S10.E07: Auditions 7

[LadyMustang65]

We kind of felt like they saved the best for last.  There seemed to be very few 'throw-away' acts that we saw last night.  Except, of course, raw-egg guy.  Gross.  Just gross.  And the idiot at the end - whatever it was she did - sex expert or something?  Stupid.  And Howard really needs to get over the fact that Nick is single.  It's getting old. 

 

We liked several of the singing groups, including the gospel choir, the 4 opera guys and the rock band.  Several good dancers/groups. I think there were more acts we really enjoyed last night than any other week so far.  We're also glad that we're past the audition stage.  It seems like they've been auditioning people forever.  I've decided it could be fun to have the guest judges.  We'll see how that works out.  

[A Boston Gal]

I enjoyed the boy singing duo, the big women dancers (their performance was very tight - much better than many of the dance acts we've seen get tongue baths on this show, and they can MOVE!), and even the last-minute pop-opera quartet. I also admit I have a strange fascination about competative eating, so I'm not sorry the chef/egg guy got through for at least one round. Yes, the eggs were gross, but he needed to get the judge's attention. And yes, I know that it'll probably be gross again, no matter what food he chooses. Sue me; I'm weird. ;)

 

But the rock band? I dunno...the lead singer's voice sounded really strained. Has no one taught him how to sing rock without ruining the vocal chords?

 

ETA: I think the same Xavier just showed up in the first episode of the new season of "Penn and Teller's Fool Us".

The boy gets around. :)

Edited July 8, 2015 by A Boston Gal

[LadyMustang65]

But the rock band? I dunno...the lead singer's voice sounded really strained. Has no one taught him how to sing rock without ruining the vocal chords?

 

Probably not.  Just listen to the way so many of them sing now.  What I liked about them was the song and the arrangement - not what I was expecting from a rock band.  I liked it and would be interested in hearing them at least once more.

[bluepiano]

It felt like almost the entire show was filler, like they had no interesting acts left. A lot of time was wasted on joke acts that weren't even entertaining in a bad way, like the "face contortionist." I'd have rather seen more of the real contortionists and a couple of the male/female acrobat couples, instead of just short clips.

 

The "intimacy expert" was a huge waste of time, and I found the kissing thing with Nick kind of creepy. Early in the season they actually had another intimacy expert, the woman who taught hugging, and she did get put through.

 

When the leader of the gospel choir got all choked up about getting four yesses, I was thinking, gee, I hope he doesn't know that a guy smashing watermelons with his head also got four yesses. (I thought the choir was good, but the praise was OTT.)

 

Guy who sang "Drift Away?" Yet another mediocre singer that the judges went nuts for. I can't remember a single singer this season who was anything special. Although the guy who drag who sang the country song was pretty funny.

[needschocolate]

I think one criteria they should use on deciding whether an act continues is whether it could actually be an ongoing act in Vegas.  Occasionally, like with the kissing lady, one of the judges will say that it isn't the right act for the show, but they put a lot of things through that couldn't be Vegas acts. For some, it is the logistics of the act, like the trick riders last week - they were good, but, unless they are part of the jousting show at the Excalibur, where would they be able to perform.  For others, it is that the act isn't sustainable, like the melon smashing guy.  He can't smash a record number of melons every night, and he isn't funny enough to turn his failures to break a record into something worth watching.  

 

This week, it was the extreme eater.  I can see how people may enjoy watching a guy eat a bunch of food really fast - hey, I spent 10 minutes of my life watching the 4th of July hot dog eating contest.  But, how could eating a lot really fast ever be a show in Vegas? He certainly can't (or definitely shouldn't) drink ten dozen eggs every show, six shows a week.  

[LennieBriscoe]

I heard BGT's Paul Potts sing "Nessun Dorma" live. This quartet paled in comparison (and Il Volo have the Young Guys Who Sing Opera niche, anyway).

I liked the Big Girls and the James Brown schtick, but a Las Vegas Million Dollar act? No.

[Commando Cody]

This show seemed heavy with montages.  

 

-I didn't like the rock band.  The singer wasn't very strong vocally.  

-The choir didn't do anything for me.  

-Once again, the dads dancing were fine for being old, maybe even impressive for their age, but I think they are at their peak. What do they do next? Do they strip? I'm not even sure that that's a good idea.    

-The duo singing together seemed to harmonize well.  It was hard to tell because we only got a small clip of what they do. 

 

-One guy breaks watermelons with his head and the other drinks eggs.  Both have nowhere to go from here, but okay.

 

-Pretty Big probably won't go pretty far in this competition. Their moves weren't all that sharp.  It just seemed like a feel-good novelty act.

 

-I was glad that Vox wasn't a pop vocal group.  Not my thing anyway, but, to me, they sounded good together.  

 

-Sex expert? WTF.  

I have to admit though, Nick going in for the kill was kind of hot.  Apart from that, it was a big waste of time.  It's weird that they ended the show on a no.  

[Meushell]

I'd have rather seen more of the real contortionists and a couple of the male/female acrobat couples, instead of just short clips.

I agree. There was a pole dancing act where the woman was standing on the man as he held sideways on the pole. Holy crap. I wanted to see their full act.

[bluepiano]

Pretty Big probably won't go pretty far in this competition. Their moves weren't all that sharp.  It just seemed like a feel-good novelty act.

