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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?

PureAGT Season 8, Live Show #1 – SPOILERS!!! Who Made it Through to the Next Round?

Well, that was a rather odd first live results show, if I do say so – one musical act (performing a song that has already worn out its welcome on AGT this season), followed by two groups of three acts where NOBODY made it through, one group of three where two made it through, and a final group of three where one made it through instantly and the judges picked from the remaining two. The whole rhythm of tonight’s show just felt really…awkward to me. Just like last night’s show. I think they may still be playing with the format a bit to see what works and what doesn’t… Read more..

PureAGT Season 8 Live Show #1 – Power Rankings

Things I learned from last night’s first live show of the season:

1.) I am sick of hearing “Beneath Your Beautiful” & “I Love It”.

2.) The judges may be regretting putting some of the acts through to the live shows.

3.) There’s a lot of technical kinks with Radio City Music Hall that still need to be worked out.

Overall, I was left a bit disappointed – with as strong of a group of acts that comprised last night’s show, I had high hopes…but only a few acts actually delivered, and almost everyone seemed to suffer from nerves. Guess I can only hope that tonight was just first night jitters – that next week’s live show will come off quite a bit smoother and with fewer gaffes.

So now I’m going to rank the acts we saw last night, from the act that I think is most likely to get through to the act that I think is least likely to get through. Since four acts are advancing, it’s safe to assume that the four at the top of my list are the ones I see making it through – the 5th place spot is the act that I think will lose the judge’s choice.

1.) Collins Key – I had a feeling this kid would knock his act out of the park once more, and he sure did. Loved how he made his act very current and relevant by incorporating Twitter into it – he seemed a bit nervous at times, but overall I liked his delivery and think he appeals to a wide demographic, both young and old. My only concern is that we’ve basically seen the same act from him 3 times in a row now, just tweaked slightly to change things up. I’m hoping he’s got something new up his sleeve for the next round – because at this rate, I think he’s got a decent chance of winning this whole thing.

2.) Branden James – I knew when they had him going last that he was likely going to benefit from some degree of “pimping” from the judges. And when he started belting out “You Raise Me Up”, I knew he had probably just secured himself one of the spots in the next round. I guess I’m just left a little confused as to why Branden is getting such lavish praise – I thought his performance was ok, but nothing exceptionally special; I didn’t think his first audition was anything terribly special, either. I think we have much stronger male opera singers this season – and I think any of the 3 guys in Forte could put him to shame, vocally. Personally, I thought “You Raise Me Up” was a bit of a cop-out song – it’s one of those schmaltzy songs that seems to tug at heartstrings and illicit an emotional response from the audience, even if it’s not sung particularly well. I thought he could have picked something a little more daring to highlight his vocal skills. I think he’s got one of the spots in the next round, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t hope someone edged him out of it – for me, he was just ok last night.

3.) Kristef Brothers – The unexpected delight of the night for me 🙂 Thought the comedic pas-de-deux theme of their act was genius – I do think they’re really hit paydirt with their “comedic acrobatics” strategy, as these two were one of the acts I really remembered fondly from last night’s show. These guys are legitimately talented in what they do – and they’ve got the added benefit of having a great sense of humor about it and not taking themselves too seriously. I think it’s this combination of skills that could help them edge out a stronger acrobatics act – I think Duo Resonance is technically the strongest acro act this season, but they seem to lack stage presence and personality; I think Kristef, though less technically skilled, could actually edge them out on personality alone.

4.) The American Hit Men – Seems like all of the musical acts last night seemed to suffer from picking the wrong song, and I think the Hit Men did struggle to a degree with “With a Little Help from My Friends”. While I overall liked their performance and think they should go on, I think they probably would have had a stronger showing with a more uptempo song – maybe “American Woman”? I still think they’re popular enough and entertaining enough to advance, but I think they really need to start focusing on the right songs – so far, they have yet to perform anything that had as strong an impact as “Simple Man” from their inital audition.

5.) Anna Christine – Poor Anna – not only did she suffer from picking the wrong song, but she seemed to suffer from nerves more than any other act and seemed to have some technical difficulties as well. I’m not sure what it is with Anna and The Animals, but the downtempo version of “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood'” that she did just never really got off the ground – it was so subdued and quiet, perhaps because she herself admitted that she “couldn’t hear the track very well”. As much as I do think she deserves to advance, I think she may have done herself in with that song – if she does come back, she needs to pick something that’s more uptempo and can really show off her vocals.

6.) Alexanderia the Great – Her act was impressive – but I don’t know that they really built it up enough so that it really left me on the edge of my seat. Alex actually has a rather unique problem as an escape artist: she almost makes it look too easy, so that you don’t really pick up on the difficulty of what she’s doing. Part of the appeal of escape artists like Spencer Horseman last season was that they really drew out the escape – he was always completing the escape just barely in the nick of time, and he really let the suspense build. Alex does it so quicky & easily that you don’t really have time to get hyped up about it. If Alex does somehow make it through tonight, I think in the next round she’ll really need to work on building the suspense of her act – holding her breath longer, taking more time to escape, maybe adding a clock or another element of danger to really amp things up.

7.) Special Head – I think the execution of this trick was so poorly carried out that even poor Nick wasn’t quite sure what to do! As I was discussing with my two right-hand men (Will & jimmbboe) last night, Special Head has sort of hit a plateau for me: we’ve basically seen the same trick from him 3 times now, just dressed up with different props so it looks like a new trick. And tonight, the trick was so clumsily executed that it wasn’t even impressive – we caught a glimpse of Special Head’s…well, head, after he had supposedly disappeared, and then a confused Nick was wandering out onstage, unsure of whether the trick was actually over or not. Cut to a video feed of Special Head out on the balcony at RCMH (which looked pre-taped to me), and everything just felt sloppy & haphazard. However, I did see “Special Head” trending for quite sometime on Twitter – no way to really be sure if that will translate to votes or not, but it did seem like people were talking about him. I don’t think he deserves to move on to the next round, but that doesn’t mean he won’t…

8.) Fresh Faces – I feel bad putting these cuties so low, but I feel like their act just may have gotten lost in the shuffle last night. I think the major problem with what they did was that it just felt messy and chaotic – rather than the organized, in-synch group we saw in the audition rounds, we basically got some semblence of a bunch of little girls running around giggling at a slumber party, which I think detracted from some of the really skilled tumbling and stretching moves they were doing. That dumb “I Love It” song didn’t seem to help matters, either. Very cute, very talented girls – but I think they suffered from the wrong kind of presentation in their act last night.

9.) Hype – The strangest thing about these guys? They actually seem better with less preparation than with more!!! They only had about 12 hours to come up with their routine for their audition, and it was fantastic; they have beaucoup time to come up with their Vegas and Radio City routines, and both fall flat. I just don’t get it – I really had high hopes for these guys, and while their two most recent routines have been marginally entertaining, they seem to lack the same inspiration that we saw in their initial audition. I think they may have blown their chances last night, and may not even have a hope and a prayer of getting asked back for the wild card. Ack.

