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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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Good to hear...See ya soon, hopefully...

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 3

11: Dance Town Family. I might have been more impressed if I hadn’t seen several acts like this before. They have excellent precision, but they’re not the first to have it. Not a bad way to start the show, but on a night as cutthroat as tonight, it didn’t take me long at all to forget about them…

10: Annie Jones. Could she have made a better song choice? Maybe…Still didn’t stop me from having almost as much fun as she always does when she performs…

9: Nolan Neal. What a cruel stroke of luck for this guy to have (on top of what he’s already been through), having a last minute switch with Thomas Day, who would have probably been one of the easier eliminations for this week…But because of the sudden rescheduling, this turned an already stacked night into a real nightmare to predict! Sadly, as much as I have appreciated him so far, the heavy competition and his early placement in the line-up could do in the chances he had BEFORE this switch, while Thomas Day’s chances have just gone up a bit…To be fair, this wasn’t the best display of his vocals, at least compared to his audition…I guess the original song wasn’t bad though…

8: Max Major. Well, we finally get to see his legs…And I see he’s not a shoe person…Glad to finally see his full abilities in this (disturbingly scarce for this season) genre of talent, and he didn’t do half bad at it! It wasn’t the greatest mentalist trick I’ve seen, but the clever methods he put into it kept me invested. On a weaker night than tonight, I’d be all for this guy advancing, but there is just so much to choose from, it’s enough to make your head spin!

7: Sheldon Riley. Well HERE’S a song I never expected to work as a ballad, but here we are! His fashion really helps him stand out, even though tonight he veered a bit into looking like an extra from Tarsem’s “The Cell”, so I guess he has a touch of creepy as well…I like it!

6: Cristina Rae. One of those songs I’m sick to death of hearing on this show, but Cristina’s unique arrangement helped it stand out…Her singing is SO perfect…that I don’t really have much else to say…

5: Usama Siddiquee. Comedy is a very narrow tightrope to walk…On one hand, challenging people’s sensibilities is kind of a requirement in this field…But this isn’t Comedy Central we’re talking about here, it’s “America’s Got Freaking Talent”, where sensitive families around the country are watching, and one of the judges has a stick up her butt when it comes to comedy…I can already feel self-righteous people everywhere calling for Usama to be #Cancelled, actual context be damned, but he is easily the best comedian of the season…Only problem is, due to his placement and the rather uncomfortable reception he got, I’m no longer nearly as confident for him as I was last week…

4: Alan Silva. I take it the part with the spikes was NOT the trick he was talking about, because if he messed THAT up, he would have done a lot more than break his neck! Joking aside, this guy could very well be the best aerial act to ever come on the show, and is among the few to really stand out to me! I guess watching couples do it all the time starts to get monotonous…Sometimes it takes only one person to stand out, stature be damned!

3: Bonebreakers. It looks like tonight belongs to the cool young brothas! It was EXTREMELY close between these Top 3 entries, but I guess out of the three, this one would make the weakest hour-and-a-half show…But their contortions are mesmerizing, they have excellent showmanship, and their set was fun and flashy, if a little TOO flashy…(What’s worse, getting nauseous from watching these guys turning into human taffy, or getting a seizure from the flashing background?) PS, What the hell happened to the fourth guy that they not only never brought him up, but also Trotsky’d him out of the clip of their audition!? Some kinda conspiracy going on here…?

2: Malik DOPE. I wouldn’t say that Malik is the greatest drummer in the world, but he sure knows how to experiment with it and make it a show! And after his little story in the package, I’d say he has a better chance at advancing now than I previously thought!

1: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew. It’s one thing to be able to utilize so many creative moves, and quite another to utilize them across such an expansive set! Looked like they were in their natural habitat, and they took full advantage of it!

Definitely the best show of the season so far! …Problem is, that means some great acts will be denied entry into the next round (again, not helped by switching out who looked like an easy out for a legitimate contender). Shame they only have two spots for wildcards in the next round, because it looks to me like they will need a lot more than that for this week alone!

My Votes: I concentrated my votes on Waffle, Bonebreakers, Malik and Usama.

Result Predictions: Some acts seem to have better odds than before…Aside from Malik who I already addressed, Bonebreakers also has a compelling story…And since they were the last act Howie called his favorite of the night, therefore I guess they remained his favorite, MAYBE that will help them…? Also, Dance Town Family will surely have hundreds of family members to help them out…And I hope being placed near the beginning of the show (before an hour-long RNC break) didn’t hurt Waffle’s chances…

I guess I’ll take my best guess with the list again…

11: Annie Jones

10: Usama Siddiquee

9: Dance Town Family

8: Bonebreakers

7: Nolan Neal

6: Max Major

5: Alan Silva

4: Malik DOPE

3: Sheldon Riley

2: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew

1: Cristina Rae

But I’m not making any wagers here…

See you tomorrow when Jon Dorenbos tries to ease the immense tension…And the Wiki says that Tape Face is gonna be there too, even though nobody mentioned him on the show tonight…I suppose I wouldn’t put it past him to drop in unannounced…

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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Alright, this will be my last post here for a while...Just getting that out of the way now...

Overall, I’m satisfied with the results...Some were pretty shocking to me; Like I can’t believe Sheldon didn’t even make the Save votes! Also, Max somehow got more votes than...well...the three acts in the Save votes...But my guess is that the combination of his looks, being later in the show (AFTER the RNC break, unlike the pre-mentioned three), and the overall void of magic acts helped him a lot...(It did get my hopes up for Bonebreakers for a moment though...)

And I don’t have much else to say about these results...I’m very sad for Nolan, especially considering that he would have likely had a much easier time if he stayed in the line-up for next week...But I am still very happy to see both Waffle and Malik have made it! So far Feng E is the only act that I would say was cut too soon...

Also, Jon Dorenbos, now with hair! (Receding, but still...) The trick was pretty lame when you get right down to it, but he’s still a great showman with his masculine, sportsy energy...

So let’s just get right down to next week...I won’t lie, there are very few acts that have me that excited, especially with Nolan moving to this week and Wesley...apparently just warming the bench until Divas and Drummers came back...

But I’ll go ahead and rank their odds nonetheless...

11: Alex Hooper. It took the lack of a booing audience to get him to this round, and I highly doubt people are gonna identify with his meanness...

10: CA Wildcats. I think Divas and Drummers are gonna overshadow this group...

9: Bello Sisters. Remember when I said that I hope they don’t get scheduled for the same night as Thomas Day...? I ALMOST thought they avoided that...Still, they might be able to stand out enough if they really work at it...

8: Lightwave Theatre Company. This could go either way...

7: Noah Epps. Not that I’m doubting Frank’s Golden Buzzer selection or anything...If he has faith in this kid, then I’m willing to believe him...He definitely has a chance! But for the time being at least, I don’t see anything about him that will beg for votes the same way as the Top 6 in this list do...But just know, since I’m including all the singers here, some of them could very well fail to impress, and make room for Merrick Hanna 2.0...

6: Celina. The judges might push her to advance, and she could get it...But she’ll have to be pretty special to be voted over the other singers...So far, she hasn’t really impressed me, but my mind CAN change...

5: Thomas Day. See last week’s prediction about him, and boost his chances a fair bit because he now has significantly less competition than he would have had this week...

4: Kenadi Dodds. The double whammy of a sob story and a country background...Only thing keeping her from ranking higher is that she might not get as much hype as the Top 3 here...

3: Resound. This seems like an act that they intend to get into the semis...

2: Divas & Drummers of Compton. See my prediction for them when they were slated for Week 1...

1: Brandon Leake. Golden Buzzer...’Nuff said...

And now for how much I’m looking forward to each act...

11: Thomas Day

10: Celina

9: Kenadi Dodds

8: CA Wildcats

7: Resound

6: Alex Hooper

5: Brandon Leake

4: Divas & Drummers of Compton

3: Lightwave Theatre Company

2: Bello Sisters

1: Noah Epps

And finally the running order prediction...

1: CA Wildcats

2: Kenadi Dodds

3: Alex Hooper

4: Celina

5: Noah Epps

6: Thomas Day

7: Bello Sisters

8: Resound

9: Lightwave Theatre Company

10: Divas & Drummers of Compton

11: Brandon Leake

Again, I’m not making any wagers on this...

Anyway, it seems I must leave this blog for a while...I’m gonna miss posting here, and I hope Frank takes good care of it until I get back...

It’s not goodbye...It’s just...See ya later...Hopefully sooner...Yeah...

(Sigh) Take care...

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 3

10: Annie Jones. Could she have made a better song choice? Maybe…Still didn’t stop me from having almost as much fun as she always does when she performs…

My Votes: I concentrated my votes on Waffle, Bonebreakers, Malik and Usama.

I guess I’ll take my best guess with the list again…

11: Annie Jones

10: Usama Siddiquee

9: Dance Town Family

8: Bonebreakers

7: Nolan Neal

6: Max Major

5: Alan Silva

4: Malik DOPE

3: Sheldon Riley

2: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew

1: Cristina Rae

But I’m not making any wagers here…

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 3

11: Dance Town Family. I might have been more impressed if I hadn't seen several acts like this before. They have excellent precision, but they're not the first to have it. Not a bad way to start the show, but on a night as cutthroat as tonight, it didn't take me long at all to forget about them...

10: Annie Jones. Could she have made a better song choice? Maybe...Still didn't stop me from having almost as much fun as she always does when she performs...

9: Nolan Neal. What a cruel stroke of luck for this guy to have (on top of what he's already been through), having a last minute switch with Thomas Day, who would have probably been one of the easier eliminations for this week...But because of the sudden rescheduling, this turned an already stacked night into a real nightmare to predict! Sadly, as much as I have appreciated him so far, the heavy competition and his early placement in the line-up could do in the chances he had BEFORE this switch, while Thomas Day's chances have just gone up a bit...To be fair, this wasn't the best display of his vocals, at least compared to his audition...I guess the original song wasn't bad though...

8: Max Major. Well, we finally get to see his legs...And I see he's not a shoe person...Glad to finally see his full abilities in this (disturbingly scarce for this season) genre of talent, and he didn't do half bad at it! It wasn't the greatest mentalist trick I've seen, but the clever methods he put into it kept me invested. On a weaker night than tonight, I'd be all for this guy advancing, but there is just so much to choose from, it's enough to make your head spin!

7: Sheldon Riley. Well HERE'S a song I never expected to work as a ballad, but here we are! His fashion really helps him stand out, even though tonight he veered a bit into looking like an extra from Tarsem's “The Cell”, so I guess he has a touch of creepy as well...I like it!

6: Cristina Rae. One of those songs I'm sick to death of hearing on this show, but Cristina's unique arrangement helped it stand out...Her singing is SO perfect...that I don't really have much else to say...

5: Usama Siddiquee. Comedy is a very narrow tightrope to walk...On one hand, challenging people's sensibilities is kind of a requirement in this field...But this isn't Comedy Central we're talking about here, it's “America's Got Freaking Talent”, where sensitive families around the country are watching, and one of the judges has a stick up her butt when it comes to comedy...I can already feel self-righteous people everywhere calling for Usama to be #Cancelled, actual context be damned, but he is easily the best comedian of the season...Only problem is, due to his placement and the rather uncomfortable reception he got, I'm no longer nearly as confident for him as I was last week...

4: Alan Silva. I take it the part with the spikes was NOT the trick he was talking about, because if he messed THAT up, he would have done a lot more than break his neck! Joking aside, this guy could very well be the best aerial act to ever come on the show, and is among the few to really stand out to me! I guess watching couples do it all the time starts to get monotonous...Sometimes it takes only one person to stand out, stature be damned!

3: Bonebreakers. It looks like tonight belongs to the cool young brothas! It was EXTREMELY close between these Top 3 entries, but I guess out of the three, this one would make the weakest hour-and-a-half show...But their contortions are mesmerizing, they have excellent showmanship, and their set was fun and flashy, if a little TOO flashy...(What's worse, getting nauseous from watching these guys turning into human taffy, or getting a seizure from the flashing background?) PS, What the hell happened to the fourth guy that they not only never brought him up, but also Trotsky'd him out of the clip of their audition!? Some kinda conspiracy going on here...?

2: Malik DOPE. I wouldn't say that Malik is the greatest drummer in the world, but he sure knows how to experiment with it and make it a show! And after his little story in the package, I'd say he has a better chance at advancing now than I previously thought!

1: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew. It's one thing to be able to utilize so many creative moves, and quite another to utilize them across such an expansive set! Looked like they were in their natural habitat, and they took full advantage of it!

Definitely the best show of the season so far! ...Problem is, that means some great acts will be denied entry into the next round (again, not helped by switching out who looked like an easy out for a legitimate contender). Shame they only have two spots for wildcards in the next round, because it looks to me like they will need a lot more than that for this week alone!

My Votes: I concentrated my votes on Waffle, Bonebreakers, Malik and Usama.

Result Predictions: Some acts seem to have better odds than before...Aside from Malik who I already addressed, Bonebreakers also has a compelling story...And since they were the last act Howie called his favorite of the night, therefore I guess they remained his favorite, MAYBE that will help them...? Also, Dance Town Family will surely have hundreds of family members to help them out...And I hope being placed near the beginning of the show (before an hour-long RNC break) didn't hurt Waffle's chances...

I guess I'll take my best guess with the list again...

11: Annie Jones

10: Usama Siddiquee

9: Dance Town Family

8: Bonebreakers

7: Nolan Neal

6: Max Major

5: Alan Silva

4: Malik DOPE

3: Sheldon Riley

2: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew

1: Cristina Rae

But I'm not making any wagers here...

See you tomorrow when Jon Dorenbos tries to ease the immense tension...And the Wiki says that Tape Face is gonna be there too, even though nobody mentioned him on the show tonight...I suppose I wouldn't put it past him to drop in unannounced...

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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Phew! Thank god things turned out well!

