Category: america’s got talent

Fatally Unique, Zuma Zuma, Team iLuminate, and Melissa Villasenor rounded out the quarterfinal picks in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 20. Tonight we get the Youtube auditions. I’m skeptical because if you’re that good, why not spring for the airfare? But Jackie Evancho demonstrated last year what could be found on the Internet.

TNC Elite are cloggers. Piers tells us no clogger has ever won America’s Got Talent. I could have guessed that. Their routine is more accessible than most because it’s got contemporary music, but it’s still clogging. Piers thought that was pretty good. Sharon felt the dancing was fighting the music. Howie really enjoyed that… on Youtube.

Brett Daniels is an illusionist, or so we’re told. It’s easy to fake things on the Internet. It’s true. His act is a tribute to Marilyn Monroe. He makes her disappear from a picture and then reappear on stage and later disappear. Piers buzzes after he gets bored (he was not alone). Sharon liked the premise of the act, but the presentation was a bit slow.

Gabe is a skateboarding bulldog who can flush the toilet. Piers dismisses him before the act even begins. He takes a seat on a rocking horse, presses a buzzer (an impression of Piers Morgan), lifts his leg near a picture of Piers (who then buzzes him), and skateboards a bit. Piers may have hated that, but the other two were quite happy with it.

Aeon is a parkour group that adds a wheel and dancing to their act tonight. Based on this, I could not tell you what parkour is, but I guess it was sort of interesting. Piers buzzes because he felt that was poorly choreographed and believes they messed up. Sharon thought it was repetitive. Howie, however, loved that they created a show.

Breena Bell is an 8 year old dancer/contortionist. Who coached her to keep smiling the whole time? Piers buzzes with a suggestion to be a gymnast rather than doing this act that cannot sustain itself.

Kevin Colis is a singer and guitar player. He gave up when he got old (30), but he’s decided to give it another go. Howie thinks that was great, but he’s in a really tough category. Piers disagrees because the singing category is not that strong this year (a nice change of pace).

Beth Ann Robinson is a dancer. Quite good, but she’s in probably the most competitive category, as the group dance acts are awesome this year. The judges all have glowing compliments.

Gymkana are acrobats from the University of Maryland, whose main prop is a pair of ladders. Sharon’s amazed they’re not professional gymnasts. Piers liked it, but he thought it was a bit repetitive.

Kalani Basketball Freestyle is described by Howie as a one man Harlem Globetrotter. Toward the end he drops a ball, which is an instant buzz from Piers. Howie doesn’t know if that’s a full act.

West Springfield Dance Team are hip hop dancers who dress in lots of black. I could do without the creepiness, but their dancing’s good. Piers says they lived up to the potential he saw on Youtube. Howie thinks America’s going to push them ahead.

Matt Wilhelm does bike tricks in the dark, which was enough to make him the winner of the Youtube votes. He’s only done this once before. Very cool idea, and this year we’ve seen two acts perform in the dark who are the frontrunners. The judges agree with America’s voting.

Powerhouse is a show choir that was apparently an inspiration for Glee. Howie buzzes. That’s different. He thought that was like a high school rendition of what they do on Glee. Piers was happy with that, the cheesiest thing he’s ever seen.

A couple pretty good acts, none with any real shot, but then we got to Matt Wilhelm, who like last year is the lone star that makes the Youtube night worthwhile.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 23, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

The last set of 12 audition acts performed in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 19, and tonight 4 more will advance.

Frank Miles, Avery and the Calico Hearts, Taylor Davis, and Fatally Unique are the first group. I can’t pick a favorite from this middle of the road bunch, but America chose Fatally Unique. Piers thinks it’s well deserved since they are the most improved.

Zuma Zuma and Yellow Designs Stunt Team are up next. I take it this is Zuma Zuma’s to win, and it is.

Scott Alexander, Team iLuminate, and Sam B are the third group. Obviously, Team iLuminate is the team going forward.

The Kinetic King, Melissa Villasenor, and Charles Peachock are the final set of contestants. As likeable as he is, Kinetic King’s act was an epic failure, and he has been eliminated. That will bring it to the judges to vote for Melissa or Charles. Sharon votes for Melissa. Piers votes for Charles. Howie breaks the tie by voting for Melissa. Not surprising since Sharon and Howie gave Charles a hard time last night, but it’s still the wrong decision.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 21, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Poplyfe, Lys Agnes, and Professor Splash advanced in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 18. Tonight the final 12 quarterfinal acts perform: The Kinetic King, Zuma Zuma, Avery and the Calico Hearts, Charles Peachock, Sam B, Taylor Davis, Melissa Villasenor, Scott Alexander, Fatally Unique, Yellow Designs Stunt Team, Frank Miles, and Team iLuminate.

