Welcome to Pure America’s Got Talent

Hey all new blogger Melissa here happy to be joining the pureamericasgottalent.com family. Though I guess I picked a bad night to join since most of the acts were mediocre at best. I can’t believe we have to put up with some of these acts while Tallan Noble Latz, and Ciana Pelekai got away. And for those who don’t know, the list of wild card acts being brought back has been announced and neither of these acts are being brought back. Neither is Kari Callin, though I always thought she shouted too much in her audition. Anyway here are my thoughts on the carnage of tonight’s show:

Fab Five- Normally I’m not a fan of this kind of thing but this was my favorite act of the night. I loved how they had a whole theme to go along with the song choice and the sychronisity was excellent. I didn’t really like the slower/hip hop parts in the middle but overall they did a great job.

Charles DeWayne- Another act I didn’t like in the first auditions who came back and surprised me in a good way. I don’t think I heard an off-pitch note throughout and the piano playing was solid as well. I thought the judges were a bit too harsh on his song choice since I prefer the ballad side of him.

And then things started to go downhill….

Carol Loo (the dancer formerly known as Carol Lugo)- What in the world was that? I really was impressed with her first audition but that cage sequence in the beginning was just awkward and she didn’t get a chance to show off her moves. When she finally got out of it she did odd looking hip hop and was totally out-danced by the girls behind her, despite what David said.

Tony Hoard and Rory- Another act that disappointed me. I counted three dropped frisbees, though I think the last two (including the one that went offstage) was Tony’s fault. The bright lights and huge audience likely didn’t help. Rory looked downright terrified at the end, literally shaking in Tony’s arms as they got their critiques.

Eleisha Miller- I was furious when she got through over the much more talent Ciana, so I was determined not to like this act. But much to my chagrin I actually enjoyed it. The singing wasn’t great but still much improved (minus the last note) but the highlight was really the dancing. She still has an annoying cuteness to her but that was only evident in the interviews, not in the performance itself.

Paradizo Dance- Another act where I don’t understand why they were put in the top 40 (there were quite a few of those tonight). In the beginning Zoe looked beautiful and graceful while Dave kind of lumbered around awkwardly on stage. The lifts were impressive but once they started them there was not much more dancing. Sure a tiny girl lifting a huge man is impressive but not something one can really make a show out of.

The Texas Tenors- I may be in the minority, but I really enjoyed these guys. I liked them somewhat in their audition but was surprised they were brought back. This time their harmonies were better and I loved the song choice. The beginning where they each sang solo was a bit rough but once they sang together it was quite enjoyable.

SQ Entertainment- They had lots of energy and the dancing was decent, but for some reason I didn’t enjoy this performance that much. Maybe like David said it was because I couldn’t follow the story. They remind me a bit of Diversity from Britain’s Got Talent (aka the group who beat Susan Boyle) but not as good. It was kind of forgettable for me.

Peter Peterkin- Agreed with the judges when they said that the jokes weren’t that funny (though I did chuckle a little) but the singing and Ray Charles impression was quite good. I knew as soon as Peter put the glasses on that he was going to do Jamie Fox as Ray Charles (since Jamie played Ray in the biopic) but for those who didn’t know Jamie was the star of that movie I could see where it could be confusing.

Alizma- I really enjoyed their violin playing (not their singing) in their audition, though the whole “three sisters constantly interrupting each other” act got old REALLY fast. So of course they come out and almost completely ditch the violins and try to sing their way to the top 20. It was so bad I didn’t even recognize the song until the chorus. And that last note by the middle sibling almost made my ears bleed through the TV.

Beale Street Flippers- Like the judges, I found myself bored during this routine. They nailed all the flips and everything but there’s really no way to sustain a Vegas show with an act like that. However I know they are really popular so there is hope for them in the results show.

Voices of Glory- One of many acts I thought was overhyped by the judges in the auditions, especially because the superior Eriam Sisters (one of my favorite acts of the season) got comparatively less love from the judges in the same episode. I liked them better this time around, though I the low portion in the beginning sounded a bit off and the girl’s voice seemed to crack or something at the end. I think I enjoyed the act more because I liked the song than because I liked the singing but considering the weak crop tonight they were definitely in the top group of acts.

So who would be my choices to go through? If I had my way we would see The Fab Five, Charles DeWayne, Eleisha Miller, The Texas Tenors, and Voices of Glory in the next round. The Fab Five and Charles DeWayne were the top two tonight, while Eleisha and Voices of Glory surpassed my admittedly low expectations. The Texas Tenors were also memorable for me in a night where the other acts were either forgettable or downright awful.