I would have loved it if the Spyros were in the Top 3, just to show that they are among the favorites...But let’s be real: This was a tough line-up! Some of these acts totally would have gone through on a weaker night...

Though it is interesting to point out how stories and backgrounds are proving less effective this season, as evidenced by Kameron Ross and Michael Yo...In earlier seasons, they probably would have had no problem advancing...But both of them got a sizable enough backlash that we may be moving the focus back to quality! (Though some spoiler acts may slip through the cracks, like Shaquira McGrath...)

For Kameron in particular, a major factor aside from the quality of his performance was how early in the line-up he was (and the DNC interruption. While the show probably ran live uninterrupted BEFORE the convention, chances are that most of the Heartland states were farther east, therefore WERE interrupted by it...And I have no doubt that most of the people in those states were not interested in listening to people praise Joe Biden for an hour and fifteen minutes...)

I compare this situation to another country singer who competed on the show forever ago, and arguably did even WORSE than Kameron in this very round...And yet he advanced over more deserving acts! But if I remember correctly, that show ALSO had an hour-long interruption, and unlike Kameron, Marty Brown had the luxury of performing near the END of the show, instead of the beginning...I believe I remember the acts from the second half of the show all getting the votes (even Tone the Chiefrocca managed to make the save votes, even though he lost).

All I’m saying is, Marty was at an advantage, whereas Kameron was given every disadvantage you could imagine to handicap the Heartland votes...

Anyway, that was just an observation. Things otherwise went smoothly enough, though I DO feel bad for Alexis...Dog acts do tend to be brought back as wildcards, so we’ll see if she has another shot at this (though she probably still won’t make it).

And to top it off, we got a very fun and excellently-choreographed (albeit CLEARLY edited) video of the JabbaWockeeZ, and Darci Lynne finally brought in a new puppet! I guess we WOULD like Justin Bieber more if he was an Australian one-eyed purple puppet eater...And since she’s mastered every other form of vocals, why NOT try rapping?

Now to move on to next week...THIS is where things get intense! So let’s rank everybody’s odds...

11: Bonebreakers. With all of the acts they have to compete with, I’d say these guys are gonna be too shocking for the ever-so-sensitive voters...Still look forward to seeing them again regardless!

10: Annie Jones. With Roberta and Daneliya already in the semi-finals, this girl’s looking like the sacrificial sheep of the child singer category...

9: Dance Town Family. While we barely saw anything from them in the auditions, there is one factor to consider going for them, and that is a man named Manny Castro. You might know Manny as the coach of such acts as Miami All Stars, The Untouchables, Ruby and Jonas, and D’Angelo and Amanda. Basically, he found clever ways to keep bringing back the same act for three straight seasons (even pitting two of his kids against each other for those last two examples in one season). And now he’s back at it again, apparently combining himself, his wife Lory, and I guess all of his kids (including both Ruby and D’Angelo, no doubt) into one ultimate family dance crew! And these acts tend to always make some good progress in this game...But we’ll see if America cares that much this time...As for me, while we may have had a nice break from seeing Manny every season, he’s still become quite annoying...You just can’t stay away, can you...?

8: Thomas Day. The teen pretty-boy factor is definitely an advantage not to be taken lightly...That being said, I am almost predicting that his reception won’t be the best...Unless he knows how to step things up from his audition, Howie might still point out his stage fright, and may even buzz him...I’m definitely not counting him out, but we’ll just see how things go...If Kameron Ross can get eliminated despite his background, then so can this kid...

7: Malik DOPE. As much as I’m rooting for Malik, he is in a VERY tough spot here! While he is very likable and may have a decent story going for him, I just don’t see him getting the same hype we see given to the Top 5 in this list, who are ALL going to be legit contenders, to the point that I may already know who’s going through next week! (Also doesn’t help that he’s competing against not one, but TWO other acts that contain cool black dudes with dreadlocks...While he has a better chance than Bonebreakers...Well...We’ll get to the other one...)

6: Max Major. The main factor to consider with this guy is that he is the only magician to make the live shows...despite how little we’ve seen of his potential so far...It’s all riding on how good the trick is...as well as pulling something off without doing it through video chat...

5: Alan Silva. Alright, onto the REAL contenders here! Alan was a clear favorite in the auditions, and I can definitely see that hype continuing in this round, as well as the voters being all too willing to help out the poor little man...That being said, he doesn’t seem quite as OBLIGATORY as the Top 4 here...

4: Usama Siddiquee. Well, both Michael Yo and Vincent Marcus were huge letdowns, and I certainly don’t see Alex Hooper being very popular the week after, so that just leaves Usama to take that obligatory comedian finalist role this year! And it makes sense, because he was easily the best of the genre in the auditions (and there were a LOT of them this year)! I see a lot of potential in him, and can totally see him making the finals, or even the Top 5! Overall, I have a good feeling about him next week...

3: Cristina Rae. Being a Golden Buzzer automatically places her here...Also, she’s held up as one of the best singers of the season...

2: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew. It looks like Simon will likely return next week, just in time to assure that his GB will make the semis...

1: Sheldon Riley. The one act that seems to rival Daneliya’s popularity, and I certainly wouldn’t say it’s unearned!

And now for how much I’m rooting for each of them...

11: Thomas Day

10: Dance Town Family

9: Annie Jones

8: Max Major

7: Cristina Rae

6: Alan Silva

5: Bonebreakers

4: Sheldon Riley

3: Usama Siddiquee

2: Malik DOPE

1: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew

And finally, my most educated guess at the running order...

1: Dance Town Family

2: Annie Jones

3: Malik DOPE

4: Max Major

5: Thomas Day

6: Bonebreakers

7: Usama Siddiquee

8: Sheldon Riley

9: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew

10: Alan Silva

11: Cristina Rae

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 2

Kenan Thompson was likable…I mean, of course, he’s likable on SNL, I thought he was a good judge on “Bring the Funny” last year (yes, I watched that…I enjoyed it! I’m hoping for a second season, but it IS looking very uncertain…) Tonight, he seemed pretty quiet, but he still peppered in some jokes here and there to make Howie look like a straight man (COMEDIC straight man, not…ya know…) So I guess tonight, Howie was the Simon Cowell…

Also, major props to Heidi for her bravery in showing up even after her shirt got caught in the elevator door and torn all over, not even bothering to go to her dressing room to change it…That takes some real guts and an odd fashion sense, let me tell ya! (Or just the latter, I guess…)

Also, also, we got quite a few basic social distancing violations tonight…I guess people are less cautious now, but I still suggest we all tread carefully…

Okay, onto the acts…

11: Kameron Ross. That Lady Gaga song can make for a good belt, but Kameron isn’t much of a belter, so it just came off as awkward and stiff…

10: Vincent Marcus. When I talked about his odds last week, there was another factor that I considered not long after I posted it, but didn’t bother talking about then…That factor is that his audition was going to be a tough act to follow! His choices on what to do next looked very limited…And it REALLY showed tonight! I’m sorry, but repeating the premise of his audition just wasn’t going to work! Now he’s pigeonholed himself as that guy who impersonates rappers doing nursery rhymes…It worked great for his audition because he knew which rappers he was best at and what nursery rhymes he could cleverly incorporate their rap styles with…Here, he just seemed to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, his impressions weren’t as solid, and I couldn’t even hear which nursery rhyme he was doing a lot of the time! The one thing he still has going for him though is his likable personality and enjoyable sense of humor…Plus he cut that silly pompadour!

9: Voices of Our City Choir. A good song choice for them, having the backing choir appear as a hologram was interesting, and that guy from the package sure knew how to William Shatner it up! Otherwise, this did little for me…I preferred their jazzy, Sade-sounding original song…Also, I miss that slam poet old lady, she was cool!

8: The Shape. The mysterious, previously unseen act with the equally mysterious name has finally revealed themselves! And they were…fun, I guess…Overall, it was another standard dance group, though they do get some points for the costumes (and the clever use of face masks).

7: Jonathan Goodwin. You know, I’m not usually the most keen observer, but even I could tell that he was basically fidgeting with the key to stall for maximum suspense…I guess turning himself into the Human Torch was an interesting spectacle, but this escape doesn’t measure up to, say, Spencer Horsman…I give him props for the very real danger, but this just wasn’t at the level of his JC performance…

6: Kelvin Dukes. I’d say going for upbeat and fun was the right decision for Kelvin…His singing isn’t the greatest I’ve heard, but he does have a very likable personality that greatly benefits from the Bruno Mars approach. (I mean, he had a patch on his jacket that said “Mars”, so that should tell you plenty…) Also, I guess it serves as a nice tribute to that chick from “Glee” who was recently killed…

5: BONAVEGA. So that’s what happens when Billy Idol has a lovechild with Dee Snider! He really didn’t need to cover The Weeknd…Sure, that song is one of the most delightfully 80s throwbacks I’ve heard, but nothing beats his original songs and mad guitar skills! All said, who does he think he’s kidding when he says he’s bringing back the 80s!? I’d say works like “Ready Player One” and everything Finn Wolfhard stars in have been doing that just fine…While he may be a guaranteed out tomorrow, I would still love to see one last set from him as a wildcard!

4: Daneliya Tuleshova. I gotta hand it to this girl, she seems to know what she’s doing! I’ve been feeling since the beginning that she was holding back in her audition, so that she could keep getting better with each round…She has some articulation issues, but otherwise her range is amazing! While I haven’t quite joined the hundreds on the Daneliya hype train yet, I am looking forward to seeing how she does as the game progresses…She might even outlast Roberta!

3: Alexis Brownley & The Puppy Pals. There’s just something I love about these precious youngsters having a fun time with their dogs set to upbeat music with these fun, colorful sets! I loved the film studio themed set and props, and we saw a few new and/or impressive tricks as well! I’m tellin’ ya, little girls seem to make the best dog trainers!

2: BAD Salsa. Ever since V.Unbeatable, I have been acquiring a taste for some good ol’ Bollywood dance music! And THESE TWO need to star in a Bollywood movie together! I don’t really have much to add…America may have talent, but India’s Got Moves!

1: Spyros Bros. If I was an actual judge on the show right now, I would be bragging on and on about picking a good Golden Buzzer! They stepped up the tricks big time, and picked the most amazing set ever! (All that was missing was if they turned into Itchy and Scratchy and brutally assaulted each other with their giant yo-yos!) I just hope the whole pre-recorded aspect doesn’t hurt their chances, because I really do think they should be in the finals!

I still had mixed opinions for quite a few acts, but I would say it was overall a step up from last week…

My Votes: Unfortunately, due to the hour-long DNC interruption (at least where I live), and my tendency to wait until the end of the show to vote, I missed my chance to vote on my TV…But I still used both my AGT app and the NBC website to throw some votes toward BAD, Spyros and Jonathan (yes, I was a bit disappointed with his performance, but I would still love to see what he does next time…)

Result Predictions: I think Daneliya and VoOCC are pretty much guaranteed for the Top 3…As for the other one, we COULD continue the tendency of all the singers making it through (as I know that even with being placed early in the line-up, getting a lukewarm reception and having an hour-long break to help voters forget about him, Kameron won’t go that easily…But maybe it will at least compromise his votes…) Otherwise, I would LIKE to believe that it will go to BAD or Spyros…The latter is who I primarily hope gets it, but I’m still not entirely sure if enough was done (namely by the judges and producers) to assure that…This game can be very unfair with who gets to be the most popular…

I guess I’ll do something I don’t normally do, and make a ranking prediction like FrankDoc does…It will be a fair bit wishful…

11: BONAVEGA

10: Vincent Marcus

9: The Shape

8: Jonathan Goodwin

7: Kelvin Dukes

6: Kameron Ross

5: Alexis Brownley & The Puppy Pals

4: BAD Salsa

3: Spyros Bros

2: Voices of Our City Choir

1: Daneliya Tuleshova

See you tomorrow when the REAL Michael Myers dance group takes the stage, along with our favorite ventriloquism prodigy…

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 2

Kenan Thompson was likable...I mean, of course, he's likable on SNL, I thought he was a good judge on “Bring the Funny” last year (yes, I watched that...I enjoyed it! I'm hoping for a second season, but it IS looking very uncertain...) Tonight, he seemed pretty quiet, but he still peppered in some jokes here and there to make Howie look like a straight man (COMEDIC straight man, not...ya know...) So I guess tonight, Howie was the Simon Cowell...

Also, major props to Heidi for her bravery in showing up even after her shirt got caught in the elevator door and torn all over, not even bothering to go to her dressing room to change it...That takes some real guts and an odd fashion sense, let me tell ya! (Or just the latter, I guess...)

Also, also, we got quite a few basic social distancing violations tonight...I guess people are less cautious now, but I still suggest we all tread carefully...

Okay, onto the acts...

11: Kameron Ross. That Lady Gaga song can make for a good belt, but Kameron isn't much of a belter, so it just came off as awkward and stiff...

10: Vincent Marcus. When I talked about his odds last week, there was another factor that I considered not long after I posted it, but didn't bother talking about then...That factor is that his audition was going to be a tough act to follow! His choices on what to do next looked very limited...And it REALLY showed tonight! I'm sorry, but repeating the premise of his audition just wasn't going to work! Now he's pigeonholed himself as that guy who impersonates rappers doing nursery rhymes...It worked great for his audition because he knew which rappers he was best at and what nursery rhymes he could cleverly incorporate their rap styles with...Here, he just seemed to throw everything at the wall to see what sticks, his impressions weren't as solid, and I couldn't even hear which nursery rhyme he was doing a lot of the time! The one thing he still has going for him though is his likable personality and enjoyable sense of humor...Plus he cut that silly pompadour!

9: Voices of Our City Choir. A good song choice for them, having the backing choir appear as a hologram was interesting, and that guy from the package sure knew how to William Shatner it up! Otherwise, this did little for me...I preferred their jazzy, Sade-sounding original song...Also, I miss that slam poet old lady, she was cool!