 

You can say the same thing about the Dancing Dads. Fun at a party or a neighborhood street fair. A Vegas act? Hardly. I can't even imagine paying a small cover charge to see them at a local club.

 

Feel-good acts are a specialty of this show, including most of the seniors and kid acts. Then there are the people with disabilities and the ones overcoming some sort of personal tragedy. (eg. singer with dead son).

 

I don't mind if these acts bring some genuine entertainment value. But I wish that Howard would stop being selective about asking "is this a million dollar act?" In reality pretty much the only acts on AGT that people would pay money to see are the small number that are already professional entertainers.

 

The idea that AGT is going to discover and turn into a star some unknown who's currently waiting tables or teaching kindergarten makes for good PR. But haven't all the winners (or finalists) been people who already had some degree of show business career?

Edited July 8, 2015 by bluepiano

[ratgirlagogo]

As soon as the four guys in Vox said they'd only gotten together a month ago, I KNEW they were going to be an opera group.  The opera groups more often than not are last minute throwtogethers ,maybe because only trained singers who know a repertory really well would be even able to do it that quickly. There were the ones last season I think who'd met a week before through Craigslist and only practiced together on Skype, for example, and some other group who'd replaced one or maybe two members less than a week before AGT.  

[UsernameGoesHere]

There was one dancer - I think his name was Aaron Smith? - who was absolutely gorgeous. Wow. I hope we see a lot more of him.

 

Latin Swag saying they were a $20,000 act after getting buzzed was hilarious.

 

Xavier the magician looked cool.

 

So glad the hand and face contortionist got a whole segment. Only not. I can move my ears up and down too. I've never considered it a talent, much less one worthy of a million dollars.

 

Duo Volta was great.

 

Raw egg guy. Sigh. Maybe he can eat 50 watermelons after that other guy smashes them open with his head.

 

Is judgment week now taking place in front of an audience?

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Cymbals magician was fantastic!  The glass with liquid?  I definitely want to see more from him.

 

The intimacy expert was ridiculous, but it really was fun with Heidi and Mel losing their minds.

 

Il Voxo is legitimately good.  But, I chuckled watching them in the package walk back and forth at Grauman's, which is right across the street from the theater they were filming the auditions. BTW, Magic Castle is one block directly North from there and I would not be surprised if Xavier has appeared there.  He is that good.

 

I thought there was farrrrrr too much time spent on contortion guy and a couple other goof acts.  This ep's pacing seemed off from what they had done previously.  Fewer acts overall and deeper backstories.

 

I am reeeeeeeeally hoping the Prince Poppycock act of which we were given a glimpse is great.  Country transvestite did not do anything for me tonight.  Good voice, but $1 million?  Nuh uh.

[KarateKate]

I am reeeeeeeeally hoping the Prince Poppycock act of which we were given a glimpse is great.  Country transvestite did not do anything for me tonight.  Good voice, but $1 million?  Nuh uh.

 

Wait, Prince Poppycock was back? Did I miss that? Or a PP-esq act (which...I also missed)

[PepperMonkey]

Ugh, this show. I thought I watched it, but was amazed while reading everyone's thoughtful posts, that I recognized hardly anything mentioned.

 

Maybe I dreamt I watched it.

 

Still, ugh. Oh wait. I did like the big girls who danced, but mostly just because they made me happy. I couldn't take my eyes off the one in the pink afro because she was so cute and having so much fun. I have no idea how the others compared.

 

I think I'm probably done with AGT after this season anyway, since Howard is leaving.

[saber5055]

Agree with PepperMonkey, the Big Girls made me smile and laugh. I thought they were fun and very good.

 

The one dancing guy I thought MIGHT make it to choreography on SYTYCD but not a lot further.

 

The kissing therapist ... please. What an embarrassing waste of time, plus that beautiful woman was for sure a plant for Howard to send up on stage. I got a kick that NBC censors found it appropriate to blur the boob on the blow-up doll. 

 

Howard is the one judge I want to stay. Any of the other three can leave. Piers Morgan? NOOOooooo. Just NO.

Edited July 11, 2015 by saber5055

[ratgirlagogo]

 

The kissing therapist ... please. What an embarrassing waste of time, plus that beautiful woman was for sure a plant for Howard to send up on stage

First the Professional Cuddler, now the Kissing Instructor.  I really don't want to see what the next "expert" does with Nick.

[backformore]

I was getting annoyed at the number of times Howard kept yelling "He's SINGLE"  about Nick.   Sheesh.  leave the guy alone already.   Nick was a good sport about it, but he recently went through a public break-up.  No need to keep hammering that point home.

[helenamonster]

I liked most of the dance and contortion/strength/acrobatic/trapeze acts they showed. Also, the magician with the cymbal looked pretty awesome.

 

That opera quartet...Forte the Sequel, honestly.

 

Definitely looking forward to Judge Week...or was it Judge Cut? Idk, next week's stuff. Because there are only so many (48?) spots that can be filled in the live shows, so the judges are forced to trim the "this is really only entertaining once" type acts. Idk, I just feel like they're at their most critical during this round and it honestly makes for better TV, imo.

 

Agreed on the constant harping about Nick's personal life. I felt the same way about the one acrobatic duo that used to be a couple. Like damn, y'all don't know what happened, leave these poor people alone!