S11.E16: Live Performances 3

[Drogo]

The last 12 of the top 36 acts take the stage of the Dolby Theatre to perform for America's votes.

[oinkers12]

Tonight was not good. Don't get me wrong, there were still a few diamonds in the rough but in comparison to the other weeks this quarterfinal had too many mistakes and issues. It didn't seem like they used that extra time to prepare for the performances. Here's my rundown for all the acts.

 

Vello Vaher - I wouldn't say it was buzz-worthy. I mean there's literally not much else he can do with his act other than changing the presentation (which I thought was alright). I find it very hypocritical that Vello got buzzed when Sofie Dossi has shot an arrow at a target three times in a row and got nothing but praise. That being said though he did look very tired or exhausted. He couldn't even climb the ropes at the end. I don't know what happened or if (as Mel B says) he was actually injured. Either way, I still thought he did an alright job for being not only put in the death spot but also for trying to up the presentation.

Ronee Martin - Meh. That's pretty much all I have to say about her. I like her as a person but I felt like she did an okay job with an average song. 

Kadan Bart Rockett - Not impressive magic trick with an admittedly clever scenario. I don't hate them but they'll get through probably because of how average everyone was tonight. 

Linkin Bridge - Bad song choice. I like them as well but definitely not their best. They may go through but it's not a guarantee.

Alla & Daniel Novikov - I know they're kind of unpopular but they did fine. At least when Vello got buzzed he was sort of being shaky and not at the top of his game. These guys didn't make many flaws and made their act look more interesting. They already has so little chance that I think Howie managed to sink them. I hate the argument of changing things up when singers take established songs and use those as their act.  Howie did seem really harsh towards these two and I wonder if in the Judge Cuts there was an act that he really wanted but the other 3 chose Alla and Daniel instead.

Blake Vogt - ...Kind of lame actually. Not too impressed at all. Clearly the card wasn't from the egg and the Blue Jay thing was also sort of disappointing. I find it interesting that the judges didn't even stand when most of the magic acts got them on their feet.

Edgar - These guys were really good. Not much to say. Quality act.

Julia Scotti - She was... okay... Better than Lori Mae Hernandez but she seemed to be shouting A LOT. She offered a few laughs but nothing gut-busting. Goes along with the bland theme of the night. (Also the spooning joke I felt like was a bit overused).

Brian Justin Crum - Brian was actually really good! The first act that I actually really liked. I'm not a fan of singers, but he has so much emotion and skill in his voice. Great job.

Malevo - I thought their Judge Cuts performance was way more interesting. But it was still alright.I don't have too much to say about them. 

The Passing Zone - It didn't show much skill but that was the hardest I've laughed tonight (moreso than Julia Scotti). Very fun and definitely was a good part of a relatively mediocre night. (Also I really want to see Simon get his comeuppance so I hope they go through lol). Also, why was Mel B still wearing her scarf in the astronaut costume? I mean it wasn't a good fashion piece to begin with.

Grace VanderWaal - This was okay. I like her voice a lot but I wouldn't say it was show-stopping. I like that she writes her own songs, though. That gets my respect.

 

But yeah tonight was a disappointment. Vello was one of my favorites and even he faltered. Oh well. 

Edited August 24, 2016 by oinkers12

[Diana Berry]

I just can't understand any of the words when  Grace is singing.  But I do like that she and her family seems real.

[Songbird]

I think Grace maybe has potential, but so do a lot of others kids her age. I don't really think she is anything special....

[Drogo]

I watched the season of American Idol where Adam Lambert did everything B.J.Crum does (but first, and better) so I don't feel anything for his performances. Seems like a blurry copy.

The dad from Edgar is extremely talented. I would like the group more if Mom let go of the spotlight a bit.  Her standing while the other two sat on stumps gave the impression that they were her back-up singers. 

Malevo is very interesting and fun to watch. Khaleesi  (age 9) had this gem: "The lead guy knows how to use so many weird weapons! He's like all of the Ninja Turtles combined."

[dbklmt]

I agree with everyone that has posted so far that this was a really mediocre group of performances.  No one stood out for me including Brian Justin Crum who like Drogo pointed out is a pale imitation of Adam Lambert.  I'm trying to figure out how I vote, but most will get NO votes from me.  The only one that will get 10 votes from me will be Edgar.  Not sure I really care if any of these people move on to the semi finals but know that seven will.  I really hope that the eventual AGT winner is not in this group of performers. 

[oinkers12]

I'm sort of torn on Grace, honestly. I respect her the most out of all of the singing acts (because she actually WRITES her own material, which one would think should be a requirement to "mix things up") but her position in the competition is just impossible to beat. She's going to be Top 5 no matter what happens because of how large her fanbase is. Also, the producers putting her in the pimp spot (and presumably future pimp spots) helps this as well. I don't have a problem with her being popular but my problem is that the rest of the competition is basically going to be displayed as Grace and a bunch of other talents in the background. The act that I thought would be able to combat her was Tape Face but her fans are spamming her name on Twitter and YouTube. Everything makes this feel one-sided to me and last year's competition was actually suspenseful in parts because 1: None of the acts had a fanbase of 500k Youtube subscribers and 2: They didn't have a judge who kept pimping every singing act there is (cough Simon cough).