The Kinetic King will do the biggest setup of his life, 36 hours worth. But it’s just a disaster as his tongue depressors fail to explode, repeatedly, even with both him and Nick kicking them. He’s baffled by what went wrong, but at least he keeps a positive attitude.

Zuma Zuma is an acrobat group that apparently came here from Kenya for the sake of auditioning for America’s Got Talent. Their ease of climbing and jumping on poles is impressive.

Avery and the Calico Hearts have been performing together since before kindergarten, a couple years ago. A Stevie Wonder song certainly was not what I expected. Which producer picked that out for them? They made Piers smile, but he thinks their singing ability needs a few years to develop.

Charles Peachock is the juggler who set his legs on fire, but he won’t be upping the danger factor tonight. He starts off playing piano with tennis balls, and Sharon quickly buzzes him. That many balls playing Chopsticks is quite impressive. Following that, he rips off his shirt, and Howie buzzes. Then he switches to Jailhouse Rock. All quite good, but it’s no fire. Piers was impressed by the control and speed while being able to play music. Howie claims he’s seen this act before. Really?

Sam B is a waste of time who fancies himself a dancer. Next.

Taylor Davis is a singer and guitar player who I don’t remember and probably won’t, but he’s got a decent voice. Piers buzzes because he thought he was off key for most of the performance. Sharon disagrees and thinks he’s the best male singer, though she didn’t like the song choice.

Melissa Villasenor is a comedian and impressionist. If you have to say the name of the person you’re impersonating, it’s probably not that good. Piers thinks she’s talented, but the routine was not great. Sharon says she should be very happy with herself having done this as a comedian with no gimics like most of the other acts can bring.

Now that he has three young children, magician Scott Alexander thinks this would be a great time to return to Vegas. He starts off with a group of choir singers, who he makes disapper, then they reappear in the audience. Sharon and Howie kind of sort of liked it, but Piers was happy with the showmanship that he felt was lacking previously.

Fatally Unique is a dance crew from a rough area in Illinois. Howie thinks they should move to the next round. Piers says they have gotten their act together.

Yellow Designs Stunt Team are the next bike (bicycle not motorcycle) stunt team. While they’re performing, they have some dancers on stage. I’m lost in the chaos and psychadelic backgrounds, and apparently I missed someone fall. Piers thought they did a great job of transforming this from a street act into an act that could actually work in Vegas.

Frank Miles is the guy who pretended he got stabbed in Vegas. I was not amused. He starts off by firing a crossbow at an unarmed woman holding a balloon. Then he fires another one, with the others set to go off in a chain reaction and the final one firing at the jelly donut on his head. Didn’t hit the jelly donut, but he’s not dead either.

The final act of the night is Team iLuminate, combining dancers with a software programmer. Between these guys and Silhouettes, the dance category is looking awesome this year. Howie calls that by far the best thing he’s seen. Piers and Sharon are equally complimentary.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 20, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

Another set of 12 contestants performed in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 17, and tonight 4 more will advance to the semifinals.

Ian Johnson, Summerwind Skippers, and Purrfect Angelz are up first. I would have expected to see this trio in the last group of the night rather than the first. I’d guess the half clothed chicks will advance of this lot. Ah, but there’s a catch. They’re all out.

Poplyfe and Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. go next. Obviously Landau is advancing, but the surprise is that Poplyfe is, too.

Mauricio Herrera, Captain & Maybelle, Lys Agnes, and Monet are up next. I’ve gotta go with Lys here, with an outside shot for the captain and his wife if America can get past the disgust. Lys Agnes moves to the next round.

SH’Boss Boys, Seth Grabel, and Professor Splash are in the final group. But first Stevie Nicks is singing for a second time. What, did you blow your whole budget on one person tonight, NBC? The act leaving the competition is the SH’Boss Boys. I expected their cuteness might carry them through, while I thought Seth Grabel’s behavior in the earlier round might be his undoing. Their elimination sends Professor Splash and Seth Grabel to the judges for voting. Sharon votes for Seth. Howie votes for the professor. Breaking the tie, Piers votes for Professor Splash. I’m not sure how he creates a 90 minute act out of this, but I’d much rather see him dive through fire regardless.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 19, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

Silhouettes, Daniel Joseph Baker, Steven Retchless, and the Smage Bros. advanced to the next round in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 16. Tonight 12 more acts perform: Summerwind Skippers, SH’Boss Boys, Mauricio Herrera, Seth Grabel, Poplyfe, Ian Johnson, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Purrfect Angelz, Monet, Captain & Maybelle, Lys Agnes, and Professor Splash.