8: The Shape. The mysterious, previously unseen act with the equally mysterious name has finally revealed themselves! And they were...fun, I guess...Overall, it was another standard dance group, though they do get some points for the costumes (and the clever use of face masks).

7: Jonathan Goodwin. You know, I'm not usually the most keen observer, but even I could tell that he was basically fidgeting with the key to stall for maximum suspense...I guess turning himself into the Human Torch was an interesting spectacle, but this escape doesn't measure up to, say, Spencer Horsman...I give him props for the very real danger, but this just wasn't at the level of his JC performance...

6: Kelvin Dukes. I'd say going for upbeat and fun was the right decision for Kelvin...His singing isn't the greatest I've heard, but he does have a very likable personality that greatly benefits from the Bruno Mars approach. (I mean, he had a patch on his jacket that said “Mars”, so that should tell you plenty...) Also, I guess it serves as a nice tribute to that chick from “Glee” who was recently killed...

5: BONAVEGA. So that's what happens when Billy Idol has a lovechild with Dee Snider! He really didn't need to cover The Weeknd...Sure, that song is one of the most delightfully 80s throwbacks I've heard, but nothing beats his original songs and mad guitar skills! All said, who does he think he's kidding when he says he's bringing back the 80s!? I'd say works like “Ready Player One” and everything Finn Wolfhard stars in have been doing that just fine...While he may be a guaranteed out tomorrow, I would still love to see one last set from him as a wildcard!

4: Daneliya Tuleshova. I gotta hand it to this girl, she seems to know what she's doing! I've been feeling since the beginning that she was holding back in her audition, so that she could keep getting better with each round...She has some articulation issues, but otherwise her range is amazing! While I haven't quite joined the hundreds on the Daneliya hype train yet, I am looking forward to seeing how she does as the game progresses...She might even outlast Roberta!

3: Alexis Brownley & The Puppy Pals. There's just something I love about these precious youngsters having a fun time with their dogs set to upbeat music with these fun, colorful sets! I loved the film studio themed set and props, and we saw a few new and/or impressive tricks as well! I'm tellin' ya, little girls seem to make the best dog trainers!

2: BAD Salsa. Ever since V.Unbeatable, I have been acquiring a taste for some good ol’ Bollywood dance music! And THESE TWO need to star in a Bollywood movie together! I don't really have much to add...America may have talent, but India's Got Moves!

1: Spyros Bros. If I was an actual judge on the show right now, I would be bragging on and on about picking a good Golden Buzzer! They stepped up the tricks big time, and picked the most amazing set ever! (All that was missing was if they turned into Itchy and Scratchy and brutally assaulted each other with their giant yo-yos!) I just hope the whole pre-recorded aspect doesn't hurt their chances, because I really do think they should be in the finals!

I still had mixed opinions for quite a few acts, but I would say it was overall a step up from last week...

My Votes: Unfortunately, due to the hour-long DNC interruption (at least where I live), and my tendency to wait until the end of the show to vote, I missed my chance to vote on my TV...But I still used both my AGT app and the NBC website to throw some votes toward BAD, Spyros and Jonathan (yes, I was a bit disappointed with his performance, but I would still love to see what he does next time...)

Result Predictions: I think Daneliya and VoOCC are pretty much guaranteed for the Top 3...As for the other one, we COULD continue the tendency of all the singers making it through (as I know that even with being placed early in the line-up, getting a lukewarm reception and having an hour-long break to help voters forget about him, Kameron won't go that easily...But maybe it will at least compromise his votes...) Otherwise, I would LIKE to believe that it will go to BAD or Spyros...The latter is who I primarily hope gets it, but I'm still not entirely sure if enough was done (namely by the judges and producers) to assure that...This game can be very unfair with who gets to be the most popular...

I guess I'll do something I don't normally do, and make a ranking prediction like FrankDoc does...It will be a fair bit wishful...

11: BONAVEGA

10: Vincent Marcus

9: The Shape

8: Jonathan Goodwin

7: Kelvin Dukes

6: Kameron Ross

5: Alexis Brownley & The Puppy Pals

4: BAD Salsa

3: Spyros Bros

2: Voices of Our City Choir

1: Daneliya Tuleshova

See you tomorrow when the REAL Michael Myers dance group takes the stage, along with our favorite ventriloquism prodigy...

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

Text

Well I guess if nothing else, I can rest well knowing that Feng got a pretty decent spot in the votes...Still think he was screwed over, but by now I know how these freaking judges operate, particularly during the Save vote...

At least Brett made it, a danger act surrounded by all of the singers from last night...They REALLY need to learn to be harder on these singers, because Shaquira at the very least really didn’t earn her place...

I guess we still have two wildcard spots, but we can never really trust them to make the right choices, and chances are the worthy acts that get eliminated in this round are gonna keep piling up...

So let’s not dwell on it...Mat Franco came back! I guess the Shin Lim Effect is working its retroactive magic (I swear, I wasn’t even thinking when I wrote that word...Coincidence?) But if there’s one thing Mat beats Shin at, it’s charisma! That helped an otherwise adequate card trick stand out...And while he might not be QUITE as hot as Shin, he’s not too far behind...(Yeah, they were both great magicians, but I think we all know what REALLY helped them both win...)

And of course, Kodi Lee returned and gave us a top-notch display of his vocals! Not much else to say...

So I guess I’ll just go ahead and move onto next week...Let’s rank their odds!

11: The Shape. Nobody’s even heard of them before, so it’s gonna take a REAL spectacle to win over the voters...

10: BONAVEGA. The one factor placing him over Team Michael Myers (aside from the fact that we actually saw his audition) is the fact that someone like Hans CAN get votes (as evidenced with Champions this year...Though that is a COMPLETELY different battlefield). Otherwise, he is clearly this year’s goofball act to make the live shows, and then get quickly dropped in the first round...

9: Vincent Marcus. This is where it gets hazy, because a lot of these acts depend on their placement in the line-up as well as how well they can do. Vincent doesn’t look like he would have any immediate appeal to the voters...But then again, he IS a popular internet personality...Also, he’s another act from the “Best Of” show, which means he might be given a fair shot in this...

8: Kelvin Dukes. At this point, it’s foolish to underestimate the possibility that every single singer that isn’t named BONAVEGA will make the semi-finals...And Kelvin is no exception to that, even though he is yet to blow me away...All said, I suppose his odds aren’t QUITE as strong as the other soloists...

7: Jonathan Goodwin. Being a danger act, the odds are not the best in Jonathan’s favor...Though being the only danger act of the night (and one who got a lot of build-up in Judge Cuts) will help him at least somewhat...

6: Alexis Brownley & The Puppy Pals. The cute little girl with the dogs is sure to win over some votes...

5: BAD Salsa. I can see this act appealing to a lot of voters...But it’s also hard to picture them being put in a position where they get voted through over some of the other acts in here...

4: The Spyros Bros. Come ooooonnnnn, Golden Buzzer! We need a showstopper here! I know you’re capable!

3: Daneliya Tuleshova. Did I mention this girl is, like, stupid popular online? You KNOW there’s hype for an act when you see comments going gaga over them in videos that have nothing to do with them! I go to a video on all of the live acts, and whose name comes up the most in the comments? Hers! ...And Sheldon Riley’s, but we’ll get to him when we do...I think it’s safe to bet that her base is already preparing to put her through next week...The only factor keeping her from ranking any higher is that she probably won’t get quite as much hype as the Top 2, and believe me, they’re gonna have their bases as well, even if they’re not quite as dedicated as hers...

2: Kameron Ross. Hello, Mr. Pretty-Boy-Country-Singer! I’m sure you being a homosexual won’t drive away TOO much of your swooning female or Heartland bases...Besides, the LGBT voters will surely more than cover for that! It also doesn’t help that there aren’t any other adult singers performing this week that might out-hype him (Cristina, Nolan, Sheldon...)

1: Voices of Our City Choir. As the one GB act of the night, and a large choir of homeless people, I don’t think they’re going anywhere...

And now for how much I’m rooting for them...

11: Kameron Ross

10: Kelvin Dukes

9: The Shape

8: Daneliya Tuleshova

7: Voices of Our City Choir

6: BONAVEGA

5: Alexis Brownley & The Puppy Pals

4: BAD Salsa

3: Jonathan Goodwin

2: Vincent Marcus

1: The Spyros Bros

And finally, let’s take a crack at what the running order will be...

1: The Shape

2: Kelvin Dukes

3: BAD Salsa

4: Alexis Brownley & The Puppy Pals

5: Kameron Ross

6: Jonathan Goodwin

7: Vincent Marcus

8: Daneliya Tuleshova

9: The Spyros Bros

10: BONAVEGA

11: Voices of Our City Choir

I dunno...I can definitely see some spots being moved around...

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 1

Well, it’s official! AGT has reached a “new normal”!

Almost half the acts were filmed, and some of them appeared to be pre-recorded…Kinda undermines the live stage aspect of this show…

What’s more, we have Kelly Clarkson filling in for the man who made her famous (I figured it was only a matter of time before we saw her as a guest judge). I guess she was okay, but not really one worth judging anyone other than singers…I’m sure she’s right at home on “The Voice”, but here…Well, we’ll see if she might develop more of a presence, assuming Simon still needs more time to recover…(No need to hurry, Simon…But get well!)

Speaking of people who couldn’t make it, the Divas and Drummers were unable to make it for some reason, and have dropped out of the competition…Brett Loudermilk has filled their spot for tonight, which still leaves a vacant spot to bring somebody back in one of the next three weeks…Let’s just say, I’ve already made my wildcard predictions, even though they weren’t actually intending on any for this round…Also, this change of plans must have happened a while ago, since someone on the Wiki kept listing Brett for this week, even with the editors removing it…This was WELL before they announced that Divas and Drummers dropped out…

Despite the weird nature of the show, I guess I’ll give them props for not USING props, and creating some pretty neat three-dimensional backdrops…Roberta really did look like she was trapped on an island with no means of escape…Well, in an overly-CG’d movie sort of way…

I also liked how the acts that WEREN’T there were able to get some pretty neat sets…It’s almost like they’re in a movie studio amusement park or something…

Anyway, let’s gauge their qualities best we can…

11: Michael Yo. This is probably the first time in a while that a comedian on this show (not counting the ones that were quickly rejected…though on second thought, it might) failed to make me crack a smile even once! The jokes were the same old uninspired gender stereotype jokes I’ve heard from every hack comedian, and there’s just something REALLY obnoxious about his whole “CAN I GET A WHAT-WHAT!?” delivery. I didn’t like him last time either, but there were a FEW chuckle-worthy jokes in his audition…And yes, I feel bad saying these things, especially after hearing what he went through. I sympathize, and am glad that he recovered…But if he goes through tomorrow (and let’s face it, he likely will), it’s not for whatever laughs he brought (as few as those might have been) but the tears. And some of those tears are his own…(Not that he doesn’t have REASON to be emotional, but he is VERY emotional, even by this show’s standards…)

10: Shaquira McGrath. Without the upbeat fun of her audition, or the moving arrangement of her JC performance, this felt about as bland as any singer I’ve heard in the past…She also drowned herself out with the backing track and just didn’t seem to have the confidence she showed before…She even had a boring set to compliment the boring performance (which is sad, since she was the first to perform on that stage, and the ones to come were much better…)

9: Roberta Battaglia. I guess she’s in a similar position as Shaquira, as what made her stand out before was the Lady Gaga vocals…This song wasn’t nearly as interesting, but I guess at the very least her singing was more consistent than Shaquira’s…Are they really gonna push her to win this season? Because so far, I’m not quite sold on her…

8: Pork Chop Revue. “Lethargic dog act” sounds about right…I know they’re hyping it up because “It’s pigs instead of dogs! OMG!” But like I said before, pigs aren’t really that hard to train…And none of the tricks were anything surprising…(At least their audition had that baby pig in the carriage…) Still cute, but I’d still say this act is the runt of tonight’s litter, ready for the proverbial slaughter…It’s gonna take more than a talented spider to save THEM…That’ll do, pigs…That’ll do…

7: Frenchie Babyy. There’s a likability to Frenchie that makes me REALLY want to like his act…But in the end, I think he’s suffering pretty much the same problem as Turf did: There’s not much to the act aside from a guy doing weird things with his arms…He just looked lost in that elaborate 3D set, and there’s only so much stage you can fill with just your arms…It’s not like contortionists filling a stage is impossible; Strauss Serpent pulled it off (at least once), and that guy can pull off contortions that Frenchie could never even DREAM of! We’ll just see if Howie’s faith that he’ll go through tomorrow is well-placed…

6: Simon and Maria. It’s amazing what a fun set can do for an otherwise humdrum act…Not much to this performance that I haven’t seen before from them, but throw in the diner set and the retro clothes, and something just clicks…I didn’t love it, but I still had fun watching them, and I could tell they had fun performing…

5: Double Dragon. Similar case for these ladies, but even moreso! Their name may be a ripoff of an old-school arcade game, but they sure know how to put on a show! In a battle against that OTHER singing twin act with a name straight out of 80s martial arts works, sorry, but the Ninjas are no match for the Dragons!

4: Archie Williams. I’m starting to get Archie’s charm. He may not be the best singer, but he is compelling to listen to…Do I support him potentially winning this whole thing? Not really…But I will wish him the best nonetheless!