 

I know this sounds like nitpicking and it's not like she's breaking any rules or anything but her momentum online translates to how she does in the Live Shows then this season's basically over before it even really started. Unless if she messes up terribly I'm calling it now that Grace is going to win the season. 

[Commando Cody]

With all the buzzing it was like Piers was back on the show. I don't think the judges should be allowed to buzz the acts now. 

Howie looked pissed with the mother son dance duo.  

I don't know if Simon buzzed the first contortionist because he didn't want any competition for his golden arrow girl. Who isn't original either. This Vello guy's act is actually more interesting. 

I lost interest in the human juggling. Mel needs to knock off all the screaming. I wanted someone to slap her. Just give her a good whack while swinging by. 

I thought all the song choices tonight were bad. 

Even thought I hate her style of singing, Grace's song writing skills are very impressive. 

I thought Julia Scotti was just bad tonight. 

I can't stand the cutsey kid magicians. 

I haven't heard Adam Lambert since American Idol.  So I don't know how he is now, but if I had to choose listen to Adam then or Brian now, Brian wins by miles. I detested Adams screaming by the end of the contest.  I think Brian's "Creep" was better than the guy who won Rockstar ll. I don't even know what happened to that guy. 

[Lonesome Rhodes]

We were absolutely CHEATED out of ALL nat sound (actual sound being made) by Malevo!  Yes, the drums were merely for show, again.  But, the tapping and the syncopated bolas (balls on the leather straps) were very real.  It seemed like they really nailed these.  And we missed it.  The audience reaction was, as usual, ecstatic.  Man.  What a gyp.

The country trio were really good.  Card trick was very good, as well.  

The kid magicians, old comedienne, human jugglers, boy dancer, and on and on and zzzzzz.

Boy, did show grouping matter, or what?  At least three acts who were on previous live performance shows would have been voted through this week.  At least! 

[ketchuplover]

7 hours ago, Diana Berry said:

I just can't understand any of the words when  Grace is singing.  But I do like that she and her family seems real.

I am not alone

[Frankenstein123]

What initially started off as one of the more disappointing quarter finals, quickly took a turn for the better and ended up being one of the hardest ones to predict:

12. Alla and Daniel Novikov - Wait, what? Howie Mandel buzzing someone who wasn't a singer with an original song? Did they tell him his contract may actually expire by 2025? Did he finally decide to start judging acts after 6 years? He looked so proud of himself too "Guys..guys I..I SAW A MOVE..I've seen that SAME move before...GUYS...I..I think..should i?...I..YES..YES IM GOING TO HIT THE BUZZER..YES..DOING IT..SEE? I CAN JUDGE TOO!". Worse acts have gotten standing ovations, but it's hard to ignore this was weak filler from the very beginning. 

11. Vello Vaher - Going in I was just hoping he wouldn't get buzzed. Clearly my hopes were misplaced. Had he curled himself into a ball and shot out of a cannon, this whole thing might have made sense, but Vello arrived to America with exactly 1 move and damn it, he was going to USE that move. This was a LOT of production trying to mask him doing the exact same thing he's done before and for someone who I KNOW has been a professional contortionist for decades and has toured with multiple circuses, it's baffling he couldn't come up with anything new to spice things up. 

10. Kadan Bart Rockett - I'll give the kids this, they know how to work an audience and the trick certainly wasn't badly done, but it's a very well known one I've seen a hundred times before and considering their parents are magicians too, it's not hard to see where they might be getting their ideas...Judging by the reaction on twitter and youtube and their pre-existing fanbase they might actually do a lot better than most of us think and might even end up in the dunkin save, I'm certainly not ruling it out. 

9. Linkin' Bridge - Clearly all the the design time and budget had been spent on a giant pirate ship so by the time these guys arrived on stage nobody had a CLUE what to do for them. Clearly they are fine vocalists, but the song choice left me cold and they were overpowered by more memorable performances later.

8. Ronee Martin - Her experience and professionalism shine through at every turn and she's a welcome moment of ease among all the scream queens doing their best Christina Aguilera impression on the show, but her unfortunate draw and rather tame song choice didn't do her any justice and like with Linkin Bridge I was struggling to remember WHAT she sang by the end of the evening. She could belt out one hell of a Bond tune if they ever asked her though.

7. Edgar - I saw them wheeling in the dope trailer and setting up fake trees when Nick was talking and just thought to myself "Oh no...", but I have to give props where props are due, as they were one of the few acts that showed genuine improvement from their past auditions. The mom is still doing all the heavy lifting and the daughter seems to only be there to act as a decoration, but it worked well enough and managed to surprise me..

6. Blake Vogt - Forget abrakadabra, "That would have been cool though!" must be the magic words to get through on this show because ALL the magicians are using it, either that or they've all read the same manual. I've mentioned before how I think Blake is secretly the most gifted magician OFF the stage, but he didn't do half bad on stage today either. It wasn't exactly the best trick we've seen, but it was good enough to show off a bit of his personality. 

5. Malevo - The music is exciting as heck, but what started out as a dance/percussion act is slowly turning into just...a dance act. The well might be running dry for these guys, but the same can't be said for all the female fans watching this so hopefully they have enough to push through.

