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.