3: Annaliese Nock. Sorry, Bello, but I can’t count you for this performance…Nonetheless, like Simon Cowell, I wish you a good recovery! (Speedy too, but like I said, Simon doesn’t need to rush it…) Anyway, it’s funny how they talk about their previous appearances on this show, and yet never brought up that Bello performed this very same act in this very same round three years ago…I will admit…It was better when he did it…He was a LOT more nimble and probably had years of experience doing it, as opposed to Anna tripping at points and looking like it was much harder for her…But that still didn’t stop it from being compelling to watch…Even when she tripped (or ESPECIALLY when she tripped), you just can’t help but root for her to keep going! For that, it might have ended up better than it would have if both of them performed this stunt together…Either way, we’ll see if they get the votes they deserve this time, but there’s still some stiff competition (by which I mean there were quite a few acts that appeal to emotions more than raw talent…Though maybe they’ll get sympathy votes for the accident…)

2: Brett Loudermilk. A mixture of sword swallowing, archery, magic and comedy! It’s like he threw four separate acts into a blender, and this was the result! It looks like Sofia’s gonna be a permanent fixture as his assistant, at least as long as he’s competing in this game…I guess they work off of each other too well! And once again, funnier than the actual comedian tonight (without any offense to Michael, since I know he went through a lot lately). Him and his Pepto-Bismol hair have my vote!

1: Feng E. The sad thing is, Feng’s probably not gonna get the votes he deserves, because he didn’t receive the hype he deserves. I mean, second act of the night!? Really!? This was too awesome to be placed so early! No doubt there’s a bias for which acts tend to get hyped over others, and innovative instrumentalists are never particularly high in the pecking order unless they have a sob story to milk for all it’s worth…Though I will say that his Lego story is a story I would vote for! We’ll just see how things turn out tomorrow, but with so many acts that the judges seem to like over him, and even in the child category he gets out-cuted by Roberta and Maria, it’s not looking particularly hopeful for him…

Pretty mixed bag of a night…Cowellization seemed to be in full effect even without the man himself there…Also, the filmed performances are gonna take some getting used to, but I do like how the acts work with them…

My Votes: I gave every vote I could to my Top 3 in this list…

Result Predictions: I’m not really in the mood to be optimistic here…I still hold that Archie and Roberta will get the Top 2 spots, Michael will probably get the other one, and maybe one or two of my three favorites will make their way into the save votes alongside maybe Simon and Maria and/or Double Dragon…

See you tomorrow for Kodi Lee and Mat Franco!

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

Text

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Quarter-Finals 1

Well, it's official! AGT has reached a “new normal”!

Almost half the acts were filmed, and some of them appeared to be pre-recorded...Kinda undermines the live stage aspect of this show...

What's more, we have Kelly Clarkson filling in for the man who made her famous (I figured it was only a matter of time before we saw her as a guest judge). I guess she was okay, but not really one worth judging anyone other than singers...I'm sure she's right at home on “The Voice”, but here...Well, we'll see if she might develop more of a presence, assuming Simon still needs more time to recover...(No need to hurry, Simon...But get well!)

Speaking of people who couldn't make it, the Divas and Drummers were unable to make it for some reason, and have dropped out of the competition...Brett Loudermilk has filled their spot for tonight, which still leaves a vacant spot to bring somebody back in one of the next three weeks...Let's just say, I've already made my wildcard predictions, even though they weren't actually intending on any for this round...Also, this change of plans must have happened a while ago, since someone on the Wiki kept listing Brett for this week, even with the editors removing it...This was WELL before they announced that Divas and Drummers dropped out...

Despite the weird nature of the show, I guess I'll give them props for not USING props, and creating some pretty neat three-dimensional backdrops...Roberta really did look like she was trapped on an island with no means of escape...Well, in an overly-CG'd movie sort of way...

I also liked how the acts that WEREN'T there were able to get some pretty neat sets...It's almost like they're in a movie studio amusement park or something...

Anyway, let's gauge their qualities best we can...

11: Michael Yo. This is probably the first time in a while that a comedian on this show (not counting the ones that were quickly rejected...though on second thought, it might) failed to make me crack a smile even once! The jokes were the same old uninspired gender stereotype jokes I've heard from every hack comedian, and there's just something REALLY obnoxious about his whole “CAN I GET A WHAT-WHAT!?” delivery. I didn't like him last time either, but there were a FEW chuckle-worthy jokes in his audition...And yes, I feel bad saying these things, especially after hearing what he went through. I sympathize, and am glad that he recovered...But if he goes through tomorrow (and let's face it, he likely will), it's not for whatever laughs he brought (as few as those might have been) but the tears. And some of those tears are his own...(Not that he doesn't have REASON to be emotional, but he is VERY emotional, even by this show's standards...)

10: Shaquira McGrath. Without the upbeat fun of her audition, or the moving arrangement of her JC performance, this felt about as bland as any singer I've heard in the past...She also drowned herself out with the backing track and just didn't seem to have the confidence she showed before...She even had a boring set to compliment the boring performance (which is sad, since she was the first to perform on that stage, and the ones to come were much better...)

9: Roberta Battaglia. I guess she's in a similar position as Shaquira, as what made her stand out before was the Lady Gaga vocals...This song wasn't nearly as interesting, but I guess at the very least her singing was more consistent than Shaquira's...Are they really gonna push her to win this season? Because so far, I'm not quite sold on her...

8: Pork Chop Revue. “Lethargic dog act” sounds about right...I know they're hyping it up because “It's pigs instead of dogs! OMG!” But like I said before, pigs aren't really that hard to train...And none of the tricks were anything surprising...(At least their audition had that baby pig in the carriage...) Still cute, but I'd still say this act is the runt of tonight's litter, ready for the proverbial slaughter...It's gonna take more than a talented spider to save THEM...That'll do, pigs...That'll do...

7: Frenchie Babyy. There's a likability to Frenchie that makes me REALLY want to like his act...But in the end, I think he's suffering pretty much the same problem as Turf did: There's not much to the act aside from a guy doing weird things with his arms...He just looked lost in that elaborate 3D set, and there's only so much stage you can fill with just your arms...It's not like contortionists filling a stage is impossible; Strauss Serpent pulled it off (at least once), and that guy can pull off contortions that Frenchie could never even DREAM of! We'll just see if Howie's faith that he'll go through tomorrow is well-placed...

6: Simon and Maria. It's amazing what a fun set can do for an otherwise humdrum act...Not much to this performance that I haven't seen before from them, but throw in the diner set and the retro clothes, and something just clicks...I didn't love it, but I still had fun watching them, and I could tell they had fun performing...

4: Archie Williams. I'm starting to get Archie's charm. He may not be the best singer, but he is compelling to listen to...Do I support him potentially winning this whole thing? Not really...But I will wish him the best nonetheless!

3: Annaliese Nock. Sorry, Bello, but I can't count you for this performance...Nonetheless, like Simon Cowell, I wish you a good recovery! (Speedy too, but like I said, Simon doesn't need to rush it...) Anyway, it's funny how they talk about their previous appearances on this show, and yet never brought up that Bello performed this very same act in this very same round three years ago...I will admit...It was better when he did it...He was a LOT more nimble and probably had years of experience doing it, as opposed to Anna tripping at points and looking like it was much harder for her...But that still didn't stop it from being compelling to watch...Even when she tripped (or ESPECIALLY when she tripped), you just can't help but root for her to keep going! For that, it might have ended up better than it would have if both of them performed this stunt together...Either way, we'll see if they get the votes they deserve this time, but there's still some stiff competition (by which I mean there were quite a few acts that appeal to emotions more than raw talent...Though maybe they'll get sympathy votes for the accident...)

2: Brett Loudermilk. A mixture of sword swallowing, archery, magic and comedy! It's like he threw four separate acts into a blender, and this was the result! It looks like Sofia's gonna be a permanent fixture as his assistant, at least as long as he's competing in this game...I guess they work off of each other too well! And once again, funnier than the actual comedian tonight (without any offense to Michael, since I know he went through a lot lately). Him and his Pepto-Bismol hair have my vote!

1: Feng E. The sad thing is, Feng's probably not gonna get the votes he deserves, because he didn't receive the hype he deserves. I mean, second act of the night!? Really!? This was too awesome to be placed so early! No doubt there's a bias for which acts tend to get hyped over others, and innovative instrumentalists are never particularly high in the pecking order unless they have a sob story to milk for all it's worth...Though I will say that his Lego story is a story I would vote for! We'll just see how things turn out tomorrow, but with so many acts that the judges seem to like over him, and even in the child category he gets out-cuted by Roberta and Maria, it's not looking particularly hopeful for him...

Pretty mixed bag of a night...Cowellization seemed to be in full effect even without the man himself there...Also, the filmed performances are gonna take some getting used to, but I do like how the acts work with them...

My Votes: I gave every vote I could to my Top 3 in this list...

Result Predictions: I'm not really in the mood to be optimistic here...I still hold that Archie and Roberta will get the Top 2 spots, Michael will probably get the other one, and maybe one or two of my three favorites will make their way into the save votes alongside maybe Simon and Maria and/or Double Dragon...

See you tomorrow for Kodi Lee and Mat Franco!

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

Text

Thank you! I’ll read YOUR blog whenever I get the chance, though it might not be often...

So I guess all that’s left to know is who the wildcards will be (assuming there WILL be wildcards, and I really don’t see why not). There will likely be a total of four wildcards, and each of the judges might even get a chance to pick one...

Brothers Gage really are at the top of my list. They have JUST the right elements to make for a compelling choice: The chance at redemption, the curiosity of “what would have been”, etc.

I’m also considering Ryan Tricks, since as it is we only have one magician in the live shows, which is unprecedented! And they might even bring back the Ninja Twins (and guess which judge will likely give it to them), because what are live shows without at least one joke act? (BONAVEGA doesn’t count! ...Well, maybe a little...)

All of the acts who were eliminated without performing are candidates as well, but interestingly the one at the top of my list of candidates is Jennifer and Daiquiri! I mean, she seemed the most heartbroken out of these acts, AND from the sound of things, she had some special plans for what she was gonna do next...Surely the judges are at least a LITTLE curious of what that could be...

I won’t even bother going through the ones who didn’t appear, as chances are they couldn’t come back even if the judges TRIED to reach them...I was definitely thinking the same as you with Wesley, but maybe he can try again next year when he’s less busy with other Got Talents...Same goes for several other favorites!

As for “The Shape”, they really DO sound quite mysterious, don’t they? Even their name sounds mysterious! Though poor ol’ Michael Myers now has to deal with BOTH of his names being hijacked; His real one by the guy who plays Austin Powers and his nickname by some dance group...Of course, that’s what he gets for stealing William Shatner’s face! Definitely his most heinous offense!

So let’s talk about next week’s acts...Here is my list based on how much I’m rooting for them...It’s PARTIALLY based on how much I’m expecting from each of them, because there ARE one or two candidates who, let’s face it, WILL be advancing to the semi-finals...

11: Simon and Maria

10: Double Dragon

9: Shaquira McGrath

8: Pork Chop Revue

7: Michael Yo

6: Divas and Drummers of Compton

5: Frenchie Babyy

4: Roberta Battaglia

3: Archie Williams

2: Feng E

1: Bello & Annaliese Nock

And now to rank them based on their odds...

11: Pork Chop Revue. People like pet acts, but I’m not sure if they’ll get into pigs to the same degree as they get into dogs...This act looks about as disposable as anybody on the list...

10: Double Dragon. These two are held up as a favorite of the judges, but I don’t quite see the voters getting quite as excited about them...It all rides on how big they go, and even then, I’m not sure...

9: Frenchie Babyy. This guy does have a pretty compelling backstory, which will surely help him out, though he might be a little too shocking to get America’s vote, especially when competing against several other stories...

8: Bello & Annaliese Nock. These two are hard to place...They’re at a disadvantage because we saw next to nothing from them in the auditions...But at the same time, they’ve both been on the show before, so some people may remember them...I’d say, if they can pull off a good enough stunt, and with a little help from the producers maybe placing them near the end of the show, MAYBE they’ll finally get the votes they deserve...But it’s an uphill battle, as there are at least a few acts who just need to cry a bit to knock them out...

7: Shaquira McGrath. She has potential...But she also has potential to get overshadowed by the other two solo singers...

6: Simon and Maria. This MIGHT be a disposable act, but at the same time, child dance duos have historically done pretty well on this show, even when they’re kinda “meh”...I mean, occasionally we get a below-average act like Artyon & Paige that not enough people care about, but these two ARE better than THEM...And none of the judges seem to have any issues with this act, so I really dunno...

5: Feng E. This is my wishful thinking entry, as we haven’t really gotten to know Feng yet, and he DOES come off as a Mini-Marcin, which is concerning considering how Marcin DID last year...But being a preteen kid is sure to appeal to some of the voters, and he has the prodigy factor going for him...If he can put on a rockin’ enough set, he has a fair chance...

4: Michael Yo. Three comedians in this round, and this one’s my least favorite of the bunch...At the same time though, he has the best odds going for him, if his little blubber-fest after his audition is anything to go by. We’ll see how he does for this round, though let’s face it: The judges are pretty easy to win over with a stand-up set (ESPECIALLY the bald man himself). You can tell they want a comedian to win sooner or later...Well, they’re gonna need to find someone REALLY unique if that is to happen...

3: Divas and Drummers of Compton. Let’s see, a bunch of urban schoolkids with GOD knows how many family members ready to vote, we’re in the middle of a big worldwide racial protest...I’d say this act will be a tough one to eliminate!

2: Roberta Battaglia. No way the most viewed audition of the season is going home THIS early, and if she does, Sofia’s gonna have to cut somebody! (And I don’t want to be in her path when she does!) But while I talked about this kid potentially winning, in the end there’s one singer this season who we REALLY have to look out for...

1: Archie Williams. Yeah, I had my doubts before, but with all the hype this guy’s getting from EVERYBODY, it really is starting to look like HE is the one who is destined for victory this year...I guess this would make him the oldest winner in AGT history (of course, I forget how old the father from Olate Dogs was). Like I said before, he deserves some good progress in this game, what with how screwed over he’s been by the system...And who knows? A good song choice (or even an original song) could make ALL the difference! We’ll see if I become a fan of his with his next performance...

Now, just for fun (and at the risk of making this post confusing with THREE lists of the same people), I’m gonna guess the order that each of these acts will perform, including our would-be wildcard...Some placements are a bit wishful, but most are based on who I realistically see in what spot...Here we go!

