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Who Should Win AGT Season 12? Who WILL? Weigh In!

I made a couple of polls for you guys! Who do you think deserves to win this season? And regardless of “should’s” who do you think will be the winner? (I couldn’t fix the size of the second poll, so apologies there!)


September 17, 2017 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

Pure AGT Season 11 – Auditions Week 4 Recap

This was another week of Preliminary auditions in front of the judges, and I believe it was the last one of the season. All four judges have now used their Golden Buzzer privileges, which means four acts have already taken spots for the live shows! Let’s take a look at this week’s performances, including Simon’s Golden Buzzer choice!

Alfredo and Anna Silva: We started the night off with a married couple who performed a knife-throwing act consisting of Alfredo throwing knives at a board while Anna posed in front of it in various ways, with him twirling her around before each transition. Anna’s poses soon turned to leaps from side to side as Alfredo threw the knives, and they finished with fire lit knives being thrown! The audience was in simultaneous fear and awe (Mel spent the performances peeking through her fingers) which made sense since before the performance Alfredo revealed he’d accidentally hit Anna with a knife while performing twice in the past. Thankfully that didn’t happen here! Howie said the danger in this act was a level above over other knife-throwing acts. Heidi loved it and Simon found it refreshing and interesting that in this act, the person in front of the target was the main focus, rather than the person throwing the knives.
The Verdict: Alfredo and Anna promised the act would be even more dangerous if they were to make it through, and they did with 4 yes’s!

Elias and Zion: 9-year-old twins who played a piano duet. Audience members and judges alike seemed to find them quite endearing, but probably moreso because of their stage presence than the act itself (they were very talkative). Regardless, their act was well-performed and entertaining.
The Verdict: 4 yes’s from the judges.

Next up was a montage of various kid acts, fittingly set to One Direction’s “Live While We’re Young”. First we saw a dance group get through, followed by another dancer who got a no from Simon to everyone’s shock…but it turned out to be fake and he advanced. Finally we saw a kid do a dangerous balancing act. “Where can you take this act?” asked Simon after the performance, to which the kid replied, “You’re just gonna have to pass me to find out.” And I guess we will, because he was sent through!

Jayna Brown: A 14-year-old who sang “Summertime”. Her voice is clearly still developing but the level of maturity she exudes onstage is well beyond her years. She seems to have that “star quality” and lots of stage presence. During this performance I noticed lots of smiles from pretty much everyone, and at the end she got a standing ovation! And for the second week in a row we got a “I didn’t like it…I loved it!” from Simon.
The Verdict: 4 yes’s!

Sos and Victoria Petrosyan: Another married couple! This act was a runway-style costume quick-change performance, with all costumes designed by the Petrosyans themselves! Sos had Victoria step into various contraptions and she’d come out with a completely different-looking outfit on in a matter of seconds! I have no idea what I’d compare this act to, as it’s certainly something I can’t recall seeing anything similar to on AGT in the past. The closest thing I can think of was a video of a Katy Perry performance I saw a few years ago. Anyway, someone in the audience yelled “Now THAT’S talent” at the end, and I think that pretty much said it all.
The Verdict: 4 yes’s from the judges!

This was followed by a montage of buzzed and rejected acts including a group of people moving pianos around the stage, a duo of dancers, and a dance troupe who Simon claimed was uncomfortable because the performers were smiling too much. Oh yeah, that was the “theme” of this montage; there were various clips featuring discussion of smiles in some way interspersed between the performance bits, which served as a segue to…

Robert “The Compliment Man” Drlicka: Before this guy stepped out onstage he announced hismain goal was to make the judges and audience members smile. His act? Complimenting everyone, or as Robert described it, “trading stress for smiles created by compliments”. This didn’t exactly sound like a winning act but it at least seemed like it was going to be cute. Instead, it was extremely awkward. He started off by complimenting the audience for parking their cars correctly, and then proceeded to compliment each of the judges individually on various things. Robert didn’t seem to make very many people smile like he’d hoped to; most of them just seemed uncomfortable.
The Verdict: All the judges buzzed him (Mel B held out for a bit, claiming afterwards that she was waiting for Robert to give her more compliments) which meant he was automatically rejected. After he left the stage, Heidi said that she “[she could not] believe someone waited in line all day! ALL DAY to do THAT!”

John Dorenbos: This contestant was already famous even before his audition! John is a Philadelphia Eagles player who did a magic act. His trick consisted of pulling out a set of cards in order by doing seemingly random things and then the whole suits together in order. He was very charismatic and entertaining (even if I didn’t fully unerstand what he was doing). Heidi was impressed, Simon was speechless, and Mel B just couldn’t get over it. Howie said John had a gift and that it was an “amazing moment”.
The Verdict: 4 yes’s!

Vello Vaher: 52-year-old Contortionist from Estonia who balanced on brick while knocking them off a table, walked and jumped on his hands, and climbed a rope in an unusual fashion. The act finished with Vello hanging from the rope by only his mouth, and the judges were absolutely amazed.
The Verdict: Vello received an unsurprising 4 yes’s.