10.) Aaralyn & Izzy – What can I say that I haven’t already said since the audition round? I don’t find them talented, entertaining, or particularly special…but at least now the judges are seeing it, too. “Stepping in dog poop”? That song maybe had 15 words, repeated 2-3 times…usually inaudibly. The only thing that I found semi-amusing about the whole act was Aaralyn’s semi-split at the end. For the individuals who think this act is artistic and wildly talented…I’d love to know what real metal artists think of Aaralyn & Izzy. I’d say we get Ozzy’s take on them, but I’m sure Sharon’s got him on a gag order since she left AGT.

11.) Tellavision – Another act that I’m glad the judges are finally realizing ain’t that great – I thought there was very little dancing in this number, they relied too heavily on the LCD screens, and the whole thing was just really cheesy and, as Howard put it, “artsy-fartsy”. I feel like we’ve got far stronger dance acts than this one this season, and the LCD screens are really more of a distraction than anything else.

12.) Kevin Downey Jr. – I just think Kevin got lost in the shuffle – his jokes were only slightly funny, and in the end, none of them were particularly memorable. I don’t think he was bad, per se – I just don’t think he was anything special.

So what did you guys think of last night’s acts? And who do you hope to see advancing to the next round?

PureAGT Season 8, Episode #8, 9, & 10 Music List – Vegas Week

Please bear with me as I compile the Vegas week music list – there was a LOT of it in each episode! And a lot of the orchestral stuff is tripping me up…I promise the music from the second night of Vegas week AND the recap special (there was some new footage in it) will be up by the end of this weekend. Thanks for sticking with me, guys! 😀

Night #1:

“Too Close” by Alex Clare (opening montage)
“Stars (Hold On)” by Youngblood Hawke (contestants arrive in Vegas)
“Feel Again” by OneRepublic (instant decision round)
“Hall of Fame” by The Script feat. will.i.am (instant decision round)
“Violent Running” by Tobias Marberger; only version I could find was on Youtube, 2:22 mark (David Ferman performance)
“In the House – In a Heartbeat” by London Music Works (Brad Byers performance)
“The Third Temple” by Nexus Trix & Oswin McIntosh (Alex Magala performance)
“Falling Angels” by Nexus Trix (Slackwire Sam performance)
“Realm of Power” by Two Steps from Hell (Rong Niu performance)
“Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars (singers intro)
“Without You” by Aston (Forte intro)
“The Prayer” by Andrea Bocelli (cover performed by Forte)
“Home” by Phillip Phillips (Brandon & Savannah intro)
“Little Talks” by Of Monsters and Men (cover performed by Brandon & Savannah)
“House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals (cover by The American Hit Men)
“Brighter Than the Sun” by Colbie Caillat (kid acts intro)
“Party in the U.S.A.” by Miley Cyrus (cover performed by 2Unique)
“Don’t Stop the Party” by Pitbull feat. TJR (Lil Demon performance)
“Blizzard” by Two Steps from Hell (Melody Caballeros performance)
“Moves like Jagger” by Maroon 5 (D’Angelo & Amanda performance)
“Santa Maria (Del Buen Ayre)” by Gotan Project (Jonas & Ruby performance)
“Bohemian Rhapsody” by Queen (Hype performance)
“The Ender (Remix)” by Kid the Wiz; YouTube (Kid the Wiz performance)
“Ghosts N Stuff” by deadmau5 (Dylan Wilson performance)
“If My Heart Had Wings” by Faith Hill (Tavi & Antonio performance)
“Me & You” by Nero (Brandon Rosario performance)
“Too Close” by Alex Clare (Duo Resonance performance)
“The Cowboy in Me” by Tim McGraw (Timber Brown performance)
“Boom Shack-a-Lak” by Apache Indian (Kristef Brothers performance)
“Beneath Your Beautiful” by Labrinth feat. Emeli Sande (Deanna Dellacioppa intro)
“A Thousand Years” by Christina Perri (Skilyr talks with the judges after performing; Selena M. Gordon intro)
“A Broken Wing” by Martina McBride (cover performed by Selena Gordon)
“Summertime” by Janis Joplin (cover performed by Cami Bradley)
“I Won’t Let Go” by Rascal Flatts (cover performed by Deanna Dellacioppa)

“Best of Auditions” Recap Special:

(NOTE: I did not include songs from clips of auditions that we’ve seen previously – those can be found on the music lists for the auditions. The only exception was the song performed by The Robotix, since this is the first time we see them.)

“America the Beautiful” (opening montage)
“Miserlou” by Dick Dale (judges intro montage)
“God Put a Smile on Your Face” by Mark Ronson (New Orleans intro)
“Feelin’ Alright” by Joe Cocker (montage of good auditions)
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” by Santa Esmerelda (San Antonio intro & montage of auditions)
“Heartbreaker” by Pat Benetar (cover performed by The Robotix)
“Miss Movin’ On” by Fifth Harmony (montage of San Antonio auditions)
“Marry You” by Bruno Mars (Travis Pratt recap and montage from San Antonio auditions)
“It’s Your Thing” by The Isley Brothers (Chicago intro)
“Wild Ones” by Flo Rida feat. Sia (montage of good Chicago auditions)
“New York State of Mind” by Billy Joel (New York intro)
“Apache” by the Sugarhill Gang (montage of good New York auditions)
“Hollywood Swinging (Wild)” by Kool & the Gang (Los Angeles intro & montage of auditions)
“I Love It” by Icona Pop (montage of L.A. auditions)
“Senorita” by Bond (Mel & Howard dance)
“Nobody But Me” by The Human Beinz (montage of bad auditions)
“War” by Edwin Starr (montage of bad auditions)
“Puttin’ on the Ritz” by Terry Snyder (montage of bizarre auditions)
“Nero” by Two Steps from Hell (montage of Vegas performances)
“Feel Again” by OneRepublic (montage of Vegas performances)
“Violent Running” by Tobias Marberger(see link in Night #1 section) (montage of Vegas danger acts)
“String Quartet #3: Mishima/Closing” by Kronos Quartet (montage of Vegas performances)

PureAGT Season 8 – Roster for First Live Show Airing July 23

As he usually does at the end of the Vegas week finale, Nick announced the 12 acts we’ll be seeing in the first live show at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Tuesday night. They are:

Branden James (opera singer)
Aaralyn & Izzy (kid death metal band)
Special Head (levitator)
Fresh Faces (dance/gymnastics group)
Anna Christine (kid singer/pianist)
Kevin Downey Jr. (stand-up comedian)
The American Hit Men (rock band)
Hype (hip-hop dance group)
Tellavision (LCD screen dance group)
Alexanderia the Great (escape artist)
Kristef Brothers (hand balancing acrobats)
Collins Key (magician)

I don’t know about you guys, but this seems like a really tough first group for the live shows. Keep in mind that only 4 acts get to go through each week of the live shows – and this particular episode pits several heavy-hitters (like Collins Key, Anna Christine, Special Head, Alexanderia, & the Hit Men) against one another. I guess my only hope is that some of these stronger acts end up sending some of my least favorites (Aaralyn & Izzy, and Tellavision) home. What do you guys think?