1: Roberta Battaglia

2: Pork Chop Revue

3: Divas and Drummers of Compton

4: Simon and Maria

5: Shaquira McGrath

6: Frenchie Babyy

7: Michael Yo

8: Double Dragon

9: (Insert wildcard here...Ryan Tricks?)

10: Feng E

11: Bello & Annaliese Nock

12: Archie Williams

See you when they reveal the wildcard(s).

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Judge Cuts

Well, this pandemic’s making a mess out of everything, isn’t it?

I guess Simon wasn’t a fan of the format for this round from the previous seasons…But whatever format it’s going to be in the future, let’s…NOT go with this one…As it is, we only know the fate of, like, HALF the acts…And I’m still processing some of them! (Though I can tell that I spoke too soon on some of the acts we didn’t see much of before…)

As usual in this round, some decisions I agree with, and others…Well, Thomas Day and Kameron Ross both made it, among other singers that didn’t excite me before, so this may not bode well for some of my favorites…But I should still give them credit for sending ALMOST all of my favorites from the auditions through…Some are still pending, and others…well…We can only hope for some good wildcards this year…

Anyway, only ten acts actually performed, so let’s rank them…

10: Simon and Maria. Look, these kids are perfectly passable, but you seriously expect me to believe they deserved to advance over some of the other acts!? That said, I guess they have a yearly quota, and part of that quota is a child dance duo…

9: Ryan Tricks. You know, while watching the show, I actually found Ryan to be the superior magician BY FAR, but taking a second look, I do see the staged nature of it all…Where are these magicians making all these connections!? Alesha Dixon, David Hasselhoff, Shin Lim, freaking Tape Face!? This guy definitely has the advantage in charisma, but I do feel like he’s being held back from his full potential, by circumstances beyond his, or anyone else’s control…

8: Max Major. So everything said…There was nothing from this trick I haven’t seen before…But unlike Ryan, he did his trick live with the judges, which scores him some points…THAT being said, Shin Lim Effect is in full swing with this guy! He’s gonna need to give us something original for future rounds if this act is to really work out…

7: Craig Reid. Fun…But not enough to stand out…

6: The Ninja Twins. Two annoying schmucks performing one of the most annoying songs in recent years by one of the most unlikable pop musicians? That sounds like something I would reject on the spot! …And yet these two managed to find their groove through a REALLY creative homemade set and fun choreography! The out-of-breath vocals only added to the appeal…That said, I am glad they didn’t go through, because even if you look past the immense backlash such a decision would garner, I don’t see myself liking them in the long run…(PS, I missed a perfectly good chance with their previous appearance to make a reference to the “Ninja Rap” by the legendary Vanilla Ice from the cinematic masterpiece, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze”, and for that I apologize!)

5: Ty Barnett. I guess the comedian category WAS getting a little crowded, and I have no real arguments with their selections…But I dunno…I still like this guy, even if the set wasn’t quite as funny as before…

4: Brothers Gage. Make these guys a wildcard, NOW! Yes, I won’t argue that this wasn’t as good as their last appearance, but it’s still so much fun! And I’m all for them mixing in some other instruments and even vocals…But the harmonicas are still the heart and soul of the act, and they must never forget that! It’s hard to say what’s next for them, especially if they DO come back…But I wish them the best!

3: Shaquira McGrath. I guess she abandoned a bit of her unique identity by dropping the country from the act…But “Wake Me Up” is one of my favorite songs, and her rendition of the song really “made it her own” as they say…We’ll see if she goes back to country in the next round…

2: Nolan Neal. I would have loved to hear another original song, but I don’t see why singers can’t mix it up between originals and covers on this show…Still one of the best vocalists of the season, if not THE best! He’s got the love!

1: Jonathan Goodwin. Well, all we saw of this guy before was catching an arrow…But he looked badass when he did it, and he continues to be a badass tonight! Not much else to say…This guy’s just a badass!

I guess things could have gone better…But…Yeah…

So next week is gonna be another special…I GUESS we’ll be going live the week after, but we’ll wait and see…

Until then, let’s partake in the yearly tradition of choosing our own Golden Buzzer acts! While they haven’t revealed all of the live acts yet, I feel I don’t need to wait, as none of the TBD acts quite measure up for me. (Actually, Wesley Williams was one of my favorites, but he doesn’t rank quite as high as who I’m selecting…)

I almost wanted to select Nolan Neal, but I think I’d rather pick another variety act this year…

So my Golden Buzzer selection this season is…

(Drumroll…)

The Spyros Bros!

It’s hard to say how well they’ll do in this game, but I think if they play their cards right, they could go very far! They have the story, the personality, and the coolness to potentially do well!

(I also considered Malik, but I felt it would get repetitive if I kept picking the innovative instrumentalists every year…)

Once again, FrankDoc is allowed to make a selection as well! Just remember, it has to be an act that has made the live shows, isn’t a wildcard, and isn’t anybody else’s GB…(Also, you can wait for them to announce the other live acts if you want…)

I’ll see if I have anything to say next week with the…I guess compilation of AGT winners…But I doubt it…Otherwise…Well, life has been pretty crazy for me lately…Honestly, I’m not even sure if I can continue posting these blogs for a while…But I’ll keep going as long as I can, and will continue to watch this show regardless!

…So much for that livestream idea though…

RIP, Regis: The original AGT emcee!

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Judge Cuts

Well, this pandemic's making a mess out of everything, isn't it?

I guess Simon wasn't a fan of the format for this round from the previous seasons...But whatever format it's going to be in the future, let's...NOT go with this one...As it is, we only know the fate of, like, HALF the acts...And I'm still processing some of them! (Though I can tell that I spoke too soon on some of the acts we didn't see much of before...)

As usual in this round, some decisions I agree with, and others...Well, Thomas Day and Kameron Ross both made it, among other singers that didn't excite me before, so this may not bode well for some of my favorites...But I should still give them credit for sending ALMOST all of my favorites from the auditions through...Some are still pending, and others...well...We can only hope for some good wildcards this year...

Anyway, only ten acts actually performed, so let's rank them...

9: Ryan Tricks. You know, while watching the show, I actually found Ryan to be the superior magician BY FAR, but taking a second look, I do see the staged nature of it all...Where are these magicians making all these connections!? Alesha Dixon, David Hasselhoff, Shin Lim, freaking Tape Face!? This guy definitely has the advantage in charisma, but I do feel like he's being held back from his full potential, by circumstances beyond his, or anyone else's control...

8: Max Major. So everything said...There was nothing from this trick I haven't seen before...But unlike Ryan, he did his trick live with the judges, which scores him some points...THAT being said, Shin Lim Effect is in full swing with this guy! He's gonna need to give us something original for future rounds if this act is to really work out...

7: Craig Reid. Fun...But not enough to stand out...

6: The Ninja Twins. Two annoying schmucks performing one of the most annoying songs in recent years by one of the most unlikable pop musicians? That sounds like something I would reject on the spot! ...And yet these two managed to find their groove through a REALLY creative homemade set and fun choreography! The out-of-breath vocals only added to the appeal...That said, I am glad they didn't go through, because even if you look past the immense backlash such a decision would garner, I don't see myself liking them in the long run...(PS, I missed a perfectly good chance with their previous appearance to make a reference to the “Ninja Rap” by the legendary Vanilla Ice from the cinematic masterpiece, “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze”, and for that I apologize!)

5: Ty Barnett. I guess the comedian category WAS getting a little crowded, and I have no real arguments with their selections...But I dunno...I still like this guy, even if the set wasn't quite as funny as before...

4: Brothers Gage. Make these guys a wildcard, NOW! Yes, I won't argue that this wasn't as good as their last appearance, but it's still so much fun! And I'm all for them mixing in some other instruments and even vocals...But the harmonicas are still the heart and soul of the act, and they must never forget that! It's hard to say what's next for them, especially if they DO come back...But I wish them the best!

3: Shaquira McGrath. I guess she abandoned a bit of her unique identity by dropping the country from the act...But “Wake Me Up” is one of my favorite songs, and her rendition of the song really “made it her own” as they say...We'll see if she goes back to country in the next round...

2: Nolan Neal. I would have loved to hear another original song, but I don't see why singers can't mix it up between originals and covers on this show...Still one of the best vocalists of the season, if not THE best! He's got the love!

1: Jonathan Goodwin. Well, all we saw of this guy before was catching an arrow...But he looked badass when he did it, and he continues to be a badass tonight! Not much else to say...This guy's just a badass!

I guess things could have gone better...But...Yeah...

So next week is gonna be another special...I GUESS we'll be going live the week after, but we'll wait and see...

Until then, let's partake in the yearly tradition of choosing our own Golden Buzzer acts! While they haven't revealed all of the live acts yet, I feel I don't need to wait, as none of the TBD acts quite measure up for me. (Actually, Wesley Williams was one of my favorites, but he doesn't rank quite as high as who I'm selecting...)

I almost wanted to select Nolan Neal, but I think I'd rather pick another variety act this year...

So my Golden Buzzer selection this season is...

(Drumroll...)

The Spyros Bros!

It's hard to say how well they'll do in this game, but I think if they play their cards right, they could go very far! They have the story, the personality, and the coolness to potentially do well!

(I also considered Malik, but I felt it would get repetitive if I kept picking the innovative instrumentalists every year...)

Once again, FrankDoc is allowed to make a selection as well! Just remember, it has to be an act that has made the live shows, isn't a wildcard, and isn't anybody else's GB...(Also, you can wait for them to announce the other live acts if you want...)

I'll see if I have anything to say next week with the...I guess compilation of AGT winners...But I doubt it...Otherwise...Well, life has been pretty crazy for me lately...Honestly, I'm not even sure if I can continue posting these blogs for a while...But I'll keep going as long as I can, and will continue to watch this show regardless!

...So much for that livestream idea though...

RIP, Regis: The original AGT emcee!

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Online Auditions

Alright, let's talk about the online auditions...And I don't just mean the ones they actually showed in full on the show last week, I mean all of the ones that were available to watch before the season even began! You can find all the videos here (you can't miss them): https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsNUxRA5hGXEAZI3Mk_D3JQ/videos

So let's get right to it, shall we...?

10: Erin McCarthy. I'm sure Terry got flashbacks to his Old Spice days (I know it was the other guy, but still...) I guess the horse was a pretty amusing touch, but this lady's so pitchy that I was getting a migraine! All that said, this was a HELL of a way to close out the auditions...

9: Chris & Syd. Well, the guy's a nice singer, and the dog...is good at howling...Otherwise, this is a silly gimmick, and won't likely make it past the Judge Cuts next week...That said, if they do, they're gonna be a real threat in this game, bringing in votes from both the Heartland and dog lovers...

8: Tommy Socks. It's funny how they showed this right after the dude juggling flaming axes and a chainsaw...and yet THIS is the most dangerous-looking act I've seen in these online auditions! Usually, a man his age shuffling around on a hard-tile floor in his socks is a LifeCall waiting to happen! And yet he not only remained on his socked feet, but proved to be very spry on them for his age! This act is a silly gimmick, and he won't make it past the next round, but he still has my respect!

7: Max Major. OH MY GOD! THE FINGER TRICK WORKED ON ME TOO! HOW DID HE DO THAT!? IT COULDN'T HAVE BEEN SIMPLE PHYSICS, HE MUST BE A WIZARD! ...Or a demon, like Simon said...But seriously, this was nothing amazing...I guess the fact that he was able to do this through video chat was impressive enough, although I did just read a comment about an “invisible deck”, which does make it less impressive...Still, I'm curious enough to see what he can do on a live stage...

6: Lauren O'Brien. Impressionists are always fun, even if the novelty of them tends to wear out pretty quickly from round to round...But I enjoyed her, and her impression of Sofia is all the more amusing now that I've gotten to know her more throughout the auditions. (Silly accent aside, she is growing on me as a judge...)

5: Darius. I guess he won't give his last name...(Rucker?) Very likable personality, good song choice, and a very nice singing voice! I wouldn't quite call him my favorite singer of the season, but this was a nice audition...It's actually kind of a shame that we won't likely see him again...At least this season...But if nothing else, maybe I'll actually get a little respect for my miserable time working retail (even though I quit that job months before COVID even broke out...)

4: Alexis & The Puppy Pals. Well, she's not quite at Alexa Lauenburger's level yet, but she's on her way! None of the tricks were anything I haven't seen before, but they were very impressive considering the age of the trainer...How interesting that some of the best dog trainers to come on this show are little girls! All that said...The 80s called, they want their wardrobe back!

3: Aaron...Bonk? (Sorry, I can't see his name spelled out anywhere, only hear Terry pronounce it.) Silly little diagonal mohawk aside, I'm always a sucker for rebellious-looking people juggling chainsaws and flaming weaponry! I'd love to see him do this act on a stage, but since they didn't even show him in last week's quick compilation of online acts, we're probably not even going to see him again...Again, at least until he tries auditioning again for one of the coming years...

2: The Hurd Family. Clearly, the dad and the eldest son are the real talent, while the two younger siblings are just there to cute it up a bit...Some very strong dancing, but sadly they probably won't make it past Judge Cuts since they were given the montage treatment in the official episode...

1: Simon's pajamas. A brilliant spectacle! BRRRRAVO!

This was a fun little collection of talent, and the home-recorded nature of everything kinda added to the charm...The judges were also more entertaining while just casually kicking back at their houses...Like with “Saturday Night Live”, I hope it doesn't have to continue like this, but for now, it was different and enjoyable...(Unfortunately, the Judge Cuts will be more of the same, so I really do wonder how they're gonna handle the remainder of this season...)

Probably the only acts from this who will pass the Judge Cuts next week are Alexis and MAYBE Max (if he can pull off a good enough trick). Everyone else were either silly gimmicks who don't even have the quality of so-bad-it's-good, or weren't shown in full for the official episode last week...

But we'll just see...For now, let's move on to tonight's “Best Of” show...Here are the auditions they compiled for this episode...