This was followed by a montage of youth singing acts, including a trio of young girls, a young guy with a piano, and a guitar-playing girl. They were all rejected but not completely raked over the coals, with the judges giving them constructive advice and encouragement to improve in the future.

Ronee Martin: In contrast to the montage of youth we’d just seen, the next performer was a 62-year-old singing law firm assistant. She started singing one song then Simon told her to choose a different one and try again. Ronee chose “Natural Woman” and did much better.
The Verdict: The judges looked so amazed that I was expecting her to be Simon’s Golden Buzzer. But 4 yes’s and a lot of praise wasn’t bad either!

Next was yet another montage of various odd acts which all got rejected, but none of them compared to…

The Baron of the Universe: I didn’t catch what his real name was, but his act consisted of hooking chains to his nose, eyes, and nipples and then swinging them around. Many people had to look away during the one (including myself) since it looked so painful. ___ didn’t seem to be bothered at all though!
The Verdict: ¾ judges were grossed out but said yes. (Heidi buzzed and gave a no.)
Side Note: This guy holds the Guinness World Record for “Heaviest Weight Lifted with Nipples” (72 pounds!)

Julia Scotti: Julia announced herself as a stand-up comic from New Jersey who wanted to show everyone “age is just a number” (which seemed to be a theme this week). Her set was mainly about her age and what it’s like for her to be an older person in today’s society. The audience seemed to enjoy it well enough but then she threw a curse word in their and they went absolutely wild with laughter (which I’ve personally never understood). After her set, Julia revealed she used to do stand-up when she was younger but job issues and a sex change caused her to take a long hiatus from performing.
The Verdict: The judges loved it and gave her 4 yes’s!

Calysta Bevier: The final act of the night was a 16-year-old cancer survivor who sang “Fight Song”.  I actually liked her version more than the original, since I felt it had more power and soul behind it. Calysta impressed the audience, and even got a standing ovation in the middle of the number! Mel complimented her musical technicality, and the other judges loved it as well.
The Verdict: Simon gave her his GOLDEN BUZZER so Calysta will definitely be in the live show round!

So, there you have it. We’re now four weeks into the season and all four of the judges’ Golden Buzzers have been used on singers, which I’m a little disappointed by, but I’ve also noticed they’re all pretty young (the oldest is Sal Valentinetti, who is 20) which is kind of cool. There are still lots of spots in the live shows remaining for all kinds of acts to claim, plus Nick still has a chance to use the coveted GB so my fingers are crossed he’ll use it on a non-singing act.

What did you think of this week’s episode, and who do you think will survive the next round? Be sure to comment below and hopefully we can have a nice discussion as we await next week’s episode. (And remember: the show will start one hour later next week than it has so far this season, so make sure to check your listings so you don’t miss it!)

June 23, 2016 I Written By

I'm obssessed with the entertainment industry, especially offbeat and nerdy things as well as those that involve live performance. The only thing I love more than geeking out over the things that entertain me is sharing in my excitement with others who share the same passions. America may have talent, but Canada has an up-and-coming blogger who is ready to take the internet by storm!

PureAGT Season 9 Episode #1 POLL: What Do You Think of Dustin’s Dojo?

So it looks like we already have a candidate for “most polarizing act this season” – and we’re only one episode into the season! For those of you still catching up (or who need a refresher – funny how things can fade from memory during a two-hour show!), here’s a clip of the act in question – Dustin’s Dojo, a comedy/martial arts act that prompted Howard to use his Golden Buzzer after Heidi & Mel panned the act:

Judging from the mixed reactions I saw from the judges, the audience, and Twitter, this definitely seems like one of those acts that people seem to really love or hate – I personally loved it, just because I thought it was a creative spin on the comedy acts we usually see on AGT, and it fights right in-line with the stupid humor that I enjoy.  A few friends on Twitter thought it was “dumb” and “didn’t find it funny at all”; Mama Spence (my mother) was on the fence about it – got a few chuckles from her, but she acknowledged that it was “pretty stupid” and not really worthy of a Vegas show; the bf popped by after work to eat some dinner leftovers and was laughing his ass off at it.  So what did YOU think of it?

In the end, whether people love or hate this act, I doubt it’s going to make a huge impact on the competition – they probably won’t make it past the next round (because I don’t see Heidi changing her mind about it – Mel might be more impressionable), and they’re just a silly, space-filling act that’s easily expendable in order to ensure that the really talented acts make it thought.  I do find myself entertained by it, though – it’s like a giant parody of every single low-budget commercial I’ve ever seen for a strip mall karate school, mixed in with bits of Napoleon Dynamite and starring two dorky engineers from Purdue that thought learning martial arts would help them get girls 😛

May 28, 2014 I Written By

Ultrasound specialist by day, entertainment blogger by night - with some amateur dancer, hair & makeup enthusiast, crazy cat lady, recreational chef, and Donnie Wahlberg/Norman Reedus fangirl peppered in to make things interesting ;-) Check out some of my other work over at puredwts.com!

PureAGT Season 8 – Post-Finale Performance Poll: Who Will Win?

We already did this poll after last week’s results – but let’s see if you still feel the same way after tonight’s performances.