PureAGT Season 8 Vegas Week Rundown – Night #2

Well, the “WTF?” train didn’t leave the station after last night – still more shocking eliminations (and even MORE shocking advances to the live shows) than last night. I’m now convinced that some acts are just going to be there for the sake of variety and to serve as cannon fodder for the REALLY good acts.

First, let’s get the verdicts out of the way…

Acts that made it to the live shows after performing in Vegas:

(acts with a * next to them did not appear in the audition round – Vegas is the first time we’ve seen them)

Collins Key
Leon Etienne & Romy Low
Brad Byers
Slackwire Sam
Alex Magala
Special Head
Brandon & Savannah
Forte
The American Hit Men
Marty Brown
Dave Fenley
Duo Resonance
Timber Brown
Kristef Brothers
Izzy & Aaralyn
Chloe Channell
2Unique
Ciana Pelekai
Taylor Williamson
John Wing*
Hype
Kid the Wiz
D’Angelo & Amanda
Jonas & Ruby
David Ferman
Rong Niu
Deanna Dellacioppa
Jonathan Allen
Cami Bradley (not shown, but advanced according to Wikipedia)
Selena Mykenzie Gordon (not shown, but advanced according to Wikipedia)

Court’s thoughts: Why the HELL are Aaralyn & Izzy still in this competition??? I find nothing about them talented, entertaining, cute, or unique – in fact, it actually disturbs me a bit that they’re being pushed in this direction musically, and that no one appears to be teaching this child proper vocal technique. At this rate, she’ll be lucky if she doesn’t have chronic laryngitis by the time she’s 16! I officially dub Aaralyn & Izzy this year’s “Horse”. Also a little miffed that 2Unique made it through – the DJ is pretty good, but I don’t think the other girl is anything special, nor do I think the act as a whole is worthy of a Vegas show. Also a bit skeptical that Chloe Channell made it through, despite giving a rather lackluster performance in Vegas. Gotta say, I’m surprised they took both D’Angelo & Amanda and Ruby & Jonas – not because one is less talented than the other, but because I thought for sure they were going to pit sibling-against-sibling for a slot in the live shows…guess they figured the sibling vs. sibling storyboarding angle could work for the live shows, too. Beyond the acts that I mentioned, I guess I’m pretty happy with the acts that made it through.

Acts that were cut after performing in Vegas:

Ariann Black*
Naathan Phan
RJ Cantu*
Tavi & Antonio
“Accro” Brandon Rosario*
Travis Pratt
Paul Thomas Mitchell
Lil Demon
Melody Caballeros*
Archbishop Molloy Step Team*
Art Spark*
Skilyr Hicks
Genesis Nava*
Jimmy Failla*
Eric Schwartz*
Megan Piphus
Kennedy Davenport*
Dylan Wilson
Lil Mike & Funny Bone (cut immediately after performing)

Court’s thoughts: First, I feel I must point out the pattern here: most of the acts that weren’t featured from the audition rounds, did not make it to the live shows. Guess that goes to show that if you don’t get a lot of airtime devoted to you, it’s probably because you won’t be sticking around long, anyway. Now, a “WTF?!” moment: why were Travis Pratt & Paul Thomas Mitchell cut??? I think the former’s unique voice would have been an asset in the live shows, and the latter also had a unique voice and some genuine songwriting talent. *sigh* Like Milton Patton, I guess I can only hope that they get called back for the wild card round. Beyond those two, I think I for the most part agree with the acts that were cut – seemed like some of them really blew it in Vegas (notably Megan Piphus and Skilyr Hicks) while others probably never really stood a chance to begin with (Dylan Wilson and Lil Mike & Funny Bone). The rest were acts that we didn’t really see much of, anyway, so it didn’t really affect me much to see them cut.

Acts that performed in Vegas (continued from Night #1)

Kid Musicians:

Aaralyn & Izzy
Chloe Channell
Genesis Nava*
Ciana Pelekai

Court’s thoughts: You already know how I feel about Aaralyn & Izzy….grrr. I thought Chloe Channell actually blew it with her song choice – her performance ended up being kind of blah, and she may have fared better if she had switched songs with Genesis. I think the only one that knocked it out of the park was Ciana – I was skeptical after seeing her in the audition round, but her rendition of “I’d Rather Go Blind” brought the house down.

Magicians:

RJ Cantu*
Naathan Phan
Collins Key
Ariann Black*
Leon Etienne & Romy Low

Court’s thoughts: Only one real standout for me – once again, Collins Key aced his performance. I love that he’s going the route of up-close, more intimate tricks as opposed to these large-scale illusions that so many other acts are going for. Ariann totally blew it – her trick went wrong and she refused to admit it. Thought RJ’s trick would have been far more impressive if he had done it with the lights on – it was so damn dark, you could tell he was trying to hide something. I agree with Howard about Naathan – his magic is good, but his delivery is awkward. I guess Leon & Romy’s trick was kind of cool, but it also struck me as a little boring.

Variety acts:

Special Head
Kennedy Davenport*
Megan Piphus
Lil Mike & Funny Bone

Court’s thoughts: This category was a little bit of a dud for me – nobody really seemed to rise to their full potential. Thought Special Head fared the best, but agreed with the judges that his audition trick was more impressive. If we’ve seen one dancing/lip syncing drag queen, I feel like we’ve seen them all – so I wasn’t terribly impressed by Kennedy Davenport. Megan and Lil Mike & Funny Bone both completely blew their Vegas performances – Megan looked downright amateurish trying to sing “ABC” with her puppet, and I don’t know that Lil Mike & Funny Bone even rehearsed at all, since they both seemed to be forgetting their choreography and just wandering around the stage aimlessly. I think the latter may have wasted their one great song on the audition round and just didn’t have anything else that was equally strong to fall back on…so who knows, maybe they were kind of doomed from the get-go. But they did seem rather lackadaisical about the whole thing, so I guess I agree with the judges eliminating them immediately after they performed.

Male singers:

Dave Fenley
Marty Brown
Paul Thomas Mitchell
Jonathan Allen
Travis Pratt

Court’s thoughts: I love Dave Fenley more and more each time I hear him perform – loved his gravelly acoustic take on “These Arms of Mine”. I agree with the judges that I thought Marty was better in his audition than he was in Vegas – he wasn’t terrible, per se, but I just found myself a bit bored. Seemed like Paul fumbled a bit with “Sunday Morning”, but I still loved his voice and thought for sure he’d be going to the live shows. Jonathan Allen definitely improved from his initial audition – seems like he has a lot better control over his voice now. Poor Travis Pratt – I think he did a commendable job with “Ave Maria”, but the judges just couldn’t seem to get past the fact that he sings like a woman.