1: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew

2: Double Dragon

3: Brandon Leake

4: Brett Loudermilk

5: Cristina Rae

6: The Spyros Bros

7: Voices of Our City Choir

8: Alan Silva

9: Roberta Battaglia

10: Vincent Marcus

11: Archie Williams

The reason why I listed these acts is because all of them are most likely in the live shows already (not counting the Golden Buzzer acts that we KNOW are already there). The “Best Of” shows tend to be made up of acts that the judges and/or producers liked the most, and by the time they air, the live performers have already been selected weeks or even months ago...So you know they must have liked them enough if they're in this compilation...

Can't say I'm surprised by any of these choices...except maybe Double Dragon; They were a little under my radar...I mean, if it were up to me, this compilation would have included Malik DOPE, Noah Epps, Nolan Neal, Winston, Brothers Gage, Wesley Williams and Sheldon Riley...But Waffle and Spyros are probably my two favorite auditions this season overall, so whatever...

I guess these were pretty good auditions overall...A few boring episodes here and there, but there was still a handful of memorable acts...I'd LIKE to think they'll all make it next week, but we'll just wait and see...The format's going to make things VERY difficult, and we might not even see some of them compete again...

Even the Golden Buzzer choices had some decent variety for once! Only two of them were solo singers (one child, and one adult), and for the other spots we have a choir, a poet and a dance group...Waffle's still the only act that really excites me, but it's refreshing when it's not just four singers and a dance act...Plus, from a cynical business standpoint, the choices all make perfect sense...

As for which of them will win this season...Well, it's a VERY tough call...I'm still rooting for Waffle, and they DO have the right aspects to help them out...But so far, they're not quite raking in the same enthusiasm that other winners have...

Roberta has the most views BY FAR on Youtube...But does she really have the uniqueness or overwhelming hype that previous winners had? While I like her overall, I REALLY don't want her to win this season, because NOTHING about her is distinguishable compared to all previous winners...MAYBE the quality of her singing voice compared to other child singers, but even that is a tough comparison...

Otherwise, we've had child singers with much more unique gimmicks win in the past, she's not writing her own songs (yet), she doesn't have a unique genre...Hell, even in terms of which judge's Golden Buzzer she is, it's hard to root for her; It's only Sofia's first season, and she's basically filling in for Gab Union (whose GB won last season), who in turn filled in for Mel B (whose GB won two seasons before that). Come to think of it, aside from Howie's GB the season before THAT, the only judge who has SEEN their GB win each year was the female minority judge (seeing that NONE of the GB's won in Season 13...though it was probably MEANT to be Howie's again...)

Point being, if there's any season where Simon's GB is to win, it should be the one where he selects an act that has potential to be one of my favorites...I guess it wouldn't hurt to give Heidi a year either...Or hell, more seasons where the winner ISN'T a Golden Buzzer...(You never know...It could be Archie...)

Anyway, that's all I got for now...See you next week when we find out which lucky acts get to perform live...Or...well...as live as they can make it...(God, PLEASE don't make this our “new normal”!)

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 7

Okay, so there were a LOT of acts to talk about tonight, due to the overall format...

I've been wondering how I would cover the online auditions I watched before the season even started...It is a completely different stage, and therefore it's hard to compare the acts to the ones that actually appeared on the AGT stage...What's more, they didn't show the entirety of the acts they showed on Youtube...Plus, they have taken down the videos I've watched before and replaced them with the more heavily edited ones...

Right now, I still don't know what I should do...So I'm gonna be a little weird (since tonight's show was REALLY weird), and not talk about the online auditions this week...Next week will be the “Best Of” compilation, so I think that will be a good time to talk about the online auditions, and in fact see if I can find copies of all of those videos I saw before...

Until then, while they're still fresh in my mind, I CAN briefly talk about the ones they showed that WEREN'T in the old videos...Not much to say about them overall; I don't remember the guy who caught the arrow...

But I WILL point out Bello and Annaliese Nock returning as a duo (which is interesting since I remember when I pointed out earlier this season that the Bello Sisters sounded like Annaliese teaming up with two sisters I didn't know about to try the show again). They show a lot of promise, but seeing that they only showed a brief clip of them, it looks like their bad luck on this show is likely to continue...

And speaking of returning contestants: I'm not sure, but the leader of Dance Town Family appeared to be that dude from Miami All Stars who keeps coming back with multiple variations of the same act...It's been some years since those three straight seasons of the guy, but it looks like this attempt isn't going to work quite as well as those other ones...

Onto the part of the show I'll be focusing on this week...I'll start by saying that Voce Nova might have been a bit obnoxious, but they really were no worse than some of the other “acts” that passed tonight...They're in the same boat as Anthem and Aria the other week, in that they are incredibly cheesy and campy, but they were talented enough singers and were at least a LITTLE entertaining...

Whatever, let's get on to the passing acts already...

10: Chicken Scratch Sam. Oh, good, the guy from “Toy Story 2” found work after Woody and Buzz ruined his business...

9: The Ninja Twins. I actually REALLY wanted to like these two...Maybe if they weren't constantly talking over each other and everyone else, they wouldn't have given me such a headache...But I guess their silly song was catchy enough...Still less annoying than Mirror Image...

8: Kameron Ross. I was bored...He did little for me with the track, and he was only slightly better a capella...I hope he doesn't make the live shows, because I'd rather not root against the Heartlanders who will inevitably flock to the voting lines for him...Then again, maybe the homophobes in the Heartland will counter it...Nah, there will be plenty of LGBT people and other “sympathetic” voters who would make up for it...

7: Siena Uremovic. Would be filler on a better night...Moving on...

6: Alex Hooper. Maybe it was the lack of an audience to spread negativity through boos, but this guy's jokes seemed to land a lot better this time! If his whole act is gonna be roasting the judges, then I'm all for it!

5: John Hastings. I guess we still have our TRADITIONAL stand-up comedian quota to fill for this week...(Seriously, this has gotta be a record for most comedian auditions in a season!) I'm kinda losing track of which ones stood out the most, but this guy might be one of my favorites so far! As usual, nothing gut-busting, but there were some memorable bits, like the farting homeless guy...I guess we'll have to wait and see how the comedians all compete against each other in Judge Cuts...Usama Siddiquee is still my favorite so far...

4: John Sevier Austin. (Shrug) It was pretty cool! I don't know how he pulled that off!

3: Lightwave Theatre Company. I guess we WERE missing our obligatory multimedia act of the season...I can't say this impressed me to the same degree as most others of their type; The puppets were creepy-looking (not helped by the black backdrop, which also made it difficult to see them), some of the movements were awkward (the girl puppet's legs were bending in a weird angle much of the time), and it was the typical “heartfelt” schmaltz we're used to seeing on this show, specifically from “storytelling” acts like this one. But I'll give them this: They were pretty memorable! ...Which is a LOT more than can be said for most of the other acts tonight...I'm still a sucker for multimedia acts, which is the main reason why this places as high as it does...

2: The JD Marching Band. I suppose this works better for a football stadium or the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, but I still enjoyed the hell out of these kids! A nice little wake-me-up during such a sleepy night...Also interesting how they seem to push their token white kid to the front much of the time...

1: Sheldon Riley. I guess this goes to show that image can mean everything when you compete on this show...Without the crazy getup, I probably would have waved him off as another very impressive but relatively unremarkable singer (at least compared to some of the others). But he really does have a solid voice, and that coupled with his presentation made him by FAR the most memorable act of the night! I actually really like him! Not quite my favorite singer, but nonetheless, he has my support!

I guess the last auditions tend to be pretty lackluster, as it's usually just a bunch of last-minute afterthoughts that they didn't feel like airing before...But since this was clearly the last audition chronologically (not counting the last stretch of the show that I'm saving until next week), there does seem to be less of an excuse...

Whatever, I'm just about done with these auditions anyway...Tune in next week as I go over the online auditions, and maybe talk a little about the “Best Of” show, if there's anything worth talking about...

Until then, stay safe and stay sane!

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 6

10: Crystal Powell. Well...I liked the national anthem bit...Reminded me of that funny Maya Rudolph sketch from SNL...

9: Michael Yo. This wasn't my favorite comedian either, but I guess he had some relatable material...At age 31, I dread the coming midlife...

8: Brandon Leake. At the very least, this was an interesting GB pick...Although I don't think he's the FIRST poet we've seen on the show...I vaguely remember a poet trying out for the show FOREVER ago, but he wasn't very good and got buzzed out...I might argue that spoken word doesn't gel the best with this kind of show, but nonetheless it IS a talent, and this guy did a good job with it...My only REAL criticism is the whole manipulative build-up leading up to him revealing that his sister died as a baby in the performance...I figured about as much before that (Why else would he bring her up in the package?), and the whole thing about her being there with him was ESPECIALLY set-up...I liked him for what he was, and I am very curious to see how this act plays out this season...

7: Kenadi Dodds. There's one thing I can guarantee you: If she makes the live shows (and I don't see why she wouldn't), she is going to be UNSTOPPABLE with the votes! Between the country singing and the sob story (especially when we're talking about a sob story that's constantly developing over the act's time on the show), she has every factor needed to suck votes in like a vacuum! Luckily, she is a good singer and a decent songwriter, so if she can stand out enough, she's okay with me!

6: Shevon Nieto. Same thing with this lady, though she scores extra points for having a VERY unique and powerful voice! The singing category's looking to be a tough one this year...even though none of them look like they'll win...I'm still pushing for W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew...And on a side note, it's kinda crazy that we're having former Olympians and E! interviewers competing now, doing things that are different than what they've formerly established themselves as...

5: CA Wildcats. I guess this is the best cheerleading act I've seen on the show so far, and the moves were impressive enough...Then again, V.Unbeatable could almost pass as a cheerleading act...Either way, it's nothing that's gonna really stick with me, though the original music they have playing in the background that's like a cross between a remix and those interludes you hear on radio stations gave me SOMETHING to remember...

4: Elijah. Forget that band I brought up previously, with this kid, Tyler Butler-Figueroa, Brian King Joseph and Lindsey Stirling, we now have the necessary members to put together a groovin' string quartet! (Okay, I guess one of the other three will have to switch their violin out for a viola...) Naturally, he can't jump around and dance with that big thing like the others do, but for his age, he shows a lot of promise! Some scratchy notes here and there, but even more lovely and creative notes as well! (Oh yeah, and one thing other acts have OVER singers is that Simon can be displeased with the backing track, and still let them through without making them do another performance!) This really is the season of extreme instrumentalists, as the next two entries in this list will also show you...

3: Jacob Velazquez. Another of those acts that pulled the ol' “I do this, but what I'm not going to tell anybody is that I also do THIS!” But I'll give him a pass on it, since his piano playing was beautiful (as was his original composition), and his drumming was next-level! Elijah may be very good for his age, but this kid is a straight-up prodigy!

2: Brothers Gage. Not the FIRST harmonica players we've seen on the show, but still blow the old-timers we've seen in the past out of the water! Though I can't help but wonder if I'm looking forward to seeing how they handle other instruments, as well as vocals, or if I think they should just stick with the harmonicas...I'll wait and see what I think is best for them (not that my opinion matters...)

1: Wesley Williams. I'm willing to admit when Simon is right...This guy really DOESN'T mess around! All I can really say is that I wonder how he can top this...With an even TALLER unicycle? Well, either way, I think it's only fitting that I put this at the top of the list, and I hope his good looks will be enough to get him far in this game!

Not my favorite audition, but again, there were a few standouts, and there were parts I liked with ALL of the acts...Even the ones that got rejected had some entertaining aspects to them...(For instance, that one magician with the comic-style graphics was weird, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't wondering what more he could do...) Okay, everyone except the “air guitarist”...Romeo Dance Cheetah was a better “air guitarist”...

I have been wondering if next week (since there are no new episodes), I should take the time to go through the acts from the “At Home” videos, but I'm not sure whether or not they'll actually cover them the week after for the last audition...I'll probably just take the week off and see what they do, and if nothing else, I can cover them the week after when they show the “Best Of” episode...

This season is either going to be the longest season ever, or the shortest, depending on the circumstances...But until then, we'll see how they handle it all...

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 5

Well, for starters, Eric Stonestreet was a perfectly likable and amusing judge...Though I can't help but wonder, what with him being a member of Sofia's modern family, if this counts as nepotism...

Meanwhile, we had a man do some extreme finger snapping, which I would have given more time before buzzing out seeing that the first performer in the history of the show found success doing the same kind of act (though I won't pretend this was ANYWHERE near Badfingers' level).

An old grandma showed off her body and made a thirty-something like myself jealous, and we all laid witness to the superstar that is Serban Cioca!

And as for acts that DID make it, I'll give a quick shoutout to Art Acro, who gave us a brief snippet of an awesome act, and will most likely be placed on the chopping block come the next round...

Now for the ones that made it, AND had time dedicated to them...

10: Chef Boy Bonez. Well, I might have heard some good flows in there, but seriously, who was even listening to him!? First of all, it's hard to hear his raps over everyone shrieking and gasping, and secondly, it's kinda hard to pay attention to even the dopest of lyrics when the MC in question is jumping around looking like he took his helmet off on Mars in the movie “Total Recall”! Even if he somehow makes it past Judge Cuts, there's no way he's gonna amass the votes to go any farther than the Quarter-Finals...Though if nothing else, he's sure to go on as one of those mythical “Top 10 Rappers Eminem was Afraid to Diss”, because Marshall don't need THIS guy and his Madballs eyes rapping in his face!

9: Jesse Kramer. This guy actually has one of the best singing voices I've heard this season, though I don't think he put it to the best of use with his song choice...But as a rock fan myself who wants it to find representation again in our modern music scene, I'm in Howie's position of wanting to give him another shot regardless...

8: Annie Jones. The child singer category's looking to be pretty cutthroat this year! But this kid might actually be my favorite in the category so far! While her voice is pretty much at the same level as Roberta Battaglia and Ashley Marina, her dancing is what pushes her to the top! I guess it's no surprise that she's dressed like a Spice Girl...

