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Pure AGT Season 11 Quarter-Finals Week 1 Power Rankings

Now that we’ve had our first live show of the season, it’s time for the Power Rankings! For those who don’t know, this is a list of the acts starting with who I think is most likely to be safe and going down from there. I’ll start by doing a list based on how I think the viewers will vote tonight and elaborate from there.

1. Tape Face – Some of the judges may have been underwhelmed by this act tonight (and while it was one of my personal favorites of the night I do agree that out of his three performances thus far this one was probably my least favorite) but based on the response I’ve seen online, the audience certainly wasn’t! The silliness and unpredictably of Tape Face doesn’t seems to be as beloved as ever, and I’m already predicting we’ll be seeing him in the Finals in September.

2. Jon Dorenbos – This was an act that the judges unanimously loved, and it seems like a lot of the audience did as well! Jon’s magic isn’t fancy, but his tricks are endearing and entertaining, and he’s done a great job presenting them thus far. And he certainly got people talking tonight; I’ve been seeing lots of speculation as to how he pulled off tonight’s trick with the drawings so accurately!

3. Laura Bretan – To be honest, before tonight I thought it was very likely that Laura would be eliminated in the Quarter-Finals. She’s amazingly talented, but American audiences don’t always connect to opera the way they do with other musical styles. But after Laura’s showstopping performance tonight, I think a lot of people will be picking up the phone to vote for her. She started off a little timid, but by the end she’d commanded that stage, and I think many viewers took notice of that. Great stage presence, and what a voice to boot!

4. Jayna Brown – While I wasn’t quite blown away with this performance like I was last week, Jayna is a very talented singer and seems to be gaining quite the fanbase (who she recently dubbed the “Brownies” on Twitter). That, along with her story about her family’s financial troubles, will get her through to the next round, I think. And Louis Tomlinson, who used his Golden Buzzer on her in last Wednesday’s episode, gave her another endoresement on Twitter tonight, which might help her as well.

5. Deadly Games – This was a great act to begin with, but they really stepped it up tonight. The blindfold raised the stakes, and the costumes and overall theme enhanced the dramatic effect even further. In Deadly Games performances, the “target” really is the star, which makes this act stand apart from similar ones we’ve seen in the past. Now apparently, a lot of people are feeling differently than I do, because I’ve seen a lot of comments saying this act (and every one below it, for that matter) was boring/terrible tonight. I agree it’s getting a bit repetitive but I still thought it was one of the evening’s better performances. But I think these two just might have the juice to get enough votes for a guaranteed place in the Semi-Finals, and if not then I’m pretty sure they will at least be in what I call the “Yellow Zone”, aka the acts that will not automatically go through but could potentially be saved by viewers or judges.

6. Lori Mae Hernandez – Well, this was a polarizing one. Some viewers loved Lori’s passion for current events and her wit, while others were not pleased with her political views at all. Howie was right when he said she’d turned off any potential Republican voters, but it seems a lot of left-leaners were very impressed with her. Enough, I think, for her to likely make it to the Yellow Zone.

7. Hara – This was one of my personal favorite acts of the night, but I fear going so early won’t bode well for him since this was another act that drew a lot of mixed opinions. Some people loved it, while others thought it didn’t look very good on television. I’m thinking a lot of people just forgot about him, but I think he might have gotten enough voter support to be in the Yellow Zone.

8. Musicality – The judges loved this one, as did some viewers, but I and some others were not as impressed. I think their previous performances on the show were much more memorable and this one just wasn’t. However, I think their backstory might be enough for them to make it to the Yellow Zone.

9. Sila Sveta – This act was one of three Wildcards chosen to be included in the live shows, so congratulations to them. Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like they made a very good or memorable impression on certain judges along with a good chunk of the audience tonight, especially in comparison to Hara, the act most similar to them. I do think there’s a small chance of them being in the Yellow Zone tomorrow since I have seen some support for them, but even if they do manage to make it there I’m pretty sure they’ll still be getting eliminated.

10. Dorothy Williams – Well, we all knew what was coming with this one. It was great to see Dorothy live out her lifelong dream, but I think tomorrow will be the end of the road for her. Again, small chance she might end up in the Yellow Zone since I actually think she’s going to end up with more votes than a couple other acts, but she’ll be gone unless she gets the Dunkin’ Save (I’m operating under the assumption that it will be a thing again this season). Glad to see her having fun out there, though, and I think she recognizes that it’s likely she’ll be out tomorrow.

11. Daniel Joyner – Daniel has come a long way from his timid first audition, but his act seems to have gone too far in the other direction. Now he’s trying to pull off a “big” performance, and it just isn’t his thing. The song choice didn’t help either. His performance just didn’t hold up very well against the other vocal soloists of the night. The dedication of his performance to his girlfriend might have got him some votes, but I don’t think it will be enough for him to escape elimination seeing as I haven’t seen a lot of support for him tonight at all.