So the roster is set for Radio City Music Hall!!! Who are you most excited to see in the live shows? And who are you sad to see eliminated?

PureAGT Season 8 Vegas Week Rundown – Night #1

Well…let’s just say I’m left a bit surprised by some of the decisions that were made tonight. The instant decision round seemed to put more acts than ever before (30) straight through to the live shows, they cut one individual instantly that really shocked me, and some of (in my opinion) the stronger acts were forced to perform again in Vegas, while weaker ones made it straight through to the live shows. In addition, we saw some acts in Vegas that we didn’t get to see in the initial audition rounds – which kind of annoyed me, as it’s hard to predict who’s gonna make it through when I don’t have a full list to choose from 😛 I guess I’m still left going “hmmmm” after tonight’s episode, and I can only wonder what tomorrow night’s episode will bring!

A lot happened in tonight’s 2-hour show, so please bear with me as I work through it 🙂 I may have to post now and finish sometime tomorrow, as I require sleep at some point. I’m gonna start with the “instant decision” acts – those who were either sent straight through to the live shows or sent home without getting to perform in Vegas. There were 2 acts that made it straight through that I didn’t recognize from the auditions – those are the acts in quotation marks, since I don’t know their names.

Instant Decisions

Acts that made it straight through to the live shows:

Catapult Entertainment
Fresh Faces
Tone the Chiefrocca
Sprice
Anna Christine
Kenichi Ebina
Alexanderia the Great
Mitsi Dancing School
Innovative Force
~~“Bald guy I didn’t recognize”~~ Dave Shirley
Jimmy Rose
Tummy Talk
Aerial Ice
Kelsey & Bailey
Chicago Boyz
3Penny Chorus & Orchestra
American Military Spouses Choir
University of Virginia Gospel Chorale
Angela Hoover
Jim Meskimen
David “The Cobra Kid” Weathers
Kevin Downey Jr.
Branden James
Struck Boyz
SensEtion
Tellavision
Aerosphere
Spintacular
~~“Group of adolescents I didn’t recognize”~~ The RobotIx*

Court’s thoughts: I agree with this list, for the most part – if there was one act I thought deserved to make it straight through, it was Aerial Ice; if there were two, it was Aerial Ice and Kenichi…and thankfully, both were on this list. Also glad to see Alexanderia, Chicago Boyz, Jimmy Rose, and Sprice on this list…and THRILLED to see Tone. Yay B-O-O-T-Y!!!! Was a little surprised to see both Angela AND Jim Meskimen on this list – I thought for sure they’d only take one impressionist, and it would be Jim. The only two acts I’m a little perturbed to see on this list are SensEtion & Tellavision – I thought the latter was just terribly cheesy, and the former wasn’t particularly original. I have to wonder if some of these acts were put straight through because a) the powers that be didn’t think their Vegas week performances would be a huge ratings draw, or b) the judges knew that some of them (like Tone and maybe The Cobra Kid) have acts that can quickly grow old – and thus by sparing us watching them do the same act again and again. Still think there’s a few cannon fodder acts peppered in, too – somebody’s gotta go home each week, and you may as well deliberately throw some weaker acts in to protect your stronger ones.

Acts that got sent straight home:

Olivia Rox
Yasha & Daniela
Sully Dunn
Milton Patton

Court’s thoughts: Was not surprised by Sully Dunn and Yasha & Daniela being put in this group – I had already kinda predicted they probably had a slim-to-none chance of making it to the live shows. I think Sully is just too raw for AGT at this point, and Yasha & Daniela would look like amateurs next to D’Angelo & Amanda and Ruby & Jonas. Was slightly surprised by Olivia Rox, then I rewatched her audition and found that her vocals were not as strong as I initially thought and her performance seemed rather manufactured. The one name that did surprise me? Milton Patton. Completely drawing a blank as to why he wasn’t chosen – I think the judges made a big mistake on that one. My only explanation is that they may be planning on bringing him back for the wild card show, similar to the Bandbaz Brothers last season (instantly cut in Vegas, brought back for wild card).

Acts that performed in Vegas

(acts with an * next to them were not shown in the audition round – this is the first time we’re seeing them)

Danger acts:

Slackwire Sam
Rong Niu
David Ferman
Brad Byers
Alex Magala

Court’s thoughts: Seemed to be some struggles in the danger group – Rong Niu dropped a bowl, Slackwire Sam’s hair caught on fire, and David Ferman seemed to struggle with showmanship once more. I wouldn’t say Brad did bad, per se; I just think his act tends to gross people out, as opposed to amazing them. I think Alex probably fared the best last night – his act seemed to impress the judges, and he didn’t have any problems. I think Sam, David, and Alex will probably make it through to the live shows, given that their acts are so freakin’ dangerous & amazing; unfortunately, I think Rong and Brad are probably goners.

Music groups:

Forte
Brandon & Savannah
The American Hit Men

Court’s thoughts: My one explanation as to why Forte ended up in this group instead of automatically going through to the live shows? The lineup change. Hana (the South Korean guy that performed with them in the L.A. audtions) backed out at the last minute, and the remaining two members had to scramble to find a new member – enter Sean. I’m guessing the judges wanted to make sure this new combination of members was every bit as good as what they saw in the audition round – and honestly, I agree with the judges that Forte might have a bit of a problem now: Sean is so good that he kind of overshadows the other two guys. In the initial auditions, I don’t think any one member stood out – their sound as a unit was just so pure that you couldn’t really single anyone out. Now it’s rather like “Forte – featuring Sean! And two other guys.” I still think they’ve got a spot on the live show, but I do think the judges will bring this new development to their attention. I found Brandon & Savannah to be a bit bland – not sure that they really attacked their cover of “Little Talks” full force. Liked the American Hit Men, but I don’t know that “House of the Rising Sun” fit them as well as “Simple Man” did. I think Forte & American Hit Men will move through – not sure about Brandon & Savannah.

Kid acts:

2Unique
Lil Demon
Melody Caballero*
D’Angelo & Amanda
Ruby & Jonas

Court’s thoughts: Thank god I’m not the only one that has been pondering why 2Unique is still in the competition – Howard expressed concern that they weren’t terribly…well, unique. I just don’t find myself entertained by what they do – it’s rather like watching two girls singing along to a boom box in their living room, to me. Lil Demon can breakdance every bit as well as some adults we’ve seen. Wasn’t terribly impressed with Melody’s contortion act – she seemed to struggle with balance and seemed very, very nervous. Now we come down to the dueling siblings: D’Angelo & Ruby. Honestly, I think they probably would have put D’Angelo & Amanda in the group that automatically made the live shows – but they couldn’t resist the temptation of a little storyboarding, and probably wanted to show off the drama of sibling vs. sibling in Vegas. I think D’Angelo & Amanda knocked it out of the park once more with their cha cha – my only complaint is that we just see so much Latin on the show…which is why I think Ruby & Jonas actually had the more daring, creative routine. We rarely see any of the standard dances (waltz, tango, foxtrot, quickstep, & Viennese waltz) on AGT. They did a tango, but Jonas lost his balance at one point and both he & Ruby toppled to the floor. They recovered well & kept going, but some tears were shed after the fact that made me feel terrible for the young couple 🙁 If it’s any consolation, I don’t know that going out there and dancing that tango perfectly would have really mattered – I think the judges probably already had picked D’Angelo & Amanda as the ones to advance. I’m guessing Lil Demon advances too…and maybe Melody.