4. The Passing Zone -  I have to mention they already did this exact same routine back in season 1, but it WAS better this time around and I can't blame them too much for repeating things considering it's one of the few routines they have that include more than 2 people and most besides the nuttiest of nutcases (me) will have no idea about season 1. This was silly nonsense, but FUN silly nonsense that made me laugh and was entertaining to watch. The question is, did they earn the right to go this light this early in the contest or will they get punished for it? There's two ways you can look at this, either as a hilarious and clever spin on what juggling is or a pointless and disappointing follow-up to their more dangerous performances. I HOPE people think the former as it would be a shame if they got cut before we get the big pay off with them including Simon in the act, but I fear the worst...

3. Brian Justin Crum - I wasn't too keen on him after his first audition, but with Creep and In The Air Tonight, he's proven he has what it takes and is possibly one of the greatest male singers this show has ever seen. He's a safe and predictable choice to win the show, but I couldn't complain too much because he does deserve it, even if I don't like the idea of singers winning this show...

2. Grace VanderWaal - When will Grace perform? Where is Grace? Is Grace on yet? HAS GRACE PERFORMED YET? GRACE??? GRACE!! That up there pretty much sums up what's been going on on youtube for the past month or so, but looking past the ridiculous hype and fandom surrounding her, she managed to captivate me in a way that's quite rare on this show. She might not be the greatest singer alive technically, but she feels..genuine...and her awkwardness only adds to the performance as Simon mentioned. She also deserves endless respect for singing original songs in a style rarely seen on this show. The judges comments are as hyperbolic as ever, but as opposed to Calista I think Grace actually deserves some of it. The fandom she's gathered around her is ludicrously huge and only rivaled by Tape Face, but while I don't see either ending up as winners I think she's earned a spot in the final 5. And hey, according to Howie Mandel she will be BIGGER than Taylor Swift so she doesn't even need to win and who knows more about being a big star than Howie...Man...del...

1. Julia Scotti - She makes me laugh and as someone who didn't really like Tom Cotter and thought Taylor Williamson and Drew Lynch were merely okay, that's a big deal. I've mentioned before how I like the fact she doesn't just spout random unconnected gags, but tells a bigger story that just happens to be hilarious, it's something only great comedians can pull off and she does it with ease in my eyes. I have a bad feeling she wont get the recognition she deserves on the show, but she's certainly one of the best comedians to ever appear there.

Trying to predict the results tonight is a bit of a tougher job than usual, but I'll give it a try...We can safely eliminate Alla & Daniel and Vello as the 2 buzzer receivers. Ronee happened to be a victim of circumstance and I just can't see her standing out so I feel safe in considering her eliminated. 

Grace and Brian on the other hand are about as safe as they could possibly be. Julia isn't as big of a hit as she should be, but I still think she's safely in the top 5 tonight. Blake might not have the most...charismatic presence on stage, but the trick was solid and he's likely to impress enough people to sneak into the top 5. 

That leaves Linkin Bridge, Passing Zone, Malevo, Kadan and Edgar fighting for 3 more spots and things get difficult to predict...Honestly, I feel anything could happen and any of them could make it, but if I had to go by gut feeling...Linkin Bridge will slip through to the top 5, leaving Passing Zone, Malevo and Kadan as the 3 dunkin save acts, with Kadan losing out.

So in order of most to least likely:

1. Grace
2. Brian
3. Julia
4. Blake
5. Linkin Bridge
6. Malevo
7. Passing Zone
8. Kadan
9. Edgar
10. Ronee
11. Vello
12. Alla and Daniel

It's going to be an exciting evening as we are joined by Michael Phelps who will be...doing something...diving into...foam?..Polishing his medals? Who knows

Edited August 24, 2016 by Frankenstein123

[oinkers12]

Yeah last night's show grouping was really odd, Lonesome Rhodes. The last quarterfinal was easily the best of the three because it seemed like all the acts were actually rehearsed and ready for the show. Last night seemed really off. If anything they picked these guys to pimp out Grace and Brian more lol. But in all seriousness I can't really guess who will go through and who won't go through. Every contestant was in the same pool of mediocrity that really all that matters is how big their already existing fanbases were. Here's my list from favorite to least favorite:

1. The Passing Zone
2. Brian Justin Crum
3. Edgar
4. Malevo
5. Grace VanderWaal
6. Julia Scotti
7. Vello Vaher (He may be boring to watch but I think he does have one of the coolest talents)
8. Blake Vogt
9. Alla & Daniel
10. Linkin Bridge
11. Kadan Bart Rockett
12. Ronee Martin

[DrLar]

What kind of "magic" Blake did? nothing! Audience plant, slight of hand card, that was it! and helped by the camera director (he/she deserves a good kick in the rear behind)

[Mr. Sparkle]

I was disappointed with Linkin Bridge, who I liked before, but the song choice wasn't in their favor. I also didn't care for Julia. Again, I liked her previous performances, but this was just her yelling observations. She does have good delivery, and I could see her on a sitcom. 

I didn't like Edgar before, and last night didn't change my opinion. While I was watching, I was thinking of the word "sleepy" to describe their performance. 

