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Pure AGT Season 11 Semi-Finals Week 2 – Power Rankings

Before last week’s performance show, I made predictions for how the rest of the season would play out based on what we’d seen up to that point. After the episode, I did the usual Power Rankings list based on the response I’d seen to the performances that night. Turned out I should have stuck to my first list, because the five acts that advanced were the exact five I initially said would before seeing the show.

What does this tell us? It gives me the notion that by this point, most people have already chosen their favorite acts and built up a sort of loyalty to them, so even if certain people give sub-par performances, it may not matter because of the amount of voters they already have on their side. I did factor that into last week’s Power Rankings a little, but it will hold a lot more weight in these ones.

Now that I’ve explained that, here is how I think the votes from tonight will stack up, from most to least.

1. Brian Justin Crum – I’m really sick of this guy’s “poor me I just need someone to give me a chance!” shtick, because he has already been successful in the entertainment industry. (And if you don’t believe me, search for his name in relation to Broadway, or look him up on IMDB.) But clearly the producers, judges, and viewers just can’t get enough of him, because he got to close his THIRD episode of the season tonight and got fawned over in his critique (I know pretty much everyone did tonight, but Brian clearly got the most praise). I thought the performance itself was good, but not as good as we’ve seen him in the past, but not many people seem to agree with me and I have no doubt we’ll be seeing him in the Finals next week.

2. The Clairvoyants – These two just keep getting better and better. The tricks themselves are great, but their stage presence and “aura” is what makes their act that much more fantastic. I was blown away by them tonight, and it seems like I’m not alone. I fully expect to see this act in the Finals as well.

3. Steven Brundage – I am so glad the judges brought Steven back because he is another performer that just keeps improving every time we see him. He came across as a seasoned pro tonight, and I’m sure we’l be seeing him for one more go next week. The question is, will it be via post-show votes, the Dunkin’ Save, or the Judges’ Save? I’m leaning towards the former, but I think it is possible he ends up on the bubble tomorrow night.

4. Calysta Bevier – To be honest, Calysta sort of faded away for me tonight. I’m all for scaling things back a bit, but she seemed sort of timid compared to the previous times we’ve seen her, which was pretty much what Mel B said to her tonight. Despite this, I think her story will be enough to get her to at least the Dunkin’ Save zone, and maybe even to the Top 3 of the night.

5. Jayna Brown – This was my personal favorite vocal performance this week, and Jayna seems to have built herself quite the fanbase. I don’t think it will be enough to get her in the safe zone, but I have a feeling we’ll be seeing her in tomorrow’s Dunkin’ Save.

6. Linkin’ Bridge – Between the sappy package and the song choice, this was one of the most tedious acts for me to get through tonight, but somehow I bet a lot of others adored it all. I think we might be seeing this group in the Dunkin’ Save tomorrow too.

7. Sofie Dossi – Sofie was very impressive tonight, and I liked that her performance was less “gimmicky” this time around; it was a refreshing change of pace for her. However, I fear that this choice may hurt her in the votes. She could have a shot at the Dunkin’ Save (and I hope she does) but I think we may have seen the last of Ms. Dossi (well, at least until Cirque du Soleil snaps her up for one of their shows).

8. The Passing Zone – I know this was an unpopular choice for the Wildcard, but I was very happy to see them again and thought they improved tremendously over their performance in the Quarter-Finals. There may have been a lot of set-up and not a lot of execution (though Simon’s reaction to said execution certainly made it all worth it) but they kept it entertaining enough throughout that I didn’t really mind that much. Will this be enough for them to stick around for one last week? Probably not, though I think there may be a sliiiiiiight possibility we see them on the bubble during the results show.

9. Kadie Lynn Roberson – It was wonderful to her Kadie sing by herself again (well, mostly, but this time the back-up singers were much less prominent). She really does have a wonderful voice, but I don’t think the song choice was one that helped her stand out. Kadie’s strength is the power her voice has, and, much like Calysta, she gave a relatively mundane and quiet performance tonight. That has it’s place, but maybe not in a high-stakes competition where everyone is trying to stand out. Again, small chance of being on the bubble, but I do think tomorrow will mark the end of the AGT road for Miss Kadie.

10. Kadan and Brooklyn Rockett – I continue to be impressed by this duo, and even though they nearly had a major blunder with the house at the end, I give them props for powering through the performance. Unfortunately, I think that and their less-than-ideal spot in the running order probably caused them to get a bit lost-in-the-shuffle. But even though I’m predicting an exit from them tomorrow night, I commend them on a great run this season.

11. Viktor Kee – Viktor is so uniquely enjoyable that I just can’t put my finger on it. Great stage presence and performance quality. However, I think his act was another that was most likely forgotten by a lot of people; again because of the running order and (very small) mistake.

I’ll be back next week after we see the FINAL performance show of the season! Until then, let me know who you think/hope will be saved tomorrow night!

September 6, 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!

Who Will Make the Finals? Predictions for the Rest of AGT Season 13

Hey everyone! As I’m writing this we’re about to start the first Semi-Final show and I wanted to share my predictions for how the rest of the season will play out.

Tonight is the first of the two Semi-Final shows, and five of the eleven acts will move on to the Finals in two weeks. With the acts I predict will be eliminated crossed out, here is what I think tomorrow night’s results will be (this may change in the Power Rankings tomorrow).

Blake Vogt
Deadly Games
Edgar

Grace VanderWaal
Jon Dorenbos
Laura Bretan
Lori Mae Hernandez
Malevo

Musicality
Sal Valentinetti
Tape Face

If I am wrong about one of these, I predict it will be Musicality going through in place of Sal.

And now for next week’s (September 6th performance) episode. Not sure who the Wildcard will be, but no matter who it is I don’t think they will make the Finals.

Brian Justin Crum
Calysta Bevier
Clairvoyants
Jayna Brown
Linkin’ Bridge
Kadan Bart and Brooklyn Rockett
Kadie Lynn Roberson

Sofie Dossi
Steven Brundage
Viktor Kee
*wildcard*

If I am incorrect about any of these acts, I imagine it will be Jayna Brown going through over Sofie or Calysta.

UPDATE: It’s Wednesday night and on the Semi-Finals Round 1 Results Show it was announced that the final Judges’ Wildcard of the season will be The Passing Zone. I’m personally very pleased by this, since after all the buildup over the season I felt cheated when I found out we weren’t going to see them torture Simon. I still think it’s unlikely they’ll move forward, but it’ll be nice to have some closure there!

If the last week of the season is formatted like how is has been in the past we’ll have ten acts and then a Top 5 will be announced. The ten (with those in spots 6-10 crossed out) will consist of….

Brian Justin Crum
Calysta Bevier
Clairvoyants
Grace VanderWaal
Jon Dorenbos
Laura Bretan
Sal Valentinetti
Sofie Dossi

Steven Brundage
Tape Face

….leaving a final five including:

Brian Justin Crum
Clairvoyants
Grace VanderWaal
Jon Dorenbos
Tape Face

Not sure which of these five will win, but I feel pretty confident one of them will be walking away with the Title of America’s Got Talent Season 11 Champion! If there is a change here, it will probably be Steven Brundage in place of one of these acts, but I do not think he will win.

Do you agree? Let me know, and I’ll see you later for tonight’s Power Rankings!

August 30, 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 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 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!