Comedians:

Jimmy Failla*
Eric Schwartz*
Taylor Williamson
John Wing*

Court’s thoughts: Was interesting that 3 of the four acts in this category were acts that didn’t appear in the audition rounds – I had heard a bit of controversy surrounding Jimmy Failla’s act (apparently he wasn’t shown during the audition rounds because Mel B “thought his act was racist”), and had heard that he was actually trying to get his Vegas performance eliminated from last night’s episode because he said the show “duped him”. So I’m guessing he’s not going to be gracing us with his presence in the live shows – which is fine with me, because I didn’t find him funny. Liked Eric Schwartz – thought his comparison of Jewishness to hip-hop was clever, but he did seem at times like he was trying too hard. I had a hard time following Taylor Williamson’s act – I think a lot got cut out, because there is no way the judges should have been laughing as hard as they were at just him standing onstage being awkward. I liked what I did manage to follow, though. I found myself just slightly chuckling at John Wing’s act…not laughing, just kind of “hehe”-ing. I think Taylor’s gonna move on – and I’m on the fence about Eric.

Dancers:

Archbishop Molloy Step Team*
Art Spark*
Hype
Dylan Wilson
Kid the Wiz

Court’ s thoughts: Was glad to see a step team – too bad I think they looked a little sloppy, and the judges commented that they had performed the same routine at their initial audition. Was also glad to see a hip-hop group from Indianapolis 😀 Before they even said that, I thought to myself “Wait, they look a little familiar.” I’m guessing that some of the members were part of Destined2B, another hip-hop group from Indy that was on season 4. I thought their routine was creative, but lacked a lot of content. Hype seemed to struggle a little – I think they just came across as a bit chaotic & disorganized, which was an unpleasant contrast to how clean & organized they looked in their initial audition. I don’t remember a whole lot of Dylan’s routine…which makes me uneasy, because it probably means it wasn’t terribly impressive. Kid the Wiz actually dropped his hat at one point, and I just didn’t find his act as amusing the second time around as it was the first. I think the only group that’s a lock for the live shows is Hype – even if they were disorganized, I still think they handled this round better than any of the other groups in their category.

Acrobats:

Tavi & Antonio
“Accro” Brandon Rosario*
Duo Resonance
Timber Brown
Kristef Brothers

Court’s thoughts: I think Tavi & Antonio kind of dropped the ball this round – their routine seemed a bit too artsy and didn’t have enough tricks…and the song was just saccharine-sweet. I think Brandon Rosario came across a bit cocky, which I can’t understand because I don’t think his pole routine was terribly impressive. Duo Resonance is, for me, the strongest technically in this category – but they really seem to lack a stage presence, and can come across as boring. I actually agree a bit with the Kristef Brothers, who remarked backstage that they come across cold “because they’re Russian”. 😛 I think Timber probably fared the best out of this category, as his cowboy-themed routine was a good combination of creativity and skill; I actually found myself enjoying the Kristef Brothers as well, and came to appreciate their humorous approach to acrobatics. I know Howie didn’t really “get” the humor of the act, but I do think it sets them apart from all of the other acrobats this season. I think Timber is definitely going to move on, and probably Kristef Brothers as well; Duo Resonance could go either way; and I think the other two acts are toast.

Female singers:

Deanna Dellacioppa
Skilyr Hicks
Selena Mykenzie Gordon*
Cami Bradley

Court’s thoughts: Had some pleasant surprises and not-so-pleasant surprises in this group. I’m finding myself starting to dislike Deanna Dellacioppa – the way she freaked out about her background track being too low, and the subsequent way she had a breakdown about it backstage just kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I get that this “is her dream”, but man – I feel like this chick is always crying and getting caught up in her emotions…even when she’s performing. I still feel like she’s putting too much effort into her singing, and like Mel said, “it sounds like she just ran a marathon”. She’s striking me as a bit too high-maintenance for this show. Poor Skilyr just looked like a deer in the headlights during her entire performance – she did another original song, but to me it sounded a lot like the first original song she did at her initial audition. Seems like she may not be ready for big audiences. Selena did ok-to-good, but seemed to have a few notes that fell a bit flat; the big surprise of the category for me was Cami Bradley, who, despite my initial predictions that she would struggle in Vegas, was the only one in her category that knocked her performance out of the park last night: she performed a haunting, sultry version of “Summertime” and played the piano, and was the only one that didn’t seem to let nerves get the best of her. I think at this point, she’s the only I feel confident saying “She will make the live shows.” The other three are up in the air for me.

So what did you guys think of the instant decisions? Who are you glad to see headed to the live shows…and who are you sad to see leaving? And what do you think will be the outcome of some of the performances we saw? Keep your eyes peeled for my rundown of night Vegas night #2 later this evening! 🙂

PureAGT Season 8 Vegas Week Predictions – Singers/Classical Singers/Bands/Music Groups

In further preparation for Vegas week, I’ve decided to take a closer look at each of our contestants and gaze into my crystal ball to try & predict who will do well in Vegas and who won’t. I’ve taken each act and given them one of four verdicts: “a sure thing” for the acts I’m almost positive will make it through to the live shows; “looking likely” for the acts I think will probably make it though to the live shows; “could go either way” for the acts I’m not sure about; and “a long shot” for the acts I don’t think have a very good chance of making it through to the live shows. Today I’m going to be examining the singers, classical singers, and musical groups from this season. Let’s get to it, shall we? 🙂

Singers:

*Interesting little thing I noticed: 5 of the acts below made it to Vegas by performing original songs.

Marty Brown: Could go either way. With 3 male country vocalists in Vegas this year, I think at best they’ll take 2 for the live shows – I really don’t see all 3 making it through. I think Milton will make it through based on the fact that he, like Landau from season 6, is such a novelty (in addition to being talented); which leaves us with Marty vs. Jimmy. I go back and forth on which one has a better chance of making it – part of me says Marty, because he appeals to an older demographic; part of me says Jimmy, because he’s got a bit more versatility, in that he’s also a songwriter.