12. Outlawz – I didn’t think this was the worst act tonight, but this is the only one I’m sure will absolutely be in the “Red Zone” tomorrow night. Like I said, they were okay but it just didn’t feel like a million dollar act and this is another one that I’ve seen almost no support for tonight. But I originally thought they’d be out before the live shows, so they’ve already exceeded my expectations.

Okay, so those were my rankings based on how many votes I think each act will end up with. If things work like they have in recent seasons, the top 5 acts will definitely go through and those in 6th through 8th place will have the chance to be “saved”. One will be saved through a second audience vote, and the judges will decide which of the remaining two will go through. If the voting plays out the way I mentioned above, I think either Lori or MAYBE Musicality will get the audience save. When it comes to the Judges’ Save it’s hard to call, but I’m inclined to say Hara will get it if it comes down to him and Lori, and Musicality will get it if it comes down to them and either of the other two acts.

Do you agree? Comment below, and share who you voted for tonight!

July 26, 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!

Pure AGT Season 11 Judge Cuts – The Live Show Acts Determined

There’s been an abundance on AGT on our screens lately, with NBC airing four episodes over the past two weeks, each featuring a guest judge and some tough choices for the panel. That’s right, it was the Judge Cuts round, which determined the rest of the acts moving on to the live shows!

The acts moving forward from the first night, which featured guest judge Ne-Yo, included:

Hara
Edgar
Lori Mae Hernandez
Jon Dorenbos (Golden Buzzer)
The Passing Zone
Ronee Martin
Linkin’ Bridge

Dorenbos was the first Golden Buzzer of the season that was not given to a singer, which was refreshing to see. I loved Jon’s act and think he absolutely deserved to go through, as did the other six. The Passing Zone is a particular favorite of mine; I love how they manage to combine a lot of different tricks without feeling like they’re going overboard. No complaints from me about this group!

Reba McEntire joined the panel for the second episode, and she and the others decided to send through:

Kadie Lynn Roberson
Vello Vaher
Sofie Dossi (Golden Buzzer)
Moya Angela
Kadan Bart Rockett
Julia Scotti
Deadly Games

Another great group of acts! I was so thrilled that Sofie got Reba’s Golden Buzzer because she has great showmanship and her act is exciting yet polished. And while I’m not thrilled with the abundance of singers, I was very happy to see Kadie get through, though Moya I could take or leave. I feel like she over-sings the songs sometimes, though I enjoyed her performance last week more than I did her first audition. Was also pleasantly surprised by Kadan, who I think polished up his act as well. The rest were great too!

The acts sent forward in the George Lopez episode were:

Daniel Joyner
Blake Vogt
Alla and Daniel Novikov
Tape Face
Malevo (Golden Buzzer)
Ryan Stock and AmberLynn
Brian Justin Crum

Okay, here’s where I started to disagree with the judges a bit. I don’t think it’s a good sign that as I look at this list the only act I have a clear memory of is Tape Face, and this episode only aired three days ago at the time I’m writing this. Well, okay, Blake was pretty good too, as was Brian, but that was expected since he’s already starred on Broadway. And I just have to say that even though I think the judges let through way too many singers, cutting Madison Watkins on a night where she clearly had a better showing than most was criminal.

And finally we had this past Wednesday’s episode featuring Louis Tomlinson as a guest judge. The advancing acts were:

ThroWings
The Outlawz
Jayna Brown (Golden Buzzer)
Viktor Kee
Sos and Victoria
Musicality
The Clairvoyants

So another singer got the Golden Buzzer, but I wasn’t surprised since I thought Louis, having been a singer discovered on a reality show himself, might want to “pay it forward” in a way, and I think Jayna really stepped up her game for this round. I was surprised to see the Outlawz do so well (even though I liked their first audition) and while I wasn’t quite as impressed by Musicality as I was the first time around I’m glad they got through. Not surprised about the rest at all, and looking forward to seeing them perform again in the live shows, which start NEXT WEEK!

Be sure to share your opinions on the advancing acts below, and if there were any you were sad to lose. See you next week for the first live show of the season!

July 22, 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!

Pure AGT Season 11 – Auditions Week 6

This was the last week of preliminary auditions this season! Like last week, we were treated to a variety of acts, but this time we had a significantly lower number of montages!

The show started off with a bunch of American-themed acts, including a lady standing on her head singing the National Anthem, a bottom-psychic, and a girl who gurgled the National Anthem. They were all rejected.

Cody “The Twirler” Carter: 14-year-old baton twirler who claimed to eventually want to be part of Cirque du Soleil. Launched right into a fast-paced routine involving multiple batons and even a bit of dancing! Mel B said it made her happy. Heidi said it was “extraordinary”. Howie said it was a bit “dated” and he wanted it to be a bit more up-to-date. Simon said he was a “born entertainer”.
The Verdict: 4 yes’s.

