S10.E17: Quarterfinal 2

[Commando Cody]

Twelve of the Top 36 acts perform at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.

 

 

[PhD-Purgatory15]

Well, that was a mixed bag.

 

I missed the last singer, but am assuming as the show closer.....she'll be moving onto the semifinals. My guess is that she'll be joined by the Craig Lewis Band. I didn't love them as much as the last two performances (I thought when NPH gave them his golden buzzer, they weren't as strained in their singing and they weren't overshadowed by the busyness of the staging) however I think past success will definitely carry them through this round.

 

I'm leaning towards yeses while still being more on the fence w/ the other two non-puppet music acts; 3 Shades of Blue who are consistently held back by the limitations of their lead singer and the young classical singer w/ no formal training. Did you hear...she's 12 and she's had no formal training (wink, wink). So that will be at least 3 and possibly 4 of the seven spots.

 

Freckled Sky didn't match the wow factor of their initial gold buzzer winning audition, but I find it hard to believe that they wouldn't gain at least the 6th highest number of total votes. I'd love to see the ladder guy make it through. Even though he botched (unless it was on purpose) the "easy" beginning of his routine, the closing trick with the giant ladder was making my heart race. I could see him easily being one of the three acts (supposedly in 6-8th place) up for the Dunkin Save...

 

I thought Derrick Hughes was much, much better than he was in the judge cuts round, while Myq Kaplan had a stand up routine that largely misfired until the last 30 seconds or so. Methinks he could be out along w/ both of the dance troupes. DM Nation is easily better than Animation Crew but I think Howard was spot on w/ his critique of all of their routines starting to look and feel very similar (the sheer size of the crew along w/ their fashion and make up choices play a role in this). They also had the double whammy of going 1st out of 12 which can't ever be a comfortable spot to be in.

 

Ira still amuses me, and the flyboarder guy is so out of the box its really hard to judge him against the rest of the acts to a remotely similar standard. One or the other might be a second act up for the Dunkin Save, but my pure speculation says both probably go home tomorrow night.

Edited August 19, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[UsernameGoesHere]

So far I've only seen the actual acts themselves - I haven't had time to watch the video packages or commentary from the judges yet. But my thoughts so far...

 

DM Nation is the same thing every time. How many times can we see them flail their arms around to a different song?

 

Derek Hughes was pretty good. I wasn't a fan of his the first two times but he was one of the better acts tonight. He'll go through.

 

I love that first song Uzeyer performed to. I also loved the crazy background during his act. That one ladder looked like it was 100 ft. tall. Can you imagine if he fell?

 

Animation Crew was really lame and boring. I don't blame Howard for buzzing them.

 

The rock band is just ugh. It's the vocalist. I'm so unimpressed with him every time they perform. Ira the puppet is a better singer.

 

How many times can we hear someone sing Pie Jesu?! Coma inducing, honestly.

 

I can't take Ira seriously, but I have to admit I thought the whole puppet band was really cute. I couldn't help but smile the whole time. It was actually one of my favorite acts of the night (though in all fairness most of the acts sucked). But honestly, who is sitting at home like, "Dang, that was amazing! I gotta vote for Ira!" Also, I wonder how the puppeteer will stay hidden during the results show?

 

Flyboarder was a huge yawn. Why is he here?

 

Myq Kaplan kind of sucked tonight. I loved him last time.

 

The Craig Lewis band was amazing. They'll sail through to the next round.

 

I really have no idea who will go through because I thought pretty much everyone sucked and/or was boring, but my predictions...

 

1. Derek Hughes
2. Craig Lewis Band
3. Freckled Sky
4. Crappy rock band
5. Sharon Irving

 

Little opera girl, Uzeyer and Ira in Dunkin Save.