Tone the Chiefrocca: Could go either way. I’m a big “B-O-O-T-Y” fan, and I would love, love, LOVE to see this guy make the live shows. The question is: is “B-O-O-T-Y” every bit as entertaining the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. times we see it performed, as it was the first time? Howard seemed skeptical about Tone performing the same song every time, but Howie was all about it. I think the song is ridiculously catchy, and I think Tone & his brother are ridiculously fun to watch, so I think they may actually stand a good chance of making it to the live shows – if they can somehow keep the act fresh.

Paul Thomas Mitchell: Looking likely. He’s got a unique voice, bona fide talent, and seems like he could be a heartthrob-type that young girls would pick up the phone for. I think he’s got more widespread appeal (and natural talent) than Sully, whom I could see him being pitted against for a spot in the live shows.

Deanna DellaCioppa: Looking likely. While I don’t think Deanna is the most talented vocalist this show has ever seen, and I think she has a lot of room for improvement from her initial audition, I think she’ll likely make it through based on the fact that we don’t have any other R&B/soul female vocalists this season, and the judges (minus Mel B) seemed mesmerized by all the crazy notes she was hitting.

Cami Bradley: A long shot. Given that we only saw a very brief clip of Cami, and there are female vocalists in the kids’ category that could probably sing circles around Cami, I doubt we’ll see her lasting past Vegas…if we even see her in Vegas. She’s not really standing out in my mind, which tells me she may be one of those acts that isn’t even shown in Vegas, and then we just assume she was sent home.

David Fenley: A sure thing. I think he’s probably the most universally-appealing contestant from the singers category this season – he puts a cool spin on popular songs, he knows his way around a guitar, he’s got a unique voice, and he’s got an edge about him. I don’t see him struggling in Vegas, and he would probably be an easy “yes” for the judges for the live shows.

Lil Mike & Funny Bone: A long shot. I think there’s probably only room for one rapping act this season, and I think Tone probably has that slot on lock…IF they even take a rapping act this season. While I really like Lil Mike & Funny Bone, I just don’t know that they’re as entertaining and charismatic as Tone, and “Do the Rain Dance” is not as catchy as “B-O-O-T-Y”. On the flip side, I think “Mike Bone” might actually have some other songs up their sleeve, where as Tone only has one. I’ll be gleefully happy if both Tone & Mike Bone make it to the live shows – but I’m just not feeling optimistic.

Sully Dunn: A long shot. I’m honestly a bit surprised he made it through to Vegas (and the judges did seem a bit skeptical), so I think he’s got a tough road ahead of him if he wants to stick around. I don’t know that another song like the one he performed for his audition is gonna cut it – if I were him, I’d go for a cover that fits in well with his punk style (maybe Green Day?) and work on stage presence. I’m almost kind of hoping he doesn’t make the live shows, for the simple reason that he seems to get really, really nervous in front of big crowds. I could see Howie picking him for the wild card round, though.

Jimmy Rose: Could go either way. As I said above with Marty, I just don’t see them taking more than two male country vocalists this season – and with Milton as kind of a lock, I think the question over who they’re going to pick for the second slot will come down to old school vs. new school: do they want the good ol’ boy who sings covers (Marty), or the vulnerable new guy who writes his own material? I’m actually a bit partial to Jimmy, since I think he has a bit more of a stage presence.

Milton Patton: Looking likely. Milton’s got a great, unique voice, and on top of that, he’s got a novelty to him that I think will bring in viewers: he’s a black guy that sings country like Brad Paisley. I think part of Landau’s appeal from a few seasons back and Andrew DeLeon’s from last season was the fact that their voices and the music they sang were not what one would have expected, given their respective appearances. On top of that, he’s got an easy charm to him, and good looks that will likely appeal to the ladies. I will be surprised if he doesn’t make it to the live shows.

Classical singers:

Forte: A sure thing. Barring a truly horrible performance in Vegas (hell, I think they could probably even get away with bombing completely!), I think these guys will coast through to the live shows easily – the judges seemed to really gush about how great they sounded, and if memory serves, they’re the first opera trio we’ve ever had on the show. The novelty of them seems to be something that would bring in viewers. If Jackie Evancho was AGT’s answer to Sarah Brightman, then I think Forte may be AGT’s answer to The Three Tenors…the buzz practically writes itself.

Travis Pratt: Looking likely. Of the three solo opera guys we have this season, I think Travis has the best technique and control (although I think any one of the three guys in Forte could sing circles around him), and he has the novelty factor: he can sing opera like a girl, and we don’t have any opera girls this season. It’s a niche that needs to be filled. Plus I think viewers will remember him as “the guy who proposed to his girlfriend on national television”. 🙂

Branden James: Could go either way. He seemed a little shaky to me at times, and maybe didn’t have quite the training and control that the Forte guys & Travis did. But I think he injects an incredible amount of emotion into his performances, and has this lovely, vulnerable quality to him. I think him making it through to the live shows will likely depend on how many opera acts they decide to take this season – I don’t recall a season where there’s been more than one, but I also can’t remember a season where there have been this many opera acts that made it to Vegas.

Jonathan Allen: A longshot. Sorry, Jonathan fans – while he comes across quite likeable and has a touching backstory, he still sticks out in my mind as the weakest of the of the classical singers we’ve seen this season. I think he’s at a bit of a disadvantage just due to his age, as the other guys in this category are older and have had longer to hone their craft. I think he may only have a chance of making it through if one of the other guys really performs poorly – or if Jonathan has gotten a ton of practice in since his initial audition and just brings down the house in Vegas.

Bands/Music Groups:

3Penny Chorus & Orchestra: Looking likely. They’ve got the capability to perform pop music on a pretty large scale, and can appeal to both an older and a younger generation. I think they’ve got more polish and more versatility than Mariachi Nuevo Estilo, who also perform pop songs with a twist; my only worry is that they maybe don’t have quite as much stage presence as them, given that all of the musicians are seated.

Mariachi Nuevo Estilo AVM: Could go either way. I personally found their act a little on the sloppy side, but I can see how they would appeal to a younger audience – they’re singing pop music in an interesting way and dancing along with it in an amusing fashion. I could see them being one of the standby acts in Vegas – and as long as they don’t completely bomb, I could see them making it through to the live shows.

American Military Spouses Choir: A long shot. As heartwarming as their story was, I just don’t know that they’ve got enough unique talent to really have a good shot on the live shows – I think the UV Gospel Chorale has stronger voices and a stronger stage presence, and the American Hitmen are every bit as patriotic as the Military Spouses Choir…but have more talent.

University of Virginia Gospel Chorale: Looking likely. It’s been awhile since the show has seen a good gospel choir, and I think this one is a real crowd-pleaser: they have these huge voices and exciting choreography that can really turn a performance into an event. I think it’s something that will translate well into live TV.

Brandon & Savannah: Could go either way. I’m not entirely sure whether these two will get lumped in with the adults, or will be included in the “kid” acts – they’re at an age where they could ostensibly be included in either category. Regardless, I think they’re really marketable and would likely be popular with the Disney crowd…but in the same token, they might be a bit too “bubblegum” to really be taken seriously. I think they should probably switch to singing covers if they want to be taken seriously.