Just Us: Four friends who performed a “jazzy swingin’ vocal quartet”.They sang “All About that Bass” in a jazz style. I didn’t have enough time to form an opinion on it because…
The Verdict: All the judges buzzed them right away.

Ilan and Josh: Met in Israel a few years prior to their audition. They also performed an a capella cover of “All About that Bass” but this time as a beatbox number! At first the crowd didn’t seem to like it, but by the end they were on their feet cheering! Simon called it “cute’ to the confusion of Mel B. The other judges were quite impressed!
The Verdict: 4 yes’s.

We see a bunch of dance crew auditions will a bunch of conflicting opinions from Heidi and Simon.

The Outlaws: Group of male dancers from Arizona who never had any formal dance training. Launch into an energetic hip-hop number and the audience immediately goes nuts over it. I noticed they didn’t dance entirely in sync, instead giving individual dancers little moments in the spotlight, which I thought made the performance interesting and exciting to watch. Howie and Simon liked it, while Heidi didn’t and Mel B had mixed feelings. (Also, THOSE WERE NOT AMISH HATS, HOWIE!)
The Verdict: 3 yes’s from Howie, Simon, and after some prompting from the crowd, Mel B.

Daniel Joyner: 17-year-old singer from the “Bible Belt” in Tennessee. Sings “Try a Little Tenderness” His performances started off simple but the audience loved it. The he started tipping the mic stand and they went wild. Finally, he finished off with a return to the slow and simple feel of the beginning of the song. Heidi and Mel B commented on his stiffness and Simon said his act was “a little bit too perfect”, but all four judges said he had a great voice.
The Verdict: 4 yes’s.

John Bernhardt: Actuary who played “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” on a theremin. It started off strange but ended…still strange, but in a good way! Mel B hated it at first but loved it by the end.
The Verdict: 2 buzzers but 3 yes’s! (Howie, Mel B, and Simon)

Sila Sveta: Dancing duo who told a story via an elaborately lit background. They danced on the floor and there was a mirror projecting what was happening to the audience. The judges thought it was exciting and unique.
The Verdict: 4 yes’s.

Moya Angela: 32-year-old teacher with a powerhouse voice! Started off strong and only got stronger! The song she performed was “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now” and it seemed like it was loved by audience and judges alike, as she got a standing ovation that lasted a long time. “That’s what we call a singer.” – Simon
The Verdict: 4 yes’s.

The Passing Zone: Jugglers named John and Owen (they actually met at a juggling convention!) from Southern California. Called Howie up onstage and had him lay down on a yoga mat. Owen straddled him and juggled three “danger items” and then John jumped over Howie and took over the juggling.
The Verdict: Howie pressed the buzzer after they said they would be including him in their next performance too, but the other 3 judges gave yes’s!

Steven Brundage: Obsessed with Rubix Cubes for most of his life and does a magic trick with them, also involving paper bags. Has Simon mix up a Rubix Cube and manages to “magically” solve another one to create the same patterns as his. The judges were absolutely blown away!
The Verdict: 4 yes’s.

Montage time! It featured a pair of spinning roller-skaters, a guy who did a stand-up routine about the “inappropriate” side of Disney movies, an a confident eleven-year-old girl who performed a rap song. All got 4 yes’s!

RL Bell: Singing massage therapist (not necessarily at the same time). His audition song was “Me and Mrs. Jones” and he really sold it. He took his jacket and glasses off in the middle of the number and the crowd went wild. Simon may have called it “corny” but I saw him smiling the whole way through. The other judges enjoyed it as well.
The Verdict: Howie gave him a no because he believed RL wasn’t going to take Simon’s advice. The other 3 gave yes’s (though Simon only barely).

Dorothy Williams: 90-year-old dancer from Hawaii. Before this audition we saw a clip saying it was the last one they did, but I guess that could easily have been edited in from a different part of that day. She started by singing “Let Me Entertain You” and then did a striptease. Yes, that happened. Simon gave it a standing ovation, Mel B enjoyed it, Heidi said it was “really really special”, and Howie said he was happy she was there. Then *fake gasps* Nick came out and told the crowd about their conversation behind-the-scenes about how dancing was always her life’s dream and then *bigger fake gasps* he jumped off the stage and HIT THE GOLDEN BUZZER!!!!!!! D

I wish they hadn’t hyped up that Nick was going to hit the Golden Buzzer because that would have been a legitimately shocking and buzz-worthy moment but it was still a sweet one! Next week will be the first of four “Judges Cuts” episodes, each featuring a special guest judge! Until then, comment below what your favourite audition this week was!

July 7, 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!