[Commando Cody]

DM Nation: Their act is way too busy.  I don't think the arm waving does them any favors. I don't know if the producers of this show try to screw some of the acts over, but the lighting was terrible for them.  They were difficult to see because of the lights and the camera direction.  They are totally boned. I'm not so certain any of their pre-performance package made them likable either. They will make it through if it's a mediocre night for everybody. 

 

Derek Hughes: Card trick.  It was a little slow.

 

3 Shades Of Blue:  I could barely hear the vocal.  It sounded like a big mess to me. I think they will be screwed by the sound guy.

 

Animation Crew: There isn't much difference between this group and the other group, but the judges didn't pick on the other group for their dancing.  I didn't find this routine very interesting.  Their pre-performance package was kind of lame. 

 

Arielle Baril: She sounded better this time than her first audition. Her vocals got covered up by the background vocals. I'm not sure there was much to the song to really show her vocal range. No Howard. She needs vocal training from a professional. 

 

Uzeyer Novruzov: At least he went back to what I liked about him to begin with. Then he went to the balancing act, which I'm not real big on, but it was pretty impressive. I'm not sure where he goes from here.

 

Ira & Mom: I'm neutral on the puppets. I loved The Muppets. Everything they did was kind of zany These guys kind of came off as low budget Muppets - without the zaniness or witty banter.

 

Damone Rippy:  I really like the water thing, but I think I was more impressed by his first audition. This seemed kind of low key in comparison.  

 

Myq Kaplan: Totally bombed.

 

Craig Lewis Band: Really good vocals. I would like to hear them harmonize a little more.

 

Freckled Sky: I didn't get anything out of this. One dancer was noticeably better than the other dancer. It was hard to see what they were doing at times because of the camera being so far away. It started out as a cool concept, but I think the act was lacking. 

 

Sharon Irving: I don't remember her from the auditions. I would be surprised if she didn't make it through tomorrow.  

 

Heidi didn't look like Heidi.  

 

Mediocre night in general.  Not really any stand out moments. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I'd take any of the Dunkin Save acts from last week over all but maybe three of this week's acts.  Wow.  What a difference placement on and within shows makes.

 

My favorite was the magician, even though it was so friggin clear how he manipulated his jacket and pocket.  Ugh.  He was excellent, though, with his patter.  

 

I felt for the animation crew.  They were done in by Art Direction!  Their blue outfits against the blue background made it quite impossible to appreciate any intricacies they displayed.  Howard also made a great point abut the staging.  They still, however, merit passing through to the next round as they were better than more than half the acts tonight. 

 

Ladder guy appeared to give up after his second, or was it third?, screw-up.  To me, that was the end for him.  Sorry.  A juggler drops objects?  Gone.  A ladder guy falls?  C ya.  I care not that he did a good job with the giant ladder at the end.  Really, really, bad execution overall.

 

Water dancer was really good.  He could easily be part of an LV-style revue show.  Very fluid (sorry) movement.

 

The comic was turrible tonight.  He absolutely is hurt by the ridiculously small window of performance time.  Since 7 have to go through, I'd give him another shot.

[Vermicious Knid]

I wonder if Trump's comments inspired Heidi to go for the Veronica Lake look?

 

There are way more people involved with Ira than I thought, if they could have an entire puppet band plus mermaids. I'm still highly amused they are constantly treating Ira as the act and not the whole Puppet Collective that's actually behind it. I do hope they get an offer from the Jim Henson Co, or their Disney overlords.

[LibertarianSlut]

 But honestly, who is sitting at home like, "Dang, that was amazing! I gotta vote for Ira!".

{quietly raising hand}

That is me in a nutshell. I only watch for Ira, and I voted for him tonight at least 60-80 times, using three different email addresses. There is just something so compelling and... Cute about him that I want to give him all my votes. I think it may have something to do with the fact that he has no shoulders.

Only other acts worth watching (for me) were ladder guy (what is he going to do without the ladder if he moves on?) and comedian. I don't care that he bombed. He's funny and awkward and ironic as hell. Magician = loser. Try bringing that dreck on Penn & Teller; he'd fry. DM Nation belongs on the bubble. They're in sync, but no way should they have that many people with no one being thrown up in the air. Singers--leave!