The American Hit Men: A sure thing. I’ve noticed that Howard tends to really stand his ground when he likes an act (and when he dislikes an act, too), so I think it works in this act’s favor that Howard is a big fan. They’re the “great rock band” that he had been wanting to find this season, and they really don’t have any competition in that niche.

212 Green: A sure thing. They’re young, they’re cute, and they’re talented – and there aren’t really any other acts with a similar lineup or sound this season. I’d say they’re the hipper, more artsy version of Brandon & Savannah – and adults and kids alike will probably love them.

So what are your thoughts on this season’s singers? Who do you think will make it through to the live shows…and who do you think we’ll say goodbye to in Vegas?

PureAGT Season 8 Vegas Week Roster

To help jog everyone’s memory before the first Vegas episode on Tuesday, here’s the list of all the acts we saw make it through to Vegas from the audition rounds – keep in mind that we might not see all of these acts in Vegas, as there’s usually a handful of acts that either don’t come to Vegas (for whatever reason) or just aren’t shown on camera. There are 86 acts listed here – 38 of them won’t make it to the live show. I’ve done my best to try and put them into the categories I think they’ll be placed into once they reach Vegas – acts with a * next to them are acts that fit into more than one category, and I’m not positive which one they’ll end up being placed in. The “kid acts” in particular are a bit ambiguous – not sure what the age cutoff is going to be.

Also keep in mind that (if we’re following the pattern of previous seasons), these acts will be further divided into “judges favorites” (group A), “stand-by acts” (group B), and “instant decisions” (group C). The judges favorites are the acts that the judges think have the best chance of making it to the live shows, and will perform the first day of the Vegas rounds; the stand-by acts are the acts that will perform if there are any spots that remain after the judges favorites have performed; and the “instant decision” acts will either get a free pass to the live shows (without having to perform in Vegas), or will get sent home (without having to perform in Vegas).

Singers:

Marty Brown (country)
Tone the Chiefrocca (rapper)
Paul Thomas Mitchell (acoustic rock)
Deanna DellaCioppa (R&B/soul)
David Fenley (acoustic rock)
Lil Mike & Funny Bone (rappers)
Cami Bradley (country)
Sully Dunn (alternative rock)
Jimmy Rose (country)
Milton Patton (country)

Classical Singers:

Travis Pratt (tenor)
Jonathan Allen (baritone)
Forte (opera trio)
Branden James (tenor)

Bands/Musical Groups:

3Penny Chorus & Orchestra (orchestra)
Mariachi Nuevo Estilo AVM (mariachi)
American Military Spouses Choir (choir)
University of Virginia Gospel Chorale (gospel choir)
Brandon & Savannah (pop rock band)*
The American Hit Men (rock band)
212 Green (pop rock band)

Dancers:

Ron & Liza (ballroom)
Kenichi Ebina (hip-hop/robotics)
Bones & the Machine (bone breaking)
Dylan Wilson (animation/hip hop)

Dance groups:

Catapult Entertainment (silhouette performers)*
The Academy (Irish step dancers)
Hype (hip-hop)
B-Extreme (hip hop/stunts)
Hammerstep (Irish step dancing/hip hop)
The Rock Dance Project (jazz/ballet/modern)
Studio 19 Dance Complex (jazz/ballet)
Tellavision (LCD screen dancers)
Mitsi Dancing School (Chinese folk dancing)
SensEtion (video projection dancers)

Acrobats:

Tristan Jih (aerialist)
Duo Resonance (acrobalance)
Kyle & Darby (cheerleading stunts)*
Kristef Brothers (hand balancing)
Chicago Boyz (jump rope/tumbling)
Innovative Force (dance/acrobatics)*
Aerial Ice (figure skaters/aerialists)
Aerosphere (balloon aerialist)
Tavi & Antonio (aerialists)
Timber Brown (aerial pole)

Danger acts:

David “The Cobra Kid” Weathers (snake handler)
Brad Byers (sword swallower)
Alexanderia the Great (escape artist)
Slackwire Sam (swaypole artist)
Omega Force Strength Team (strongman act)
Team Rock (martial arts)
David Ferman (dangerous juggler)
Alex Magala (sword-swallowing breakdancer)*

Magicians:

Special Head (levitator)
Collins Key (up-close magic)
Leon Etienne (illusionist)
Naathan Phan (escape artist/card tricks)

Comedians:

Dave Shirley (LCD screen comedian)
Angela Hoover (celebrity impressionist)
Taylor Williamson (stand-up comedy)
Jim Meskimen (celebrity impressionist)
Kevin Downey Jr. (stand-up comedy)

Novelty acts:

Kid the Wiz (hat trick artist)*
Megan Piphus (ventriloquist)
Steven “Sprice” Price (Rube Goldberg machines)
Rong Niu (bowl juggler)
Kelsey & Bailey (dog tricks)
Spintacular (basketball tricks)
Tummy Talk (human drum act)
Aquanauts (synchronized swimming)

Kid Acts:

Anna Christine (singer/pianist)
Pacific Boys’ Choir (choir)
Jonas & Ruby (ballroom dancers)
D’Angelo & Amanda (ballroom dancers)
Struck Boyz (hip hop)
Lil Demon (breakdancer)
Sophia Lucia (jazz/ballet)
Izzy & Aaralyn (death metal band)
2Unique (rapper/DJ)
Ciana Pelekani (singer)
Olivia Rox (singer/guitarist)*
Fresh Faces (dancers/gymnasts)
Yasha & Daniela (ballroom dancers)
Chloe Chanel (singer)
Mestizo Ballet Folklorico (mariachi dancers)
Skilyr Hicks (singer)*

PureAGT Season 8 Audition Round Rundown #5 – Chicago/San Antonio Auditions

I apologize for the tardiness of this rundown – the Midwest has been pummeled by rain and storms the past few weeks, and last night was no exception…consequently, my internet and cable were down for about an hour and 15 minutes of last night’s broadcast. Woke up this morning to a functioning internet, but my DVR had only managed to capture about the last 45 minutes of the show. Booooo! I took the afternoon off from work to start prepping food for my family’s annual 4th of July BBQ, and of course catch up on last night’s show on good ol’ Hulu 🙂 Since I managed to actually see all of the San Antonio auditions from my DVR recording, I’m going to start off with those – even though they were in the 2nd half of the show. I’ll come back and do the Chicago half later 😉

Chicago:

Kelsey & Bailey – age 17 (Kelsey)
The act: Kelsey & her dog Bailey performed a series of tricks and dance moves to “We Go Together” from Grease.
The verdict: Judges all thought the act was adorable and said yes to Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: This was a cute act for sure, and Bailey the dog seemed to love performing. However, I’m left feeling a little bit let down, just given the fact that last year’s winners, the Olate Dogs, had such an amazing act. I’m afraid Kelsey & Bailey kind of pale in comparison, but I could see them sticking around for awhile – America seems to love animal acts, and they’re really the only animal act we’ve seen in this year’s auditions.