Maybe because she's so far from what I listen to, but I really liked Grace. Her style's been done before (especially recently) but a 12-year writing hooks like that is impressive. 

[TaraS1]

I'm just not a Brian fan.  He seems like a very nice guy, but his voice always sounds screechy and strained to me.  And I feel like I've seen him and that perfect beard someplace before - like he's a long lost member of Take That or something.

The mom from Edgar can really sing, but they could send every act from last night home and I'd be okay with it.

[Zuleikha]

This was a LOT of production trying to mask him doing the exact same thing he's done before and for someone who I KNOW has been a professional contortionist for decades and has toured with multiple circuses, it's baffling he couldn't come up with anything new to spice things up.

But that's the old school circus way... develop your one amazing act, get booked with it, and tour with it. It's much newer that circus artists are trying to stay rooted in one place and changing up our acts instead. 

I find it very hypocritical that Vello got buzzed when Sofie Dossi has shot an arrow at a target three times in a row and got nothing but praise.

Sofie's done the foot archery plain, added fire, and then added spinning and a blindfold. She's changing it up as much as she can. She also has done completely unique and different choreography that showcases both aerial and contortion/handbalancing skills for the entire rest of the her acts. She's doing way more than just using her feet to shoot an arrow.

[Mr. Sparkle]

19 minutes ago, TaraS1 said:

they could send every act from last night home and I'd be okay with it.

Yep. 

[LoneHaranguer]

10 hours ago, Commando Cody said:

I can't stand the cutsey kid magicians. 

A magic act that involves a "peril" works a lot better if it doesn't end up looking like the performer could have just stood there in perfect safety. That was a pretty big space on the left at the end.

15 hours ago, oinkers12 said:

I hate the argument of changing things up when singers take established songs and use those as their act.

You can do a lot to make an established song completely fresh. Remember Melanie Martinez on The Voice?

[helenamonster]

I agree that this was probably the weakest of the quarter-finals overall, and I wasn't particularly thrilled with any of the performances. Anyway...

Vello Vaher: This dude is ridiculous, and while I enjoy him enough, I don't see him moving forward. When I saw that giant ship prop up on stage, I knew he'd run out of ideas and needed nicer window dressing.

Ronee Martin: Sweet lady, forgettable performance.

Kadan Bart Rockett: I think he and his sister are very good at the presentation side of things, but the trick wasn't very original. However, as far as kids go, I wouldn't be mad if they went through. They have good stage presence, at any rate, and I doubt they'll win. Plus, like I said, it was slim pickings this week, so I wouldn't feel like they were taking the place of a more deserving act.

Linkin' Bridge: Again, sweet guys, forgettable performance.

Alla and Daniel Novikov: Yeah, Howie buzzing them was...weird. They're not my favorite act by any means but he just seemed so pissed about their very existence, it was very un-Howie-like, especially considering the dumb acts he's hyped up over the years. They were never gonna go past the quarter-finals anyway, but what really screwed them this week was the camera work, imo. I saw them stumble on a few steps/timing, and it seemed like it was because they were trying to keep up with performing to the spinning camera instead of just the theater audience. Idk, I don't know why the producers felt the need to do that.

Blake Vogt: I like him. He's not the most exciting magician the show has this year but he did a solid trick and deserves to go through, imo. Earlier buzzing nonsense aside, I did like Howie throwing shade towards the sob story intro packages. It's true, they are getting ridiculous to the point where I feel like they don't let you on the show unless you've faced some sort of debilitating tragedy or trauma.

Edgar: I'm usually meh on singers but we were scraping the bottom of the barrel last night so a couple of the singing acts actually ended up being my favorites. They're very likable and my interest was held throughout the performance. Damning with faint praise, I know, but what are you gonna do?

Julia Scotti: I want to like her, but I didn't laugh once. I get that her style is more about telling funny stories than traditional set-up/punchline jokes, but it just isn't working for me. That and she was screaming the whole time, which grated.

Brian Justin Crum: Yet another singer tonight I wouldn't be mad to see go through. He's very talented, though didn't/doesn't he have a Broadway career? Stop acting like you're some undiscovered diamond in the rough, dude!

Malevo: I love them. They're the only act I'm dying to see go through.

The Passing Zone: This was actually really interesting. I think what I like about them is that their individual performances all feel like they could add up to a very entertaining full stage show. Whether what they did last night could be consider a "talent" is up for debate, but as part of their whole repertoire it was very funny and I'd like to see them advance. Also I was laughing at how much fun Heidi looked like she was having. Out of all the judges, I think she's the best sport when it comes to being part of an act.

Grace VanderWaal: Huhhhhh. Look. She's talented. I said it, okay? But I think years of this show pushing much more mediocre tween girl singers on me like they're the next pop sensation has soured me towards all similar future acts. Whether that's fair or not...whatever. Whoever upthread said she's probably gonna win this thing, I agree. She's got the force of tweens on social media behind her. But she really needs to work on her stage presence and enunciation. She looked like a deer in headlights and a beautiful voice doesn't mean anything if you can't understand the words it's singing. Also I kind of resent that it seems like they've tried to make her look more like Taylor Swift. And Howie, she's not gonna be bigger than Taylor Swift. Taylor Swift is who she is not because of her talent but because she's a marketing and self-branding genius. Although her star is on the decline after the Kimye debacle so maybe Grace is coming onto the scene at just the right time.