I’ll save my opinions for the power rankings in the morning – but let’s just say my mind definitely changed from last week!

September 17, 2013 I Written By

Ultrasound specialist by day, entertainment blogger by night - with some amateur dancer, hair & makeup enthusiast, crazy cat lady, recreational chef, and Donnie Wahlberg/Norman Reedus fangirl peppered in to make things interesting ;-) Check out some of my other work over at puredwts.com!

PureAGT Season 8 – POLL: Who Will Win?

We now have our final six.  So the question is…who’s gonna win it all?

Personally, I think it’s going to come down to Forte & Kenichi – perhaps with Forte having a slight edge.  I think Jimmy or Collins could potentially play spoiler to one of them IF they perform well and can rally their rabid fans to vote…A LOT.  Cami & Taylor? I think they’re the two longshots who should just be happy they made it to the finale.  What do you guys think?

September 11, 2013 I Written By

Ultrasound specialist by day, entertainment blogger by night - with some amateur dancer, hair & makeup enthusiast, crazy cat lady, recreational chef, and Donnie Wahlberg/Norman Reedus fangirl peppered in to make things interesting ;-) Check out some of my other work over at puredwts.com!

PureAGT Season 8 – POLL: Who Will Howard & Howie Pick for Their Wild Card?

So we know Heidi & Mel’s wildcard picks (Duo Resonance & Tone the Chiefrocca), and will be seeing them perform next week.  But the question on everyone’s lips seems to be “Who will Howard & Howie pick as their wild card?”

I think it’s worth noting that both Mel & Heidi’s picks were acts that lost in the judges’ choice of their respective rounds – therefore, I think there’s a good chance that Howard & Howie’s picks might also be acts that lost the judges’ choice.  However, I think there’s also a few acts that the judges were hoping would make it further and didn’t – so their picks may be acts that didn’t even make it as far as the judges’ choice.  Hell, they could feasibly even pick acts that didn’t make it past Vegas…and Howie in particular is pretty unpredictable, so he very well may chose something completely out of left field.

I’ve picked a handful of acts that I think stand the best chance of getting picked for the wildcard, as well as allowing write-ins.  Which do you think will get picked? Vote for the three you think are the most likely.

Personally, I would be surprised if Howard picked any act other than the American Hit Men – he had be gunning hard to get a “great rock band” in the finals, and I think he really wanted the Hit Men to be that band.  If he doesn’t pick them, for whatever reason (maybe too many music acts?), I could see him maybe picking Alexanderia…he seemed to think she should have made it further than she did, plus we don’t really have any danger acts in the semifinals.  Howie is a bit more unpredictable – I could see him doing something totally dumb and bringing back Aaralyn & Izzy (ugh), just to be weird; but then again, I think he could possibly bring back Aerial Ice or Alex Magala, to try and get some more unique acts into the finals, since he seems to be the judge that is the most vocal about there being too many singers in the competition this year.

So how did you guys vote? And who do you hope to see winning these wild card spots?

August 22, 2013 I Written By

Ultrasound specialist by day, entertainment blogger by night - with some amateur dancer, hair & makeup enthusiast, crazy cat lady, recreational chef, and Donnie Wahlberg/Norman Reedus fangirl peppered in to make things interesting ;-) Check out some of my other work over at puredwts.com!

PureAGT Season 8 POLL: Did Catapult “Rip Off” Silhouettes?

Whilst browsing around on YouTube for a clip of Catapult’s performance on last week’s premiere, I noticed something odd: almost every video of them posted had a slew of comments from angry viewers claiming that they had “ripped off” season 6 runner-up Silhouettes.  Here’s a video of them to jog your memory:

A few overseas viewers also accused Catapult of copying Attraction, the winner of the most recent season of Britain’s Got Talent:

Now while I agree that all three acts are very similar, I also think that there’s very, very few acts on any of the Talent franchises that are truly original anymore – I think it’s all been done before, and everyone’s just trying to make their mark and somehow put a fresh spin on their act.  So to really accuse any of the three of “ripping off” one another? Not really fair, IMO.  If you’re going to call out Catapult for copying Silhouettes, then you may as well call out Lightwire Theater from last season for copying Team iLuminate from season 6, and Angela Hoover for copying season 6’s Melissa Villasenor.  Almost every act shares some similarities with a previous act.

Truth be told, I was never really wowed by what Silhouettes did – just seemed like a lot of running from place to place making shapes while some schmaltzy song played.  What I like about Catapult, though, is that they actually create pictures that move, and tend to tell a story – Silhouettes seemed like they just went with a theme, as opposed to an actual narrative with a beginning, middle, and end.  Haven’t really had a chance to compare either of the two to Attraction, beyond the video I posted above, but all three appear to have different strengths & weaknesses.  But what do you think?

June 10, 2013 I Written By

Ultrasound specialist by day, entertainment blogger by night - with some amateur dancer, hair & makeup enthusiast, crazy cat lady, recreational chef, and Donnie Wahlberg/Norman Reedus fangirl peppered in to make things interesting ;-) Check out some of my other work over at puredwts.com!

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.