[Panopticon]

This was a pretty meh week for me. The only act I actively would like to see again is Uzeyer Novruzov, but then I'm always wildly biased in favor of circus/acrobatic acts. I thought that his "mistakes" with the shorter ladders were deliberate and meant to build suspense when he got out the enormous ladder, but the showmanship wasn't quite right. In any case, I imagine that seeing the high ladder trick on that stage must have been amazing. It was a good use of the space.

 

I didn't hate the other acts (though I still don't "get" Ira) but there were some who went out last week or during the nonlive rounds that I'd rather see move forward than this particular set.

 

As for Heidi's style change, yeah, I'm assuming it was a response to Trump.

[Indy]

. I'm still highly amused they are constantly treating Ira as the act and not the whole Puppet Collective that's actually behind it. 

 

Me too.  I think it's really amusing that we haven't actually seen or heard from any of the puppeteers, and they talk to Ira and his mom like they're real people.  I also think the act is funny (calling Mel B "Melb" gets me every time), though last night was less funny for me than some of their other performances.   

 

Uzeyer is probably my other favorite act of the night.  I also didn't think that his mistakes with the smaller ladders were accidents, I thought it was on purpose, kind of part of his Chaplin-esque persona and to build suspense for the bigger ladder. I saw it as all part of the act.  

 

Another thumbs up for the camera guys this week.  It seemed like the only times we had to watch the judges watching the acts was when someone buzzed and that was just a cutaway to see whose X was lit up.  The camera work still got a little busy at times, especially in the dance acts, but at least we got to watch the performers.  

[Drogo]

My issue with DM Nation is that they have the same look and music style for every dance, and I don't know enough about dance to be able to tell one of their routines from the next.  The closest I'll get to being a dance enthusiast is DWTS, and the music and costuming sets the tone for each dance; maybe that's why non-dancers like Howard and I feel like every DM Nation dance looks the same.  I just know I wouldn't want to sit through a 90-minute show of girls in tactical gear moving to marching cadence with tiny bursts of Beyonce. 

[SFoster21]

Me too. I think it's really amusing that we haven't actually seen or heard from any of the puppeteers, and they talk to Ira and his mom like they're real people. I also think the act is funny (calling Mel B "Melb" gets me every time), though last night was less funny for me than some of their other performances.

Uzeyer is probably my other favorite act of the night. I also didn't think that his mistakes with the smaller ladders were accidents, I thought it was on purpose, kind of part of his Chaplin-esque persona and to build suspense for the bigger ladder. I saw it as all part of the act.

Another thumbs up for the camera guys this week. It seemed like the only times we had to watch the judges watching the acts was when someone buzzed and that was just a cutaway to see whose X was lit up. The camera work still got a little busy at times, especially in the dance acts, but at least we got to watch the performers.

The director chooses the cuts, not the camera operators.

[LadyMustang65]

I thought that the show last night was mostly lacking. 

 

Some of the comedian's stuff was funny, but overall it was not as strong a performance as his first two.  It seemed like he was just getting warmed up when it was over.  He might have benefitted from a few more minutes. 

 

I did enjoy the magician.  I'm not typically a fan of opera, but that girl has a beautiful voice, and I just plain appreciate the fact that she doesn't scream everything and do all kinds of runs and trills and extra notes.  There's nuance to her singing. 

 

The ladder guy does nothing for me.  I agree he looks like Charlie Chaplin, but the act annoys me.  I don't get why he wiggles the ladder like that all the time.  I assume it has something to do with balance.  My dh thinks he does it to create tension.  Anyway, watching someone climb up and down a ladder, no matter how high, was just dull.  I was kind of impressed the first time, but by now I'm bored. 