[rr2911]

Yesterday's show was neither memorable or exciting. There were some predictable moments that took place yesterday. Grace VanderWaal would get a standing O no matter how she did and Brian Justin Crum would once again mention he was bullied. Here is what I thought:

12. Vello Vaher - I'm glad Simon pressed the buzzer, Vello deserved it! He did the same performance as before but with different back settings. Also, that stomach thing has jumped the shark.

11. Grace VanderWaal - Are we allowed to give negative critiques about kids? Apparently the judges don't think so. Look, she writes her own songs so that's impressive, but her voice is not! It's whinny and cracking all the time, which I'm guessing it's today's indie's style? Anyway, she was awful!

10. Alla & Daniel - Hey, the judges put them through so they are at fault! It's weird seeing a mother and son dancing like that. I never would've put them through.

09. Julia Scotti - I don't like comedians especially ones who get a pass because they're [trandgendered]! She's not funny but I put her at #9 because she made a comment about people overusing the expression "awwe", which I agreed with her.

08. Kadan Bart Rockett - It was an ok trick although you could see the boy come down from where he was handcuffed and switch with another boy. He'll be heading home so he can improve on his tricks.

07. The Passing Zone - Even though they had me laughing, I didn't like that they changed things up a little bit too much.

06. Blake Vogt - His trick was just ok. That "that would've been cool though" thing that every magician is saying this season has jumped the great white shark already! His presentation was boring though.

05. Brian Justin Crum - Very good singer but he just loses me with him mentioning yet again that he was bullied. He is a poor mans version of Adam Lambert.

04. Linkin Bridge - I thought they sounded great yesterday. It would be nice to see them more relaxed rather than always having that "intimidation look".

03. Malevo - They are proving me wrong about a dance group having a chance to win AGT. One question, didn't they actually play drums also?

02. Ronee Martin - She has the voice, the stage presence, the experience and the look to nab the AGT crown.

01. Edgar - I thought they were the best of the night. Great vocals from the mom. Could make things interesting in the next round.

 

. Still disappointed with Simon Cowell

. Still hope MelB gets a better offer and leaves AGT even though she signed up for next season. Her voice is so irritating, I end up bypassing her critiques.

 

Until next time..... 

Edited August 24, 2016 by rr2911
Language.

[candall]

I disagree she's getting a pass for the reason you say.  To me, she put a humorous spin on a viewpoint I don't often hear, and I believed her--if I tell people I like living alone, 99% will chalk that up to me putting a brave face on spinsterhood.  The comparison to the handicapped cat in the animal commercials made me laugh.

So maybe she just hit the sweet spot with me personally, but I also liked how she didn't put herself down for looks or age or rely on anything having to do with her transgendered status.  I'd dial down her nervous show volume a click and send her through.

I didn't watch the kid magician or the kid dancer because I can't stand kid entertainers, just like lots of people don't care for comedians.

Edited August 24, 2016 by Drogo
Quoted language.

[candall]

11 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

We were absolutely CHEATED out of ALL nat sound (actual sound being made) by Malevo!  

No kidding.  What the hell?!  All the sound engineering technology available and there's no way to mic (mike?) those sounds in?

The men are hot, hot, hot, but they're not a precision dance team--the percussion element is a crucial part of the act!

,

Malevo surely has to be one of the finalist acts.   Whether the upshot of this whole thing is appearing as part of a Vegas show or a traveling AGT revue or whatever, people are going to want to see something besides someone with a pretty good singing voice.

**************

So Simon thinks we'll all have "the moment we first saw Grace Vanderwaal" burned into our brains?  Like, this is an event equivalent to "Where were you when you heard Kennedy was shot?"  When the future for much of the world shifted?   Step off, Simon.

[marketdoctor]

Quote

So Simon thinks we'll all have "the moment we first saw Grace Vanderwaal" burned into our brains? 

I think he actually thinks this.  (I don't remember where I was when I first heard Taylor Swift, though I remember liking her song about Tim McGraw.)

That said, thanks to the insightful comments, I'm starting to understand her appeal.  It's kind of, though not exactly, like the appeal of Colby Caillat (who is probably on speed dial for the duet portion); performing in ways that appeal to the feelings of isolation and self-doubt that lots of people feel.  I wish her well.

That said, I was really entertained by Passing Zone--partly for throwing the "boulders" between people--that's harder than it sounds, and they didn't miss.

I liked the kid magicians (the assistant often does some of the hard parts, so credit where it's due) more than I thought.

Other than that--it's long past time to disconnect the buzzer once we have the contestants that, as others have noted, the JUDGES PICKED.  If we can't get our time back, you can't get a buzzer.  I'm also someone who wanted to hear Malevo's sound; otherwise it's like going to Stomp for the dancing.  Buzzing the contortionist and the dancers while they were doing something that seemed difficult was particularly wrong.  (Simon buzzing at the end of an act was, at least, less dangerous, but imagine if someone buzzed any of the bow-and-arrow acts while they were shooting.)

