 . They were heavily criticized that, besides the main lead singer, the others did not have solo quality voices and the group should stick to the other three backing up and harmonizing with the lead singer.

* Zooperstars
o General: Oversized animal mascot versions of various sports celebrities, already a popular act at various minor league baseball games and other sporting events.
o Preliminaries, Week 5: Performed to “Tootsee Roll”.
o Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Performed to “Macho Man” and “Y.M.C.A.” by The Village People, including having one of the members swallow a second performer into the costume.

* The Wright Kids
o General: Three children who played the guitar, mandolin and upright bass. Bluegrass group
o Preliminaries: Performance was not televised
o Las Vegas Callbacks: Only shown briefly in a montage. Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Sang “Daydream Believer” by The Monkees

* Jonathan Arons
o General: Trombonist and dancer
o Preliminaries, Week 1: Performed to “Bad Girls” by Donna Summer.
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Performed to “Car Wash” by Rose Royce.
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through[49]
o Semifinals (Part 2): Danced and performed to “Let’s Groove” and “September” by Earth, Wind and Fire

* Daniel Jens
o General: Singer/guitarist who had just returned from active duty in Iraq.
o Preliminaries, Week 7: Performed “I’ll Be” by Edwin McCain.
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): sang Michael Buble’s “Home” . Forgot his lyrics halfway through.
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Sang “Every Breath You Take” by The Police

* Slippery Kittens
o General: A group of high-energy burlesque strippers comprised of mothers.
o Preliminaries, Week 1: Passed through
o Las Vegas Callbacks: Performance was not shown. Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Performed to “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy” by The Andrews Sisters

* Queen Emily
o General: Emily David, singer
o Preliminaries, Week 6: Sang “Chain of Fools” by Aretha Franklin
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 1): Sang “I’m Every Woman” by Whitney Houston.
o Las Vegas Callbacks (Part 2): Passed through
o Semifinals (Part 2): Sang “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” by Diana Ross

Tonight’s America’s Got Talent Semis wasn’t nearly as captivating as last night’s America’s Got Talent semis. However, still quite entertaining to watch and one or two that should make it quite a ways. The following acts performed on this show: Beyond Belief Dance Company, Zooperstars, Jonathan Arons, Daniel Jens, Queen Emily, Paul Salos, Wright Kids, Kazual, Slippery Kittens, and George the Giant.

Here’s the video of their semi final acts:

**Click on the arrows on the side to skip to the next act.

Here’s a link to find all the videos of the America’s Got Talent semis.

Look for a full evaluation of tonight’s performances in the next couple days.