 

Still don't care about Ira.  The water board guy was boring - same trick over and over again.  The rock band was okay but I actually liked them better the first two times.  Sound was off or omething - I could barely hear the singer most of the time.  The animators were boring.  DM Nation was boring, and the lighting/staging was ridiculous.  Half the time I couldn't even see them. 

 

I thought Freckled Sky was terrific.  Wasn't crazy about the CraigLewis Band version of "Try A Little Tenderness," but I didn't hate it as much as I did that lady's butchering of "California Dreaming" last week.  (Yes, I'm still not over that.  )  Let's see - oh yeah - the last lady singer did a decent job but again I liked her better in her previous performances. 

 

So at the end of the show, there were only three that I thought did a really good job.  The rest were okay to meh for me.

[A Boston Gal]

Myq, Myq, Myq....what happened? You're a pro who tried to ad lib a call-back to some earlier acts in your first moments, and it totally bombed...it was embarassing for someone of your experience. You knew it, too, which is why the rest of your act never picked up its usual rhythm.

 

I love Ira and Mom...and Heidi was right, the singing, while adorable, really is just a vehicle for funny/sweet Mom/Ira interactions. In fact, their preview clip was far funnier (and cuter) than the singing itself. Fingers crossed voters remember this when they cast their ballots.

 

Commando Cody, you are absolutely correct: the young opera singer needs vocal coaching STAT, or she'll permanantly ruin her voice. Are her parents trying to prove something by keeping her away from professional training?  Hopefully through this AGT experience, the family is being exposed to professional musicians with good advice.

 

Ladder Guy...<sigh>. I really wanted him to do well, and he was impressive, but still, IMHO he's far more appealing as a silent movie throwback than as an acrobat. It won't be a surprise if he doesn't make it through.

 

And for some odd reason, I'm rooting for the cute water "skiing" kid. He looked fab as a blonde teen  James Bond.  I have no idea how he'd fit into a Las Vegas review or traveling show though, so maybe I just subconsciously want to torture the AGT producers. :)

Edited August 19, 2015 by A Boston Gal

[marketdoctor]

I thought the variance was a lot lower this week.  The best act was good, the worst wasn't awful.

 

I'm 90% sure the mis-steps and 99% sure the shaking for the ladder guy were part of the act.  The shaking was a balance issue, though his fear on the tallest ladder was genuine (and it was a great choice of music; that song made me want to see "The Great Gatsby".)  I also liked the magician, although his effort to use "one two three" timing made this trick a little slow.  I think it could have done without the middle bit.  The patter was great; the line about having an empty pocket because he was a parent sold it.

 

Freckled Sky benefited from the golden buzzer; their act might have seemed repetitive otherwise.  

 

Ira and the puppets seemed very "classic muppet show bit", which is intended as high praise.  I hope Henson/Disney have room for them.

 

Fast-forwarding through the sob stories made for a tightly-paced, enjoyable show.  (I laughed a little when they needed more time after 3 Shades of Blue, who didn't need a giant back stage for a music act.)   The promo for tomorrow (Emily West's giant dress) reminded me that it could have been worse.

[saber5055]

I watched DM Nation with the thought, "Could I do that?" And my answer was yes, easily. All they did was stomp and move their arms and hands around. Yeah, I could pry myself up off the couch and join that group and not miss a beat. Dancing? There wasn't any. At least the Game Boy dancers (whatever their name) did some lock and pop and b-boy stuff. So judges hated them, but they showed more talent than DM.

 

Myq ... wow. Embarrassing. And I so strongly dislike the Muppets that I dislike Ira The Wannabe Muppet regardless of what it says or does. It might have been relevant in the '70s but not now. Although Muppets are coming back to tv, so I can see Ira being put through as a connection to that new show, especially if Muppets are coming to NBC.

 

I liked the magician. I either left the room or turned the channel before every singer/singing group was done. 

[marketdoctor]

 

At least the Game Boy dancers (whatever their name) did some lock and pop and b-boy stuff.