Overall, my expectations were VERY low, and some groups were as good as I remembered (Edgar, Passing Zone); for others, I was able to see how someone else could like an act (like the mother/son dancers--they're really enjoying dancing, and that's it--it's one of the few times the backstory helped.)

[rr2911]

The thing about Grace VanderWaal is if he were an adult she probably wouldn't have gone through. Because she's a kid, it's a "let's not give negative critiques because it might harm her for life" type of thing. 

[Taeolas]

Passing Zone was probably the main act I had fun with last night. And I'm annoyed with the camera work. Once they got the 3 spinning, they started juggling 'planets'  between the judges; but because of the camera angles we couldn't really see it. :( 

 

That said, I have noticed the camera work has improved a little. For visual acts like dance groups, they aren't cutting away as much. They are cutting around a lot still, but I don't think they really did any audience reaction shots last week, nor for some of the other acts the weeks before.

[Jordan27]

I thought it was a good night.  No bad performances.

But, since we are getting to the end here, I'm going to a little tough on some of these acts.

1.  Vello -  The look and music were really good, the performance just okay.  I've seen this before and I was waiting for something outstanding.....7.5

2. Renee - It was good, but I was a little bored, but the glory note was good....7.5

3. Kadan - I really liked it.  The kids have a very good stage presence and the trick was done very well....8.5

4. Linkin Bridge -  It was very good, but I think they have done better.....8.5

5. Daniel and Alla - It was okay, but I've seen this before.....7.5

6. Blake - Really liked the trick and good stage presence....8.5

7. Edgar - They are really good together....9.0

8. Julia - Funny again, but not as good as the other times....8.00

9. Brian Crum - Wow, that was really good...9.0

10. Malevo - I don't even remember them.  It was good, but a little tired of these novelty acts....8.0

11. Passing Zone - Funny, but nothing special...7.0

12. Grace - Cute, her own song and sings really well.  A little bit of nerves and not as good as the first time...8.5

[Jordan27]

So, my order...

1. Brian....9

2. Edgar..9

3.  Linkin Bridge...9

4.  Grace...8.5

5. Kadan...8.5

6.  Blake...8.5

7.  Julia....8.0

8.  Malevo...8.0

9.  Ronee....7.5

10.  Vello..7.5

11.  Daniel and Alla...7.5

12.  Passing Zone...7

I know that Brian, Grace, Edgar will get through.  I know that Vello, Daniel and Alla, and the Passing Zone are gone.

That leaves Ronee,  Linkin Bridge, Maleevo, Julia, Blake and Kadan to fight for the last 4 spots.

I think Linkin Bridge will make it and I think Kadan will too.  I'll take Blake and Julia for the last two spots. 

[Jordan27]

On ‎8‎/‎23‎/‎2016 at 11:12 PM, Songbird said:

I think Grace maybe has potential, but so do a lot of others kids her age. I don't really think she is anything special....

The difference would be is that she is on a show with millions of people watching. How many can perform under those conditions?

[Jordan27]

On ‎8‎/‎24‎/‎2016 at 1:28 AM, oinkers12 said:

I'm sort of torn on Grace, honestly. I respect her the most out of all of the singing acts (because she actually WRITES her own material, which one would think should be a requirement to "mix things up") but her position in the competition is just impossible to beat. She's going to be Top 5 no matter what happens because of how large her fanbase is. Also, the producers putting her in the pimp spot (and presumably future pimp spots) helps this as well. I don't have a problem with her being popular but my problem is that the rest of the competition is basically going to be displayed as Grace and a bunch of other talents in the background. The act that I thought would be able to combat her was Tape Face but her fans are spamming her name on Twitter and YouTube. Everything makes this feel one-sided to me and last year's competition was actually suspenseful in parts because 1: None of the acts had a fanbase of 500k Youtube subscribers and 2: They didn't have a judge who kept pimping every singing act there is (cough Simon cough).

 

I know this sounds like nitpicking and it's not like she's breaking any rules or anything but her momentum online translates to how she does in the Live Shows then this season's basically over before it even really started. Unless if she messes up terribly I'm calling it now that Grace is going to win the season. 

Grace is the one who showed personality and singing ability to get that popularity.  That's a credit to her.  Everyone else has that same opportunity.   And how do you know the producers gave her that spot? 

And you give the judges too much credit.  They loved Tamyra, Melinda, and Daughtery on Idol and all were voted off the show.

[Jordan27]

I don't know if Simon buzzed the first contortionist because he didn't want any competition for his golden arrow girl. Who isn't original either. This Vello guy's act is actually more interesting. 

Vello has no chance to win this competition and isn't going to beat any of the singing acts nor is he a threat to Simon's golden girl.  If anything, another singing act might be.

[Jordan27]

It's a little tiring to hear that acts are getting through because they were bullied, transgendered, cute kids or liked by the judges.  Like the rest of the audience is stupid and easily manipulated, but they are above it all. 

There are a lot of reasons acts get through and not only one reason. 

[UsernameGoesHere]

What the HECK is Mel wearing? What is that thing on her shoulder? She even had it on in the spacesuit. She looks ridiculous.