Howie warns us not to try this at home. Even the singing (and more singing).

Summerwind Skippers jump rope. To that mix tonight, they’re adding dancers and a disco ball. Cool enough, I suppose, but I agree with Howie. Really good, which is not enough. Piers was happy to see they’ve improved and made skipping sexy.

The SH’Boss Boys are little wappers. Bonus points for cute, the reason America will use to vote for them. Sharon wants to hug them, but she realizes she’s got cooties. They are shocked to find out people can get to 55 years of age, like Howie. Piers suggests they drop the singing and stick to rapping.

Mauricio Herrera is guaranteed at least one buzz from Piers. Sharon buzzes as well, but we can count on Howie to let this ridiculousness continue. If Piers were staying at a hotel where Mauricio were singing, he’d go back to the room and pack his bags.

Seth Grabel dropped his prop in Vegas and then proceeded to blame his assistants. Hopefully tonight he’s less of an ass. He gets strapped up and blindfolded, then he’s suspended above what we are told is boiling hot tar. After escaping, he’s shot out of a cannon into some water. Howie hopes he can come back. Piers calls it bigger, better, faster, and slicker.

As bands go, Poplyfe is okay I guess. Sharon hopes America brings them back. Howie makes an even stronger pitch on their behalf. Piers finally sees the point of the band.

Ian Johnson is a yoyoist. A geeky talent if ever there were one, but his skills are impressive nonetheless. Piers buzzes. As exciting as that was considering what it was, he still found it boring. Howie believes he’ll probably be the best yoyo person in the world, but his question is whether it’s a headline act.

Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. returns with more old school singing. That gets him a standing ovation from two of the judges. Howie thinks he could go all the way.

Purrfect Angelz can be forgiven for their stupid name because they’re former NFL/NBA cheerleaders who wear limited clothing to show off what their doctors have given them. Piers buzzes. Didn’t see that coming. He thought it was better than Vegas but not good enough. Howie says this is the best Hooters he’s ever been to. Sharon had fun but asks whether it’s worth $1 million.

Monet has one name already at age 12. Howie senses her passion, even if she doesn’t hit every note. Piers didn’t buzz her because he sees promise, in 3 or 4 years.

Captain & Maybelle are freaks and happy to be so. I can’t tell where their tattoos stop, and I don’t want to know either. He hooks a pot through his tongue, then she puts it through her nose, in each case wildly swinging it around. Then a tea kettle attaches to his eyelids, and the judges cower in fear and/or disgust. Piers calls them the two most disgusting people in America.

Lys Agnes is an opera singer with a great shot, assuming America gets it. Piers thought it was great, but he wasn’t moved. Sharon, however, was moved, and so was Howie.

Professor Splash is going to dive from over 36 feet high into 12 inches of water. As impressive as this is, how do you make it a 90 minute show? He specializes in fire, so we’ll see that next time.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 18, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

The second set of 12 acts performed in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 15. Tonight 4 more will go through based on America’s votes.

The Rhinestone Ropers, Thomas John, and Silhouettes go first. Two acts that just did awful compared to one that really shined once again. Needless to say, Silhouettes advances.

Steven Retchless, Attack Dance Crew, and Geechy Guy go first. This result is obvious, albeit perhaps less obvious. Howie says the dance crew is out, but Piers thinks they’re the most talented. Ultimately, it’s clear that the best talent is Steven, who is going to the next round.

Daniel Joseph Baker, Dani Shay, and Dylan Andre are up. One singer shall survive. Tough to call. Dani clearly blew it, but I can see arguments for the other two. Daniel is in the semifinals.

Smage Bros. Riding Shows, Mona Lisa, and Landon Swank are going for the judges’ votes. Mona Lisa’s out, but the other two both have a shot, though Landon’s got a bit of an uphill battle without Sharon’s support. The end of another singing act will put it the judges to vote for another variety act to get through. Sharon votes for the Smage Bros. Piers votes for Landon. With the deciding vote, Howie votes for the Smage Bros. I’d rather see the magic act.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 17, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.

Snap Boogie, Sandou Trio Russian Bar, Anna Graceman, and Miami All Stars were the first group to join the semifinals in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 14. Tonight 12 more acts compete for America’s votes: Attack Dance Crew, Dani Shay, Geechy Guy, Daniel Joseph Baker, The Rhinestone Ropers, Dylan Andre, Landon Swank, Smage Bros. Riding Shows, Thomas John, Steven Retchless, Mona Lisa, and Silhouettes.