But unfortunately I think audiences will have a different view. The Fab Five, Charles, and Voices of Glory should all be locks to make it to the next round. Peter, Alizma, Tony and Rory, and Carol Loo are likely out of it. That leaves five acts for two spots. I honestly have no idea who else is going to make it through so I’m going to go out on a bit of a limb with my prediction. I think both wild card acts- The Beale Street Flippers and SQ Entertainment- will round out last night’s top five. The Flippers have a lot of fans who flooded the blogs wondering why they didn’t make the top 40, and SQ Entertainment were decent in a night where most acts were not. From reading some other blogs most people hated the Texas Tenors, and I think Eleisha will suffer from backlash from bitter Ciana fans, so while I enjoyed them both I don’t think they will go through.

What are your thoughts on last night’s show? Who do you think will and should make the top 20? Post your comments below.

Yes, I’m making the assumption that Susan Boyle is going to win Britain’s Got Talent. That aside, I found this little quote of Simon Cowell really interesting:

Music mogul Simon Cowell has revealed that singing sensation Susan Boyle would get a spot on America’s Got Talent provided she wins at the Britain’s Got Talent show.

“I would say to anybody who won the British show[Britain's Got Talent] that we guarantee them a spot on the American show. I think that’s a great incentive. So if it is Susan, yes,” the Sun quoted him as saying.

Of course, Simon Cowell produces both Britain’s Got Talent and America’s Got Talent, so he could easily make this happen. What isn’t very clear to me is how the Britain’s Got Talent winner would participate in America’s Got Talent. It doesn’t seem fair or likely to be as a contestant on America’s Got Talent (like the article linked above seems to assume). Instead, I could easily see the winner of Britain’s Got Talent appearing as a special guest on one of the later America’s Got Talent shows. Similar to how Terry Fator came back and did a number.

Either way, I think America would love to see the winner of America’s Got Talent do a number at the finale of America’s Got Talent. Talent is talent regardless of where it comes from.

I was recently contacted by a representative of Butterscotch, Louis Gregory. From the sounds of things, Butterscotch is doing really well and has been working hard to take beatboxing to the world. In case you don’t remember Butterscotch, you can check out her audition video on America’s Got Talent:

Louis Gregory said that Butterscotch has been working with director Ron Hightower(he did 2 Pac’s videos) and is shooting a video in LA. That should be pretty cool to see when that comes out. Butterscotch is also working with a producer named Gerald McCauley and she was even in studio with George Benson.

Uncle Louie music group has launched Butterscotch’s new website. You can listen to Butterscotch’s music (seems wrong to just call it music) on her website and it also had the following list of events for Butterscotch:
Friday, February 27, 2009 UNLV / Las Vegas, Nevada

Saturday, March 21, 2009 Janesville School / Janesville, California

Saturday, April 11, 2009 University Of Arizona / Arizona

Saturday, May 2, 2009 Music & Unity Festival / Sacramento, CA

Saturday, June 13, 2009 Performance Info TBA / Australia

Sunday, June 14, 2009 Performance Info TBA / Australia

Saturday, May 30, 2009 The Mayor’s City Council Meeting / Private Event

Yes, I know that the Las Vegas event has already past, but I left it on because I’m from Las Vegas and I was so upset when I didn’t hear about her performance until 2 days after the show. Oh well, I’m sure she’ll make it back to Las Vegas again.

You can download the Butterscotch EP on her website’s store. There’s an exclusive track download that’s only available through her website. The track is called “Time for Change.” I’m also told that Butterscotch’s music will be available for download on iTunes in April. Until then, you’ll have to download it from her website if you don’t want to wait.

I’ll probably do a follow up post in April once Butterscotch’s music is available on iTunes. Also, if you happen to go to any of Butterscotch’s events, please let us know and send us a writeup of the event or any pictures and/or videos of Butterscotch performing.

I really loved Butterscotch on the show and so it’s nice to see her doing well after being on America’s Got Talent.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to tell you that I’m going to be going to the grand opening of Terry Fator at Mirage Las Vegas. Terry Fator’s act was absolutely astonishing when I first saw it on America’s Got Talent. I usually hated ventriloquists, but Terry Fator’s Winston the turtle really made me fall in love with Terry Fator. Check out this video of Terry Fator from America’s Got Talent to see what I mean:

It’s fun to watch some of the past videos of Jerry Springer saying that whoever wins America’s Got Talent will have their life changed forever. Terry Fator’s hundred million dollar deal with Mirage seems like it’s true that Terry’s life has been changed forever.

I’m really looking forward to the Grand Opening of Terry Fator at Mirage. Will be an absolutely wonderful evening for my wife and I.