Vello - I like him, I find him amusing and he looked adorable as a pirate, but we've seen all he can do.

Ronee - I was bored. So of course three judges stood up for her.

Linkin Bridge - I wasn't really feeling this, but I like that they kept it simple and didn't go for the big production. Does anyone else almost always accidentally call them Linkin Park? Just me? Okay.

Alla and Daniel - My heart broke for him. I don't like seeing sweet little kids getting buzzed. I don't think it was necessary, and neither were the harsh comments from Howie. How many other acts go out there every week and do the same thing and never get called out on it? Why call out the kid of all people? He just raved about Vello, who showed us the same exact moves for the third time, but on a ship. I'm not even a fan of the act, or this particular performance. The background dancers detracted/distracted from the act. They were never going through anyway. It almost seemed like Howie has a personal problem with them or something. I don't like seeing a kid get his dreams crushed. Hopefully Howie will call out every other act on this show who does the same thing again. I'll be waiting for him to tear Malevo a new one for dancing and whipping again, Edgar and BJC for singing again, Grace for playing her ukelele again. I'm guessing none of this will happen though.

Kaden - If we're going to buzz a kid, can't it be him? Ugh. They were fun the first time. The novelty of a cute kid doing amateur magic has worn off. And look at him eating a sandwich like he thinks he's Piff or something.

Blake Vogt - Just because you tell us the volunteers are random and you've never met before, doesn't mean I believe it, lol. I didn't love this as much as I hoped I would. It didn't have the same wow factor that other magic acts like Jon Dorenbos and Steven Brundage did. I like Blake and I'm pretty sure we'll be seeing him again, so I'm hoping he'll come out with something amazing next time. I did laugh at Howie's comment about his video package because yeah, it's usually some big sob story about being homeless or someone dying, and Blake has... allergies. I always love the packages where there's no sob story because it's always fun to see what they come up with for it each week, as opposed to seeing Linkin Bridge's same intro package about being from a bad part of town for the third time, or Musicality practicing in a school stairwell again.

Malevo - Music was too loud! I wanted to hear the tapping and drumming. But I could watch Mel go crazy over them all day.

Julia Scotti - I wasn't laughing.

Brian Justin Crum did "local theater." Oh, is that what we're calling Broadway now? Do they think we'll like him less if they're honest about his backstory? Because it's the opposite - the deceitful nonsense about him just being a bullied car driver takes away from the act for me. It's a shame because he's a great singer. Not sure why the show feels the need to lie about him.

Speaking of acts who have a backstory they're not telling us about, it's The Passing Zone! I think we can give up on the show ever mentioning them being season 1 finalists. I like the comedy in the beginning of the act, but the actual juggling portion of it did nothing for me. Did I hear Mel B drop an F bomb?

Grace - Yeah, sorry, I just don't get the hype here. Never have. I'm not seeing what's so special. I don't really like the way she sings. At least she writes her own songs though, she gets kudos from me on that. But bigger than Taylor Swift? I wish the judges would stop with these over the top comments.

[Indy]

On 8/26/2016 at 9:41 AM, UsernameGoesHere said:

What the HECK is Mel wearing? What is that thing on her shoulder? She even had it on in the spacesuit. She looks ridiculous.

 

I believe it was either part of Blake's bluejay or she murdered a Muppet and is wearing its pelt...

Edited August 31, 2016 by Indy

[AZChristian]

I noticed during one part of the show she was beating the heck out of Howie with that thing - and he did not look amused.  And didn't she almost throw a drink on Simon a couple of weeks ago?  Girl needs to learn to behave like a grown-up.  That behavior could be seen as assault; it's NOT cute.

[Songbird]

22 hours ago, Jordan27 said:

The difference would be is that she is on a show with millions of people watching. How many can perform under those conditions?

I'm sure lots of kids her age could perform under those conditions if they're parents were pushing them hard enough to do it. I always wonder about these parents that push their kids into 'show business' at such a young age. I think these parents see their kids as 'cash cows' sadly. I think all kids should experience a normal childhood no matter what their talents are. Let them pursue their talent later in life as a career when they are mature enough to withstand the pressures involved.  My husband and I both noted how terrified Grace looked when she performed. Just like all the other kid performers in years gone by on AGT, absolutely terrified....

[Jordan27]

2 hours ago, Songbird said:

I'm sure lots of kids her age could perform under those conditions if they're parents were pushing them hard enough to do it. I always wonder about these parents that push their kids into 'show business' at such a young age. I think these parents see their kids as 'cash cows' sadly. I think all kids should experience a normal childhood no matter what their talents are. Let them pursue their talent later in life as a career when they are mature enough to withstand the pressures involved.  My husband and I both noted how terrified Grace looked when she performed. Just like all the other kid performers in years gone by on AGT, absolutely terrified....

Oh, I'm sure many could, but a lot would freeze on stage. 

And as far as kids singing at an early age, that's an individual thing.  Some kids want to sing and their parents don't push them, just like playing sports.  I don't think every kid is traumatized or have pushy parents.

[Songbird]

1 hour ago, Jordan27 said:

Oh, I'm sure many could, but a lot would freeze on stage. 