7: Shaquira McGrath. A black woman with the name of a Latin popstar singing the whitest music genre of them all? Never would have expected it to work, but this lady made it work well enough that she's probably somewhere in my Top 3 favorite singers of the season so far...Though we'll see if the gimmick carries her over into later rounds...

6: Xtreme Dance Force. These guys hold the unenviable task of performing (or airing) the week after W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew blew our socks off...The super-generic name and apparently advertising the next worthless X-Men movie on their jackets (either that or they forgot to change out of them after finding out that their old name is kinda taken) doesn't help matters...But they had a lot of great precision and some creative choreography, so I suppose I did have a good time watching them, regardless of any occasional mistakes they might have suffered...That being said, Waffle's gonna DESTROY them come the live shows!

5: Lewis Shilvock. Well, it looks like we've found the next star for the “We Will Rock You” Broadway musical! Maybe that's where this talent belongs, but for the time being, I was pretty mesmerized by his crazy moves! ...And I guess his golden trousers as well...

4: Ty Barnett. While not the funniest comedian ever (honestly, who IS on this show?), he had a very cool and likable personality, and I enjoyed his rather laid-back energy...He's like the anti-Preacher-Lawson! Either way, best of luck to him!

3: Alan Silva. While I wouldn't say it was the BEST act of the night as Simon said, this was still a definite standout! Aerial acts are usually pretty hit-and-miss (usually at the same time), but there was just something about the way this guy glided around that it's kind of a shame it didn't go on a little longer! Also, story or no story, his kids are just precious! If he knows how to keep this act going, he could go very far indeed, and maybe even put his former contestant of a brother to shame!

2: Bonebreakers. Looks like contortion is a cutthroat genre this year as well! What's more shocking than Frenchie Babyy? How about four of him!? Actually, I probably wouldn't have winced quite as much if it weren't for the cracking noises the editors clearly threw in...But regardless, this was pretty mesmerizing, and I honestly look forward to seeing more from these weirdos...

1: Winston. One of the best magic tricks we've seen in recent years, and you go with a basic first-name title that could just as easily be Peter, Ray or Egon? Oh well, I guess the important thing is that not only has his young man overcome the Shin Lim Effect (which is made evident by the CONSTANT milking of his victory two years ago...Ironic, since I'm still convinced that he wasn't meant to win...), but he actually did a trick that RIVALS some of Shin's best! It was both mesmerizing (I notice that I keep using that word tonight) and kinda scary! It was like watching a trailer for a movie by Guillermo del Toro or David Cronenberg, complete with good ol' body horror! The only way it could have been better is if it ended with his whole body turning into cards and blowing away, followed by him walking back onstage like “Wassup!” Anyway, if he can avoid any Eric-Chien-level disappointments, he could do very well in this game! Let's see if he can keep magic alive on this show...

Well, it wasn't QUITE as exciting as last week, but there was plenty of variety in the acts, and I found something to appreciate in almost all of them, even the singers...And even the exceptions to that were memorable, so I would say that this was a pretty good night...

Let's see how things carry on next week without a live audience...

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 4

11: Christine Hurley. I will say, I wasn't a big fan of the stand-up for the most part anyway, as she basically came off as Bargain Bin Barbolak (with only 10% trailer nasty). I mean, I've seen this character plenty of times before...But I also felt bad for that little flub; She was doing fine up until that point, and it really threw her off by the end...I will admit that Howie gave some pretty good advice, and I hope she takes it to heart to improve for the future...Best wishes to her!

10: LILIAC. Shame we didn't see more of this act...I enjoyed what little of them I saw! But I guess the next entry had to be the focus of the segment...

9: Luca Di Stefano. Barry White he is not, but this amused me enough...I wouldn't say this guy is necessarily a talented singer OR a talented baritone, as I could hear his voice cracking up throughout...But I enjoyed the gimmick for now, knowing that he's very likely going to be cannon fodder in the next round. (And probably for the best...Doing that CAN'T be good on his throat!)

8: Ashley Marina. So we're combining the drama from the Ansley Burns, Lamont Landers and Daniel Emmet auditions now, huh...? This kid gets THREE tries, HUH!? Honestly, it's getting harder and harder to understand Simon's standards by now, because I thought she did really good with both of those other attempts...But this was an obvious set-up...I liked her precious little dad song enough, and her singing voice is legitimately good (though nothing particularly new for me), so I'd say she deserves a shot in this game...I'm just sick of all this manipulative drama...Simon, I'm coming for your dogs! (This is becoming a VERY disturbing running gag...)

7: Olox. And from here on out, it's nothing but overwhelming positivity! When these two Power Rangers villains walked out, I knew they were either gonna suck, or we were gonna get something truly entertainingly bizarre! I am beyond happy that it was the latter! As far as such an unappealing talent as throat singing may be, they really are talented in that department, and they found a way to make it fun! ...And yet strangely the lady still sounded less like a goose than Dolores O'Riordan...(I'm just teasing; I like the Cranberries AND that song...) A silly gimmick that's sure not to get very far, but I'll enjoy the ride as much as I can!

6: Brett Loudermilk. Markiplier called, he wants his hair back! Next to Cristina Rae, this is probably the act we saw the most of in the promos...On the surface, he seemed like just another sideshow act, and to be fair, he kinda was...But contrary to some opinions I've made before, this is one type of act where personality is everything, and this guy has it by the bucketloads! Honestly, he is probably one of the funniest comedians we've seen in recent seasons, without even doing stand-up! And Sofia was almost as funny working off of him! I've no doubt the extra segments of the performance were a set-up (and how interesting that we had two acts with midway cliffhangers in a row...and I still loved this audition as much as I did!) That being said, I look forward to seeing him again! ...Though I guarantee you his throat hurt like a motherf***er the next morning! (And that makes TWO dudes in one show abusing the hell out of their throats!)

5: Nolan Neal. Vying for the gold medal in the Sob Story Olympics, and yet I'm willing to look past that because this man is just THAT talented! It's like if Chris Klafford's voice (and beard) came together with Marcin Patrzalek's guitar skills, with the songwriting complexity of We Three! Interesting how his audition came right after the Golden Buzzer, since this guy looked fitting enough for it (especially from Simon), and I honestly wouldn't have complained (though I'll get to the REAL pick soon...) But as it is, this guy looks like a prime GB pick for the Judge Cuts, and I have no doubt that he will go far! Hands down my favorite singer so far this season!

4: Feng E. Speaking of the passing down of Marcin Patrzalek's skills, here's a mini Marcin right here! Grace VanderWaal is watching this kid and going “Why didn't I do THAT with my ukelele!?” From what little we saw of him (not so much the performance as the boy himself), I wouldn't doubt that he will probably be eliminated in the next round...Real shame...But we have another talented preteen to potentially step in for him...

3: Noah Epps. It was actually a close one between the two kids, but I ultimately picked Noah because we saw more of his dancing than Feng's electric ukelele playing...(It's actually a close one between all of the Top 7...) It looks like they finally built a more advanced model of the Merrick Hanna droid, now with more creepy Pinocchio schtick! (Ultron, eat your mechanical heart out!) I really hope this kid does well in this game; No reason to cut his strings so early...

2: The Spyros Bros. So THIS is what Mochi's act was missing! Well, where he failed, this may be the act to succeed in making diabolo a talent to be taken seriously on this show! What they have already displayed here was mindblowing, and from what they've said, it sounds like this is only the beginning! Between the awesomeness we are (possibly) about to witness, the bullying backstory, and the AGT fanboyism, this act does have the potential to go far! When I watched the preview video on Youtube a few days ago, I was expecting this to be another awesome act in an otherwise humdrum show, but not only were almost every act tonight top-notch, but one other act just barely edged them out from the top spot of this list...

1: W.A.F.F.L.E. Crew. In Season 13, we got the epically named Pancakes! And now this year we have met their superior brethren in the dancing breakfast pastry category! (Can't wait to see French Toast Crew in Season 17 and Da Crepez in Season 19!) Okay, onto the most important point...I never thought I'd say this...But I think I'll be rooting for Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer to win this season! It's hard to compare them with the more gimmicky dance acts like V.Unbeatable, Light Balance and Zurcaroh, but as far as straight-up hip-hop dance goes, this is the cream of the crop! It's also hard to compare them with the other GBs; They probably won't get as many Youtube views as Roberta or Cristina (though we'll just see), but they definitely stand out more, and Simon is sure to push them as far as possible! So far none of the acts are safe bets for the win...But maybe it's time a dance crew finally got it (again, not counting V.Unbeatable at Champions earlier this year...) These guys have all of the necessary materials to go all the way: The skills, the style, the story, the Golden Buzzer, the fans' blessing, Simon's blessing...and MY blessing!

WHERE WERE ALL THESE ACTS BEFORE!? It's like they saved almost all of the really exciting ones for one show (though Malik and maybe a few others would have fit in quite well). This reminds me of that audition episode last year that had Marcin, Berywam and ADEM all in the same show (as well as that goofball who did the Andy Kaufman thing), but if almost the entire show was at their level! Hands down the best audition of the season so far, with several acts I could see making it all the way to the Finals!

So next week should be interesting...We already saw what it's like with a vacant judges' seat (giving the Spyros plenty of space to toss the diabolo over), but we'll see how Sofia's “Modern Family” co-star Eric Stonestreet handles filling in for Heidi...

I will probably expect the last Golden Buzzer of the round (Howie's) to be saved for the final audition the week after (I wonder if it will be that “at home” show I saw on Youtube, and they left out Howie's GB in those videos). Either way, we'll wait and see...

Until then...

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 3

10: David Rush. Well this was a real RUSH to beat the clock, huh? ...Eh? ...Eh? Well, I can't exactly say it made for the best show, but if he's promising to do all of those crazy things for future performances...Huh? What's that? He didn't go through because apparently Howie and Sofia aren't interested in seeing those things? Well then, I guess this was a complete waste of time...Congratulations on the record though...Let's get to the REAL passing acts...

9: Amanda LaCount. It seems almost cruel that supermodel Heidi of all people buzzed this girl. I guess it was nothing great, but I've seen weaker overweight dancers, so I'm willing to let her have her moment for now...

8: Celina. I'm not QUITE as desensitized towards singers as FrankDoc is, but I am definitely getting there...At this point I'm just desperately grasping for ANY kind of uniqueness in this ever-expanding category of talent...I'm just looking to get some kind of new experience...But as we go on, it's just getting harder and harder to care anymore...It's all the same kinda fluff by now...How was this lady? ...Good...I might have appreciated her more a few years ago...The tragedy is that singing makes up about half the talent that competes on this show, and there always should have been significantly less! Maybe then I would actually still have a level of appreciation for a good voice...

7: Daneliya Tuleshova. I wasn't super-impressed by this performance either, but I put her over Celina because I actually see some nice potential (and apparently, so do her fans from “The Voice Kids”). The song choice wasn't the best display of her abilities, but I could still see them. Overall, this was the most memorable American performance from a Kazakh since Borat sang the national anthem! (And I promise that I will end the Borat jokes there! ...Not! ...Nah, seriously, that's as far as I'll go...)

6: Marty Ross. I'll admit, during that first minute, seeing what little enthusiasm everyone was showing, I was afraid for this guy...And then he got into the kinds of dirty jokes you expect from elder comedians like him by now, and he settled comfortably into likably amusing territory...It is all becoming gimmicky in that all of these comedians keep having to joke about “first impressions”, like “Yeah, I'm X, but I'm funny because Y!” That said, I'll give him a chance and see how he develops in the coming rounds...But so far, the guy from last week has the most potential as this year's comedian to not quite get that win...

5: The Demented Brothers. It seems that an increasing number of magicians know that they'll never reach Shin Lim's level, so they just goof around and perform what I can only describe as “mock magic” (see Lioz Shem Tov from Season 13). I ALMOST considered giving these two the top spot on the list as sort of a poetic “Take that!” to this episode for its heavy focus on sentimental singing acts, but like Lioz before them, the comedy never quite reached true brilliance...Perhaps they will have a chance to do that for future rounds, but Simon's gonna make that difficult for them...It sucks being the funny guy in a room full of sad people, doesn't it?

4: Resound. I think I would say that these people are EXACTLY EQUALLY talented as Voices of Service...at least based on what we've seen so far...That's a good thing, but it is hard to get super-invested in them when they feel like such a similar act to one we've seen the previous year...Sometimes I just want to see something different...I think I've been saying that for a while now...

3: Cristina Rae. Aaaannnnd, we're back to the predictable formula...Not just the Golden Buzzer being saved for the very end of the show, but also Simon stopping a singer and letting them pick a second song...Which is a pity, because by that point we ALL knew she was going to get it anyway (not to mention how much of her we saw in the promos), so the commercial break did nothing but try my patience...All I gotta say is, this lady's lucky that her second song was so much better than her first! So is THIS the Golden Buzzer that will win this season? Well, let's compare her with last week's selection...Roberta's definitely the more typical candidate, because as I usually point out, adults tend to be favored over kids in the MALE singer category, whereas kids almost ALWAYS outperform adults in the FEMALE singer category...That being said, Roberta still lacks that unique aspect to her that other winners had in the past, whereas we surprisingly haven't had any soul singers win the show yet, albeit one that sings rock songs (though Cristina certainly isn't the first). And of course, I'm still waiting to see an adult woman win this show after seeing several young girls (and plenty of adult men) pull it off...So I would definitely say I'm rooting for Cristina more...But Roberta has better odds going for her...Though at the end of the day, I'd probably say that it will be neither of them...And NEXT week (I was wrong before, but it is DEFINITELY next week), Simon will be giving out HIS Golden Buzzer! Naturally, we should wait and see who it will be, but I have no doubt that the man won't rest until at least one GB of his finally wins...