Spintacular
The act: A family of 17 that performs tricks with basketballs.
The verdict: Judges said yes to Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: My first thought was “They had HOW MANY kids??!!!”, followed shortly thereafter by “And they actually can get everyone focused for long enough to create their own version of the Harlem Globetrotters???!!!” Very cute act, with everyone from dad down to the little twin girls performing tricks. My one complaint is that there seemed to be a lot going on at one time – likely one drawback of having such a large family! – and it was hard to really appreciate everything they were doing when there was so much to pay attention to. Maybe scale it back a bit and work on some synchronization for Vegas?

Cami Bradley
The act: Cami sang “Over the Rainbow” a cappella.
The verdict: She’ll be in Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: *sigh* Maybe I’m being cynical, but I doubt the female vocalists are going to be reppin’ particularly hard in Vegas this season. Cami was pleasant to listen to, but I didn’t find anything truly special about her voice – plus I thought she tried too hard to do a lot of those Christina Aguilera-esque riffs. I wish some of these female vocalists would stop trying to put on these over-the-top, vocal acrobatics-heavy performances and just focus on really sounding good and doing their songs justice.

Tellavision
The act: A group of teenage boys and girls doing a modern/ballet-type dance to “What a Wonderful World” while holding LED screens that incorporated into their performance.
The verdict: Judges liked it, we’ll see them in Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: This is probably going to catch me some hell, but I thought this was the cheesiest, tackiest performance we’ve seen all season – and remember, we had JC Starbright in episode 2 😛 I just found the whole thing a bit too cutesy – that overused, schmaltzy song; the cutesy movements with LED screens; the cheesy stuff on the screens…I think I would have rather just seen a really good, garden-variety modern dance routine and scrapped the screens altogether. I think they’re going to look pretty amateurish next to some of the other dance groups in Vegas.

David Ferman – age 18, from Jacksonville, FL
The act: David did some juggling, then balanced a Molotov cocktail on a balloon he held in his mouth.
The verdict: Judges were impressed with the level of danger and said yes to Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: Anyone remember Charles Peachock, the crazy guy that juggled the tasers back in season 6? I think we just found his successor 🙂 Loved the creativity of the Molotov cocktail, although I thought David may have come across a bit nervous and kind of rushed his delivery. Hopefully he can shake the nerves and Vegas and give a bit more finesse in his delivery.

Chicago Boyz Acrobatic Team – ages 9-23, from Chicago, IL
The act: The do all sorts of flips and tumbling, and incoporate jump ropes into their act.
The verdict: Judges loved it and praised their energy. We’ll see them in Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: Probably my favorite from the Chicago auditions – I think what struck me at first was just how happy and enthusiastic all of these guys are about what they do. Everyone from the coach down to the youngest kid on the team just seemed to love what they’re doing – and that’s a kind of passion you can’t fake. I was pretty impressed by some of the stunts they were doing too – tumbling runs, standing back tucks, jumping pushups…and using the little guy as a human jump rope was just genius. I think these guys will breeze through Vegas and go straight to the live shows.

2Unique – age 10
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Innovative Force
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Ciana Pelekani – age 12
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Mitsi Dancing School
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Pat McKillen
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Sully Dunn – age 18
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Branden James – age 34
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Trevor Stone (“Spontaneous Art”) – age 38
The act:
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Squared Circus Review
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Chris the Wedding DJ
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Enrique Reyes – age 34, from Mexico
The act:
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San Antonio:

David Fenley – 34, from Texas
The act: Dave sang and played an acoustic cover of Alex Clare’s “Too Close”.
The verdict: He got 4 yes’s, and Mel got “what she really, really wanted”. 🙂
Court’s thoughts: I found this guy really, really likeable – like a good-natured combination of Dom Deluise and John Popper from Blues Traveler. Loved the gravelly sound of his voice, and his unique take on that song. I’m guessing they’ll probably pit him against Paul Thomas Mitchell & Marty Brow in Vegas…all three are great, so it should be interesting to see how things pan out.

“Dancin'” Dylan Wilson – 17, from Huntington, Indiana
The act: Dylan did an animation hip-hop routine to “Cinema” by Skrillex.
The verdict: He made it to Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: INDIANA REPRESENT!!! Of course I’m going to root for this kid, as a fellow Hoosier 🙂 I thought he was fun to watch and has obviously worked hard to hone his craft – but maybe I’ve been a bit spoiled by SYTYCD, because I found his animating a bit amateurish next to likes of Cyrus, Blueprint, and some of the other animators from SYTYCD. Unfortunately for Hunter, I’m guessing they’re going to compare him to Kenichi, who is also an animator…a REALLY, really good animator. I like Dylan, but I doubt he’ll be able to make it past Vegas 🙁

Hunk-O-Mania’s International Men of Steel
The act: Four beefcakes in gladiator costumes, dancing to “Sexy & I Know It”.
The verdict: Heidi & Mel were all about it – but Howard & Howie said “no”.
Court’s thoughts: Ugh. I just do not get the appeal of male revue acts – I got to see Thunder from Down Under in Vegas last year for a bachelorette weekend, and I just didn’t “get” it: a bunch of unrealistically-muscled, oily guys doing basic boyband choreography with some hip thrusts and butt wiggles peppered in. Am I supposed to swoon? Cause I didn’t.

Lil Mike & Funny Bone, aka “Mike Bone” – 32 & 27, from Oklahoma
The act: Two Native American brothers of short stature, performing an original song called “Do the Rain Dance”.
The verdict: Judges were pleasantly surprised and put them through to Vegas.
Court’s thoughts: Ok, this might have been my favorite act of the night 🙂 Loved the charisma these two had, and how they didn’t let the fact that they stood only 4’4″ stop them from doing what they loved. And “Do the Rain Dance” is incredibly catchy – but so is “B-O-O-T-Y”. Anyone want to place any bets that we see these two up against Tone the Chiefrocca in Vegas for a spot in the live shows? We’ve got two rapping acts with original songs and big personalities. Who do you guys think has the juice to move on?

The American Hit Men – 28-34, from Salt Lake City, Utah
The act: They’re a rock band that performed a cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man”.
The verdict: Judges loved them – Howard in particular was very excited about having a good rock band this season. They got 4 yes’s.
Court’s thoughts: While I think this show should really be about the talent (and not so much focus placed on a schmaltzy backstory), I do commend these gentleman for their service to our country – and the fact that it was the music they made that kept their spirits up when they were Marines stationed in Fallujah. The lead singer had one of those gravelly, cool-sounding rock voices that only a few people seem to pull off, and I loved they way it sounded with this song. I’m hoping they can take some more current songs and put their own spin on them.

Stay tuned for my rundown of the Chicago acts – when I get done with Hulu 🙂 What did you guys think of the San Antonio acts?

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