And as far as kids singing at an early age, that's an individual thing.  Some kids want to sing and their parents don't push them, just like playing sports.  I don't think every kid is traumatized or have pushy parents.

Singing in choir, playing a musical instrument, playing school sports, performing in school plays, these are all part of a normal childhood. Performing on AGT at the tender ages we've seen could only come from pushy parents in my opinion. What child would put that kind of pressure on themselves? And when they don't perform well they are criticized by the judges and you can see how hard it is on them. It is devestating for them! As a parent myself with talented kids, I would never put that kind of pressure on them for any amount of money or short term fame....

[Jordan27]

52 minutes ago, Songbird said:

Singing in choir, playing a musical instrument, playing school sports, performing in school plays, these are all part of a normal childhood. Performing on AGT at the tender ages we've seen could only come from pushy parents in my opinion. What child would put that kind of pressure on themselves? And when they don't perform well they are criticized by the judges and you can see how hard it is on them. It is devestating for them! As a parent myself with talented kids, I would never put that kind of pressure on them for any amount of money or short term fame....

Not true.  Just because it isn't the usual things kids do doesn't make it a pushy parent.  Some kids excel at this.  And for every kid that may be upset, we've seen some that weren't.  Again, it's on a case by case basis.  Some kids can't sing in the choir or play sports and their parents make them.  Pushy parents exist in the normal activities too.

[Kromm]

Another contortion act shows it's limits. Another (over)singer pimped like crazy.  Another really annoying kid (well pair of kids) relying on cute crap and making me want to retch. Another oversinging Doo-Wop group.  Another annoying kid, this one creepy dancing with his Mommy. Another boring magic trick with new dressing on the same old mentalism/slight of hand box ticks. 

The Family Band was at least okay, and the Transgender comedian, Julia, better than okay (even moreso because she doesn't really reference that in her act at all--which is refreshing). 

Then snoooooore.... more singers. At least the next guy is less cliched (in his music, even if his "looking to be accepted" storyline is pure cliche). 

Then Mel's stupid "Gulden Boozer" act.  Ugh.  Stomp stomp stomp. Boooooooring.

The Jugglers are okay. As a comedy act at least.

And sigh. The end is annoying cute little kid AND over-singing together in the same package.

I know the results show already happened and I haven't seen it, but I somehow wish Julia and maybe the Jugglers and the Family Band could be the ONLY ones who get through. But I'm sure they didn't even all get through and some of these annoying others did instead.

Edited August 28, 2016 by Kromm

[Zuleikha]

I like Kaden Bart Rockett and Brooklyn. I'm amazed by how professional they are at presenting their tricks, and I love how they don't try to be anything other than kids doing magic. I don't think the trick they did this time was basic; I thought it was a nice presentation of a classic trick with a cute call back to their audition. To me, basic is more accurate for something that's a simple, common prop (although I think basic tricks done well are impressive, so I don't consider basic an insult either). I also have no idea how he got from the chainsaw place to climbing out of the toolbox.

Apparently per some comments on YouTube, if you freezeframe the video, you can spot his shoe at one point. They were using this to decry the magic as just a trick and the magician as a fraud. This made me wonder if those people are unaware that most magic is tricks and fraudulent... I guess some form of escapes may be an exception to that, but it's not like we're actually supposed to believe Kaden teleported from the chainsaw chamber to the toolbox!

[Songbird]

3 minutes ago, Songbird said:

 

On August 26, 2016 at 10:27 PM, Jordan27 said:

Not true.  Just because it isn't the usual things kids do doesn't make it a pushy parent.  Some kids excel at this.  And for every kid that may be upset, we've seen some that weren't.  Again, it's on a case by case basis.  Some kids can't sing in the choir or play sports and their parents make them.  Pushy parents exist in the normal activities too.

Encouraging a child to participate in school activities that may well enrich their lives is light years different than putting your child on AGT, in front of millions of people for money and fame. 

[Jordan27]

And performing in front of millions may enrich their lives.  Jackie Evancho comes to mind.

And the pain kids feel is the same when they fail in school or on stage.

And there is nothing wrong with fame and money.  It's how someone deals with it.

[Songbird]

9 hours ago, Jordan27 said:

And performing in front of millions may enrich their lives.  Jackie Evancho comes to mind.

And the pain kids feel is the same when they fail in school or on stage.

And there is nothing wrong with fame and money.  It's how someone deals with it.

A young kid is not equipped mentally or maturity wise to handle fame and money.  Their parents are definitely the ones that benefit. These kids have a lot of problems later in life because they didn't get to experience a normal childhood.  There have been several examples of child stars/celebrities over the years that totally crashed and burned later in their lives....

[Jordan27]

2 hours ago, Songbird said:

A young kid is not equipped mentally or maturity wise to handle fame and money.  Their parents are definitely the ones that benefit. These kids have a lot of problems later in life because they didn't get to experience a normal childhood.  There have been several examples of child stars/celebrities over the years that totally crashed and burned later in their lives....

And there are many who didn't.  Depends on the individual.  Many have no problems.  Many normal kids have problems later in life too.

And as far as fame and money, that's why they have parents.  Kids aren't prepared to handle anything in life.  That's why they stay with their parents for 18 years to learn.