Of course, you can all expect tons of pictures and a full review after the event. Anyone else planning to go and see Terry Fator? I also hear there’s an after party that I’m hoping to attend. What would you ask Terry Fator if you came across him at a party?

America’s Got Talent has been doing it’s largest search for talent in the history of the show. The show will be traveling to 8 audition cities across the country to find the best talent possible. The question is which America’s Got Talent audition city has the most talent. Make your voice heard by voting for the most talented AGT audition city.

Yes, I do know that this poll is completely biased, but it will be fun to see which cities are represented the most on Pure America’s Got Talent.

It’s always nice to take a look into what some of the past winners of America’s Got Talent are doing now. Bianca Ryan pretty much set the bar for young singers when she stepped onto America’s Got Talent. Looks like she’s still pretty active and performed at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas in the V theatre according to her website amongst other performances.

Her debut album is out and here are links to Bianca Ryan’s music on iTunes. Pretty amazing that a girl so young is listed on iTunes. That still baffles me.
And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going sung by Bianca Ryan

I Believe I Can Fly sung by Bianca Ryan

Why Couldn’t It Be Christmas Every Day? sung by Bianca Ryan

The Rose sung by Bianca Ryan

Superstar sung by Bianca Ryan

You Light Up My Life sung by Bianca Ryan

Dream In Color sung by Bianca Ryan

I Wish That sung by Bianca Ryan

Awake sung by Bianca Ryan

I Will sung by Bianca Ryan

Pray for a Better Day sung by Bianca Ryan

Pure and Simple sung by Bianca Ryan

That’s Not Me That’s Not Me – Single Bianca Ryan

Turns out that Bianca Ryan is also on Twitter. I’m sure that many of you don’t know about Twitter, but I’m on there as well under the name TVBlog. Feel free to follow me on twitter, in my America’s Got Talent RSS feed or in your email.

I’ve started going through some of the blog posts I’d started and never finished and I came upon some great insights from Jessica Price about her experience participating on America’s Got Talent. I should say that Jessica Price was my favorite from the start, but this interview just added to my fandom.

The following excerpts are from this interview:

She considers the “amazing” experience her most personally challenging, she said.

It didn’t make it any easier that the producers “kind of pick out everything for you,” she said.

She didn’t choose her wardrobe. And she chose the songs she performed each week from three that were selected for her. Two of the songs were “songs they knew you wouldn’t pick anyway,” Price said with a smile.

“I wasn’t able to be me,” she reflected.

One more that was pretty interesting to think about:

“It’s weird having tons of fans and not having anything to give them,” she said. “I’m excited to make a CD so that they can … have something.”

I’m currently working with a couple people close to Jessica Price to try and get an update on what she’s been doing since America’s Got Talent.

Until then, sign up to audition for Season 4 of AGT so that I can be writing about you next.

Dang, I wrote this post a few months ago and planned on posting it just before Christmas. Oh well, Christmas has past, but I still think it’s fun to see what Julienne Irwin has been up to since AGT. Kenny Rogers Christmas is pretty big.

Julienne Irwin sings a Christmas Classic, Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas, on The Kenny Rogers 2007 Christmas Tour

Julienne Irwin performs The First Noel on The Kenny Rogers 2007 Christmas tour

It’s been a little while since I’ve posted on this site. I’ve had a ton of things to say, but I just needed a little break after the show. Time to start kicking back into gear. The next season’s auditions will be starting soon and I’m planning on covering Britain’s Got Talent if possible too.

Enough about me. I think that most people would have to agree that Eli Mattson’s version of Walking in Memphis was one of (if not the) best performance on this year’s season of America’s Got Talent. Here’s Eli Mattson performing Walking in Memphis at the America’s Got Talent Las Vegas show:

Not the best video quality, but it was fun to remember how good Eli Mattson really was. He has a very nice voice and I hope he produces a CD really soon.

For a while I’ve been thinking how sad it was that Neal Boyd’s mom couldn’t be in LA to see him win America’s Got Talent. I believe that Nuttin’ But Stringz family couldn’t be there either (I could be wrong on this one). It really makes me sad when people as talented as these 2 aren’t able to share it with their families.

Well, I got the idea that I should leverage the viewers of this site for good when I read that the city of Sikeston, Mo put up his Mother’s plane ticket so that she could see Neal perform.

So, I’m starting the Pure America’s Got Talent fund. Assuming enough people donate, I’ll be using the money raised to pay for a family member of someone on next season’s show to fly out to see them perform live.

Here’s a button to donate:

I’ll be working on putting this in the sidebar of the site and to put up a meter so we can see how many people have donated to the cause. Also, in return for your donation, I’ll be working on a donation page where I can recognize all those who graciously donated.