Attack Dance Crew are a group of dancers that Howie doesn’t get. Piers likes the look and some of the movements, but he wasn’t too keen on that. Sharon agrees. They don’t stand out. Howie still doesn’t get it. They’re like cheerleaders, only not good at that either.

Dani Shay is the female Justin Bieber who forgot the words to her own song in Vegas. Without the Bieber bit, which was classic, I just don’t get it. Sharon calls that amazing and pure. Howie again doesn’t like her song choice. Piers thought it was a good performance, but there were some off notes, again going back to song choice.

Geechy Guy is the comedian who’s the third one over on the evolution chart. Piers hates him and his one liners. He’s escorted on stage by two woopie cushions. He’d give his right arm to be ambidextrous, and he thinks the place is haunted because he got booed last night. It’s not long before Piers buzzes him. Howie doesn’t know if that was enough, but he thinks he’s a very good comic.

Daniel Joseph Baker is a diva and proud of it. For someone who only sings in his living room, he’s quite the performer. Piers sees the fire in his belly, although the singing wasn’t perfect. Sharon adores the fierceness.

The Rhinestone Ropers add a horse to the mix. Piers buzzes. Evidentally, he’s thinking the same thing I am. If this horse trick show were their first performance, they wouldn’t have made it past the auditions. Sharon thought of that as a kids’ birthday party. Lucky Joe, not so lucky.

Dylan Andre’s mom was offered a singing contract when she was young, but her father didn’t let her sign. He hopes to pick up where she left off. Howie thought that was good, but he can tell he’s only been doing this for a year. Piers wouldn’t buy that album, although he could listen to it in a bar.

Landon Swank used his rehearsal day to fix his broken props. He starts off by having Nick sign the front and back of the double mirrored prop. Then he steps through it, followed by a reveal that it’s still intact. Piers is impressed that these things he does may be simple but are tough to figure out. Sharon is confused. Howie wants more presentation.

Smage Bros. Riding Shows had a difficult rehearsal, but I suspect they will pull off their motorcycle tricks on the live show, without killing the one guy (not a brother) who basically serves as a prop. Sharon was excited by that. Piers just got woke up.

Thomas John started juggling to meet women. That’s not working out too well yet. He drops one of his batons, which is an instant buzz from Piers. After seeing him drop them again at the end, Sharon follows suit. Howie was at least entertained.

Steven Retchless is a pole dancer, which is both different and more entertaining than it may at first seem. Piers buzzes, but Sharon gives him a standing ovation. After getting booed by Sharon, Piers explains that there’s a reason there are no male pole dancers. I’m not sure what that reason is, however, as Piers is again interrupted by Howie.

Mona Lisa got kicked out of home at age 16 by their mom who viewed that as supporting their dream. Sharon thinks they have it all going on. Howie has nothing critical to say, but will it stand out? Piers felt it was safe but lacking.

The Sing Off? In the fall? Apparently NBC now plans to beat me over the head with singing.

Silhouettes came into tonight as the ones to beat. Their act for the evening, American Pride. Hard to go wrong with that. In it, they create shapes of famous American landmarks to the tune of God Bless America, resulting in a standing ovation from all. Should have saved that for the finals. Piers calls it genius and world class.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 16, which airs Wednesday at 9/8c on NBC.

The first 12 acts performed in America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 13. Tonight America’s votes will determine who advances to the next round.

The Fearless Flores Family, Snap Boogie, and Duo Aero are the first trio. Piers thinks Duo Aero should go, but he’s surprised by the other two both being there together. I’m not. It’s clear that Snap Boogie is safe.

In other news, Avril Lavigne is apparently still a singer.

Squonk Opera, Sandou Trio Russian Bar, and J Chris Newberg are next. Considering one of these acts is awesome and the other two suck, it comes as no surprise that Sandou Trio Russian Bar is safe.

Dezmond Meeks, Echo of Animal Gardens, and Anna Graceman are up next. Another slam dunk here with Anna Graceman advancing.

Miami All Stars, The Fiddleheads, and Those Funny Little People are the last group. The obvious result here is that Those Funny Little People are out. Beyond that, I didn’t have a clear favorite, though I’d like to see The Fiddleheads get a second shot. The judges will now decide between the other two groups. Sharon votes for Miami All Stars. Piers does as well. Miami All Stars is the fourth semifinalist.

Stay tuned to dingoRUE for another live recap of America’s Got Talent Season 6 Episode 15, which airs Tuesday at 8/7c on NBC.