 

That's a challenge, I think, for the screen-dance groups.  Such an act is best served to realize that:

 

1.  it's a high-tech version of the mirror sketch from Duck Soup/the Marx Brothers.  More specificially, lots of people have done it on AGT, to the point where it's almost a staple.

2.  If your visual effects are great, they can overshadow your dancing.  If they're not great, your dancing really has to compensate.

3.  If what you're doing doesn't match the screen, no matter how good your dancing is, you're probably going home.

 

If you have great dancing to and with good graphics, that's a talent (and one people will probably pay to see, in the same way they pay to see singers even though they've heard singing before.)  If you've only got good dancing, you need another element (water, blacklights, etc.), and even then you're at risk.  If you've wondered why no one else has added the element of "singing" before, it's because they have; it's called "music video" (and plays and musicals have been doing it as well, just not usually to the frantic pace you see on AGT.)

 

Next year we'll either see it get played for laughs, or someone will add magic (which is hard not to get too confusing), or mix it with water jets or ladders or something (which is why putting these acts together has potential--but could still be a mess if done wrong.)  That's the challenge with mixed acts; I half expected DM nation to start pulling out playing cards or flowers or something with all those hand movements (two elements is good, more than that and you're at unintentional comedy).

[UncleChuck]

 

How many times can we hear someone sing Pie Jesu?! Coma inducing, honestly.

I think it must be REQUIRED that any and all opera wannabees must begin their first audition with "Nessun Dorma" and then proceed on to "Pia Jesu"

Both are popular and have elements that appeal to a mass audience--not just opera fans, but c'mon--Every singer--every time????

[Kromm]

For a change Heidi was actually RIGHT about a comedy act (there's a first time for everything). Myq Kaplan's set SUCKED.

Howard was right about the dance acts (but with those he usually IS). They were underwhelming.

[helenamonster]

DM Nation: Yeah, this is getting repetitive. Also, I kind of have an aversion to dances that are done to "songs" that are mostly just sound effects. I once did a number to a song that was composed mostly of car noises (horns, doors slamming, engines revving, etc.) but what I liked about it was that a song was actually made out of it. When it's mostly just the noises with a splash of Beyonce, the dance never gathers any momentum or cohesion, at least for me.

 

Derek Hughes: So much better than his judge cut performance. And I'm a sucker for the magicians.

 

3 Shades of Blue: Awesome song, but their lead singer is the weak link, which is a huge drawback.

 

Animation Crew: Ugh. The problem with this is that we all saw Kenichi do that amazing video game performance back during his season, and what made that work was that he actually interacted with the media. The media in this performance did nothing to enhance the dancing and it ended up just being boring.

 

Arielle Baril: I do find it cool that she's from Drexel Hill, PA, that's right near my hometown. She's good, I guess. I don't know much of anything about opera.

 

Uzeyer Novruzov: I have no problem believing that the first part of the act was done intentionally bad to build suspense, but if that is indeed the case, he did a really bad job of pulling it off. That being said, him going up that tall ladder at the end was really a nail-biter.

 

Ira: I just love him and his mom. As usual, I won't be sad if he doesn't go through, but he is entertaining and different. I too love that the judges treat the puppets like they're real people and seem to have no interest in the actual real people behind the act. It certainly adds to the fun of it.

 

Damone Rippy: This is not a talent. This is an activity that you can do on vacation.

 

Myq Kaplan: I thought he finally picked it up at the end, but the beginning was rough. I do agree that the 90 seconds can be really tough for comedians. Hell, I've seen some jokes that take five minutes of build-up for the payoff. We'll see, I guess.

 

The CraigLewis Band: Loved it. Not a fan of most singing acts but when that one guy was hitting the high notes? Goddamn goddamn goddamn.

 

Freckled Sky: Not as good as their audition.

 

Sharon Irving: Good, but ugh as always at the pretty young female singer getting the pimp spot.