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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: First Quarterfinals Top Four!

So there you have it! The first four acts that are making it to the Semifinals of America’s Got Talent. Based on the poll that Katie put up yesterday, I say that it was a fair representation of what the general audience enjoyed from the show. In fact I agree with a lot of Katie’s choices for who was to definitely move on and who had the best chance of moving on, though I was surprised that the American BMX Stunt Team wasn’t part of the split for the Judges’ Choice, but that’s just me. The question I am wondering is who actually has the potential to be the “Million Dollar Act” in Vegas.

So below are the four acts that made it through to the semifinals and my thoughts on them as well as how far I think they are going to go this season.
Read more..

July 3, 2012 I Written By

AGT Top 48: Night One Commentary and Rankings

Well, we’ve finally made it to the live shows. I’m hoping that we can leave behind the silly auditions and get to the real stuff now.

Howard, albeit unpopular at times tonight, I felt gave the best insight to the acts tonight. I think Sharon is just being nice half the time, and Howie…where do I even start with him. Some of his comments seem to come from left field. Tonight wasn’t the best night, in my opinion, and I’m having trouble deciding on four people good enough to stay. Here’s my insight on the acts, in the order they performed. I’ve also done some rankings, so if you don’y want  my commentary, feel free to skip to the bottom, and be sure to vote for your favorites here.

The Scott’s Brothers: As my mom put it while she was watching this with me tonight, it does take talent to not be off beat from each other. I thought this was SO entertaining, it was a lot of fun. One of my favorite acts from the night, and if they go on like I’m hoping, I think they could be the dark horse of the competition. It was different, and really, not exactly what I would think of when I think “million dollar act”, but I think that’s why I like them. They aren’t the typical winner — a singer. And I could see America really loving them. I know I sure do.

American BMX Team: Well, I was glad when this group was the stunt team that got through to New York. It’s definitely an adrenaline just watching it! I love the danger aspect to it, and the crowds “oohing and ahhing” proved that it wasn’t absent tonight. I do wonder how different their act can become, because I have to admit, I’m starting to get a little bit bored. Yes, it’s dangerous, and you won’t ever see me doing that, but it wasn’t my favorite act. Maybe it’s because I’m not into extreme sports. The judges seemed to love it. But it’s up to America. I’m split on if they’ll go home or not.

Distinguished Men of Brass: If you remember my post about them after they first performed, I was a big fan. However, tonight, I was a bit disappointed. Perhaps it’s because I was a little tired, and their act just kind of bored me. I could see them more playing at a gazebo on the Fourth of July in a local park than winning the competition. I don’t think they’ll go on after tonight. It just wasn’t that exciting. By the end of the night, I had actually forgotten about their performance completely.

Edon:  I forgot about this kid at first, but as soon as he started singing, I remembered him. I was a little concerned when he said that the high note in the song he chose was to high to reach. I found his voice was a little annoying, but it’s just personal taste, because my mom and sister loved him. He did an overall good job, but I don’t think he’ll go very far. There were some powerful parts to the song, and for a 14-year-old, he did very well. The judges loved him, as did the crowd…but I’m not totally sold. I think he sure seems like a great kid, and has the makings of a winner, but maybe not quite yet. But who knows, America seems to love young kids like this go far, so he could make it through. He did hit all his notes, and it was a hard song.

Jarrett and Raja: This is definitely a unique twist on a magic act, that’s for sure. I’m a sucker for the song “Singing in the Rain”, so the fact that the act featured that made me interested at first. It was fun, yet cheesy,  and definitely not what I would think of as a typical magic act. At that, I don’t think tonight’s performance was a million dollar act. The audience didn’t like them. It was a little confusing, and not anything like what we saw in Vegas. Part of me wonders what exactly what they were thinking. It’s a fun act, but something more impressive should have been brought forward tonight. Probably one of the worst acts of the night.

Lil Starr: I LOVED here when she first tried out and in Vegas. She definitely had a very spunky personality, and, of course, she had some incredible dance moves. I did enjoy the act tonight, but it seemed a little much at times. I didn’t like all the flashing lights, it seemed to take the attention off her. Howie thought she was the next Shirley Temple — definite possibility. She doesn’t compare to some of the other acts though. I agree with Howard a little bit though — her act doesn’t seem to have much variety to it, even though she is a great dancer. She sure was sweet though, and she did do great, as she stated at the end of her performance.

Todd Oliver: I feel as if I have seen better ventriloquist tonight, but I like the use of a dog. It was cute. I don’t know that he had the audience as captivated as he did in the past, and I had to agree with the judges — he didn’t have the best material. So, “cute” isn’t going to cut it. I found myself getting distracted and not really even paying attention for the majority of the act. Sure, the audience did laugh throughout it, but it didn’t seem like they were that entertained.  Like just about everyone on the show tonight, he sure seems nice, but really, I could see him going home tonight. It’s kind of disappointing, because I did like him, but there were some other acts tonight that blew him out of the water.

Nikki Jensen: I didn’t really remember her from the auditions, to be honest. I was pleasantly surprised though, she has a very unique, beautiful voice. She sang well, but it didn’t absolutely blow me away, which needs to happen at this stage in the competition. I love that song, but she wasn’t very entertaining. It seemed more like a slightly-better, high school talent show performance. I think she’ll go home tonight for sure, sorry Nikki.

Michael Nejad: So, I’ll be honest. I kind of think this is a weird act, but I don’t think he deserved an X seconds into his act. That shovel violin drove me insane. I would compare it to nails-on-a-chalkboard bad. It is unique. Very unique. But it isn’t a type of unique that I really want to see more of, and I think America is going to agree with me. He’s definitely getting the ax tonight. Sorry, Michael. Maybe you should look into doing a Home Depot commercial or something.

787 Crew: Just to start out, I feel like they should have been in the movie Tron. Secondly, just like with Lil Starr, the lights were totally distracting. I really liked them when they initially tried out, but they didn’t wow me tonight like I was hoping. There wasn’t any factor to it that had me ever think “wow, this was incredible!” They might be heading back to Puerto Rico after tonight’s performance, sorry to say.

Shanice and Maurice Hayes: Hands down, my favorite act of the night. It was powerful and full of emotion, and I can’t help but love the whole father-daughter aspect to this act. They seem to have a great relationship, and that is awesome. As much as I kind of don’t want a singing act to win (I mean, almost all of the previous winners were singers. There are so many singing competitions out there. Let’s get something new), I can’t deny that they did a great job. I loved this song, and I can’t wait to see what they have to show next. As Howard said, there was a beautiful heart and soul to the act.

David Garibaldi and his CMYKs: All I have to say is, awesome. When I say I want something new and different to win, this is what I’m talking about. The music was right on, the dancing was great, and that art? Incredible. These guys definitely have what it takes to win. I was completely captivated the entire time. I’m going to stop here, because really, how can I describe something so unique and, well, indescribable. They have to go through; if they don’t, I’m calling it — this contest is rigged.

Rankings for the night:

Here they are, in a few different categories. They are ranked according to who I think did the best.

Definitely moving on:

1. Shanice and Maurice Hayes

2. David Garibaldi and his CMYKs

Good Possibility They’ll Move on:

3. Edon

4. The Scott’s Brothers

5. American BMX Team

Okay, But I’ll Be Shocked if They Advance:

6. 787 Crew

7. Lil Star

8. Nikki Jensen

9. Distinguished Men of Brass

Definitely Leaving: 

10. Todd Oliver

11. Jarrett and Raja

12. Michael Nejad

July 2, 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.