2: Shakir & Rihan. It's official: V.Unbeatable has paved the way for Indian acrobatic dancers! Not sure if they stack up with BAD Salsa, but I do see a LOT of promise so far! Lord knows, India doesn't have ENOUGH of a problem with youths tossing young boys in the air...

1: Emerald Gordon Wulf. I've been debating with myself all night who should get the top spot in this list, and I ultimately picked this kid, because aside from some impressive contortions (a step or two past what we've seen from girl contortionists in the past), she put on a show! What's more, she didn't have to rely on making it intense like Sofie Dossi, or shocking like Frenchie Babyy (though I hear she was on “Toddlers & Tiaras”, so I guess that's a little shocking...) All she needed to do was entertain with a creative set and an equally creative entrance (a nice logical step forward after that guy in the suitcase last year). I look forward to seeing what she brings for later rounds!

I will admit, my hunger for unique, new talent that we haven't seen on this show before is getting the best of me...Does anyone else like to make up fantasy acts in their head? I've done it since I started watching this show, and sadly, a lot of them are far more interesting than a lot of the acts we've gotten this season so far...I guess there were one or two acts this season that I might consider “Golden Buzzer worthy”, and I might even end up giving my imagined Golden Buzzer for the season to one of them...But otherwise, nobody's really blowing me away so far...I hope that changes soon, but it gets harder the longer I watch this show...

Anyway, I already talked about the Golden Buzzer for next week, so I guess I'll just leave it there for now...Stay safe and stay healthy!

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 2

11: Thomas Day. Is it okay to mock his hair, or is the Ace-Ventura-in-that-scene-where-he-was-wearing-a-tutu look just in these days? Alrighty then, let's get to the talent...He was good...And that's about it...I generally agree with Howie that his nerves somewhat got in the way of an otherwise charismatic presence, but I suppose he was JUST likable enough that I'd give him a pass...Though this does tell me that he's probably already been advanced to the live shows, because why else would they show an otherwise unremarkable audition in full...?

10: Kelvin Dukes. It's like if Steve Urkel WASN'T irritating and was actually kinda likable! Personality aside, his singing was also...good...Nothing mindblowing...So that's two of three singers at the bottom of my list...I assure you, the other one is much higher!

9: Simon y Maria. Cute and likable, which is always the magic formula for child dance duos. They're very talented for their age, though they better pray they never get pitted against that Indian duo from last week...

8: Frenchie Babyy. I'm usually fine when watching people contort in all these nasty ways, but this time I actually did get a slight bit queasy...Not sure how he stacks up against Strauss Serpent, but I do see potential...He just has a way to go before my enjoyment of him overshadows how much I cringe at him looking like his arm's about to come loose...

7: Divas and Drummers of Compton. STRAIGHT OUTTA...Yeah...This made for a very fun opener to the show, and everything from the precision to the choreography came together excellently! Obviously that three-year-old (looking scared out of his mind of the giant audience) is just there to add a little extra cute factor...Otherwise, they were clearly keeping him off the stage for both said stage fright and to avoid him getting kicked like a football into the field they usually cheer on...Anyway, I see a lot of promise with these kids!

6: Florian Sainvet. This is where the list gets a little tricky, because I greatly enjoyed everyone from this point on...But I guess this human disc burner gets the lowest spot, because I can very much see him...well...burning out...If he can prove me wrong, great! Until then, this was very slick and a lot of fun to watch! I guess the only issue is watching him drop those CDs all over the place...Those things aren't cheap, you know! That said, Howie looked unimpressed, and they didn't show him giving his opinion and whether he said yes or no...Chances are, the Shin Lim Effect came into play here, though in my opinion, this was far enough removed from the usual card tricks that I see Shin as a non-factor...

5: Jennifer and Daiquiri. I'm also quite surprised that there hasn't been a magic dog act before...(I have once pictured a DANGER dog act, though that would probably bring the ASPCA knocking faster than you can say “Woof!”) But this was a fun twist on the usual pet trick formula! And the most baffling trick of all was getting that big dog to fit through that little hoop! I'm all for this act! I legitimately hope they do well!

4: Usama Siddique. Finally, a comedian that isn't a middle-aged woman or has a disability! This is another case where I wish he went longer, but I almost come to expect that by now...Though since Heidi actually called it out this time, maybe that will change real soon...

3: Bonavega. Move over, Hans! There's another flamboyant superstar in town! I won't lie, I was expecting a disaster as well, but aside from being energetic and fun, the dude was actually a pretty decent vocalist...Granted, I didn't hear what he was saying a lot of the time, but I guess it's hard to hear him over all the noise he's making as well as the cheering he got...Oh yeah, and he's not half bad at guitar either! Last year I thought that the drag queen with the beard would be Hans 2.0, but this time I would say Bonavega HAS to be the successor...He has everything Hans had, and more!

2: Roberta Battaglia. When this girl came in with still over half an hour to go, I knew one of two revolutionary things would be happening with the Golden Buzzer...Either the act that I predicted would get it just from looking at the promos would NOT get it, and it would instead go to something different from usual, or they finally refrained from putting the GB at the very end of the show...I was mostly hoping for the former, but the latter makes perfect sense! Why would you want to make it a formula to put the awaited reveal at the end of every show, when that could lead to many of your viewers just tuning in at the very end? What's more, Sofia's selection is very much justified! Not only could this girl sing about as well as Lady Gaga could, but she emulated all of the inflections and tones from the song perfectly! She SOUNDS like Lady Gaga, and I could see her doing a good Miley Cyrus as well! (Say what you will about her music, but that chick can sing!) So far she's the most likely candidate to win this season, though I have my doubts because she doesn't quite have any of the unique draws that helped every other winner stand out...That said, I believe I've heard that she has a lot of fans (from another Got Talent she competed in or something), and we're yet to see how big her video's gonna be or how much media attention she gets...We'll just wait and see if another act comes along that fits the mold better...Though if nothing else, I can totally see her as the runner-up!

1: Bello Sisters. When I read their names on the Wiki before watching this show, I was thinking that Bello Nock's daughter was back with two sisters I didn't know about before...But I guess what we got instead wasn't too far off...Anyway, this had everything you could ask for from an act like this! Already they're putting the Messoudi Brothers to shame (at least when comparing auditions)! And I guess it's only fair, as after said distaff counterpart gave some eye-candy to the ladies, now the dudes get to watch three hot sisters put their hands and feet all over each other! The formations were mesmerizing, and I really hope this act goes at least as far as Messoudi did! Though it is worth noting that there are far more female viewers of this show than the male ones...Just keep them from competing the same night as say, Thomas Day, and we'll be peachy...

This was another overall solid episode! Sure, a few of them weren't anything amazing, but the fact that I consider more than half of the passing acts tonight slam dunks is a good sign! I'm still hoping that MAYBE they can find a Golden Buzzer that doesn't sing, but as long as they're great like tonight's choice, I don't mind too much...

Let's see if that lady they've been hyping up in all the promos gets it next week...

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mashitandsmashit · 4 years

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It’s good to have you back! Let’s take this season together while the rest of the world is so very far apart!

America’s Got Talent: Season 15 - Auditions 1

Hello, and welcome to my reviews/countdowns for “America’s Got Talent”, Season 15! I’m Mashitandsmashit, but you can call me Mash or Mashit for short…

So with AGT turning a decade-and-a-half old, some changes are bound to be made…I guess I’ll just get them out of the way real quick…

1: Heidi Klum has officially returned to the AGT judges’ desk, and yes, I will admit that after the boredom I endured from What’s Her Name and That Other Chick last year, her quirkiness was sorely missed…

2: Sofia Vergara will be taking the other seat, and while she can be likable and entertaining, they probably just hired her because they wanted a chick with an even funnier accent than Mel B.

3: Due to a certain virus flying around, some of the auditions will be held remotely, like every other “live” show on TV right now…In fact, a handful of them have already been uploaded to Youtube, but I’m not sure whether or not they’ll air these auditions on TV, so I’ll hold off on reviewing them for now…

Anyway, it’s not like we have anywhere to be these days, so let’s get right down to tonight’s premiere…

Here’s my first act ranking for Season 15!

10: Archie Williams. The act that felt more like a Golden Buzzer than the ACTUAL Golden Buzzer, and the act most likely to win the whole season so far…And he’s at the bottom of my list…Not that I don’t see the value in him, his singing was very nice and all…BUT it was far from the best singing I’ve heard, including from old brothas like him…Indeed, when Simon said he will never forget this audition, it’s pretty obvious what the reason is, and raw talent is not it…That being said…this is one case where I might be willing to throw the act a bone specifically BECAUSE of the sob story! In fact, I don’t think I’m even gonna complain about this guy making it all the way to the Finals! Because you know what, as rubbish as the results on this show can be a lot of the time, even the worst results in the show’s history don’t even hold a candle to the injustice that this man had to suffer for all of these years! I’m at a point in my life where my mortality has hit me hard, giving me an existential crisis over not having accomplished anything significant that I would have liked to in life, and feeling trapped in my current situation, unable to improve it! I can only imagine what THIS guy went through, having the prime years of his life stripped away from him and thrown in a cage over something he didn’t do! A LOT is owed to this man, not the least of which are those 37 FREAKING YEARS of his life back! But since that is a tragic impossibility, I guess the LEAST we can give him is his time in the sun on this show! And we won’t let that sun go down on him! …Even if he’s by no means the best…Will he win? Probably not…But he’ll probably go far either way…And maybe he can even legitimately earn some of it by improving his voice or performing an original song…Who knows…? (HOO, boy…That’s a HELL of a review to open this season with!)

9: Double Dragon. I didn’t know the Lee Brothers had successors! Where’s the coin slot? I wanna beat up some Black Warriors with these ladies’ singing and choreography! Anyway, this was entertaining, if rather gimmicky…We’ll see if these ladies can pick a song choice I can take a little more seriously next time, or if they go all out on the silliness! …Honestly, I’m kinda rooting on the latter!

8: Voices of Our City Choir. A choir getting the Golden Buzzer? STOP THE PRESSES! But seriously, I do see potential in this group…There were a few aspects to this act that we haven’t seen in previous choirs, like the (very catchy and enjoyable) original song, the instruments and the choir leader actually singing with them (in a very unique singing voice, no less). I’d rather avoid another Detroit Youth Choir situation, but seeing that this IS Terry’s Golden Buzzer, and the hosts’ GB picks have consistently made the Top 3 AT LEAST every time…again, save for that old burlesque dancer lady…I’d say these people have the potential to keep that streak going…Then again, Angel City Chorale had similar draws to them, and they never did that well in the votes…The whole numbers factor usually only works for kids, because parents are more likely to vote than OTHER relatives…So between that and the comparisons made between this act and Archie, it’s a tough one to call…We’ll just see what develops as the season goes on…But if nothing else, maybe it’s time to break that streak…

7: The Pork Chop Revue. We’ve seen dog acts, bird acts, cat acts and even a rat act, so who’s to say we can’t add pigs to the animal trick collective? I guess when you get down to it, it’s pretty much another dog act but with pigs…And I probably wouldn’t even say that pigs are the most difficult animals to train, as they’re actually quite intelligent…But this was unique and different enough for the time being, and both the gigantic mother and the little baby pig stole the show…and everyone’s hearts! That’ll do, pigs…That’ll do…

6: Ryan Tricks. I would like to take this moment to coin a new AGT term: The Shin Lim Effect! Basically, it refers to the shadow that has been cast over all magicians on this show by a certain other magician, hence the name…Because of it, all magicians that compete on this show will inevitably be compared to You-Know-Who…It’s not exactly a fair comparison, but it does set the standard for what is expected of all magicians from here on out…This man, for instance, did a trick that was far from the most mesmerizing or head-scratching…BUT, he still made me wonder what made this trick possible, and as mundane as that sounds, it IS the highest of compliments you can give a magician! The only answer that could hurt his credibility is if Howie and Simon were plants…But I’ve long since stopped assuming that they do those things…I’m not ENTIRELY sold on him yet, but he is likable enough that I’m willing to give him a chance…

5: Broken Roots. These guys were easily the most interesting singers for me tonight! I look forward to seeing how they improve with a little more practice…

4: Muy Moi Show. Just when you thought you’d never see a more insane sideshow act than Bir Khalsa…This guy did everything short of hanging something off of his eyelids! He even put his shirt back on! That’s almost a cardinal sin in the eyes of the female judges! All I have to say is, I look forward to seeing what he does with a bigger budget!

3: BAD Salsa. Is it wrong that I almost wondered if they were former V.Unbeatable members? I mean, they certainly had the acrobatic abilities! This takes the whole dance duo genre to a new level, so I guess it’s no surprise that it’s from India!

2: Vincent Marcus. I wish I had Eminem and Jay-Z singing my nursery rhymes back when I was little! I never watched Vine, so I’m not aware of this guy’s earlier work, but he seems like a pretty funny guy! Question is, will he make good progress like Greg Morton, or will he be taken out prematurely like several other acts of this nature…? Who knows? But I hope he does well, because this was certainly one of the more memorable acts so far…

1: Malik DOPE. Looks like my dream band consisting of Tokio Myers, Brian King Joseph and Marcin Patrzalek finally has a drummer! I’m not sure if this guy blew me away to the same degree that those other guys did (yet), but I do love his moves! I see a lot of potential in this act, especially when he gets enough of a budget to add some special effects or something…(PS, I’d probably pick Courtney Hadwin to be the lead singer…I’ll call them the Sounds of Chaos!)

Overall, a pretty solid opener to the season! Even the weakest acts (not counting the rejects) had something to admire, and that’s always good!

Next week, Simon’s apparently got the Golden Buzzer…And I figure that it’s only a matter of time before his GB wins the show, so we’ll see if this is the year…I just hope that WHATEVER kind of act it is, it’s deserving enough to go all the way to the Finals as I’m sure it will inevitably either way…

So I guess I’ll see you then…Assuming anyone else will be posting here with me, after the total silence I got at Champions a few months back…

Still looking into that podcast…

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