S11.E18: Semi Finals 1

[Drogo]

The first 11 of the remaining 22 acts perform for a chance to win $1 million and be named the most talented act in America.

[ChiCricket]

Tape face always makes me laugh in spite of myself.

[UsernameGoesHere]

I'm just watching the performances really quick tonight. Sal is a lot more tolerable when you skip all the parts of the show where he talks.

Blake's trick was cool. And I legitimately laughed at the invisibility part. He was funnier than Lori.

Edgar would be better if they ditched the kid... lol. Or if mama just performed solo. But I like her and her husband together.

Why is Musicality still here?

Good god, Lori Mae Hernandez is just ANNOYING. And not funny in the slightest. So cringeworthy. The poor audience having to pretend to laugh at her Barbie jokes. At least her hair looked nice.

I want to have a staple gun fight now.

Grace - Like I said last week, I appreciate that she writes her own songs... but they all sound the exact same. And I can barely understand a word of it. And I just don't understand what's supposed to be so special about her. But it still beats hearing Pie Jesu for the thousandth freaking time! Bored to tears with Ms. Romania's Got Talent.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

I don't think they'll survive the avalanche of singing acts.....but Deadly Games is just cool. I hope they can parlay this season on AGT into some type of higher profile gig in Vegas. They've got variety, sex appeal, and showmanship in spades....

I actually think, unless maybe one of the two magicians sneaks in......were only going to have one non-singing act (TapeFace) advance from this semi-final. Mostly because they've just beat us over the head with OperaGirl and Grace the entire season. I'm assuming they'll both advance, Edgar and Sal (despite going first) have strong chances of advancing too.

[Commando Cody]

Opera might work in other countries. I have my doubts that an opera singer will win in America's Got Talent.  I can't remember the past winners very well. Was Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. the last singer to win on this show? The voters seemed to have rebelled against singers in the past.  Things may change due to there now being fewer vocal talent shows. Plus there seem to be quite a few more vocalists in the finals this year - but I think that's because of Simon's influence. 

I'm glad there are only two weeks left of this. I'm just bored with everyone right now. 

Lorie Mae? is that the kid's name? She and Julia seem to have similar styles of attempting to be funny. They should tour together. I don't like them, but the people who like them really seem to like them.

[Juneau Gal]

I love Tape Face, but that was weak. And I truly feel he got screwed over at the end by the Simon/Mel B fuckery and therefore not getting benefit of the judges begging people to vote for him, like ALL the other acts got. 

[dbklmt]

I really did not enjoy this semi finals with lots of acts that I didn't like.  I pretty well disliked most of the performances except for Jon Dorenbos who was the best of the magicians for me.  Too many musical acts and I'd like for them all to be out, but that won't happen.  I hated the sob story for Laura Bretan who got the pimp spot and I just can't get past that she won "Romania's Got Talent".  Malevo was so much better this week even using the drums more than last week, but the best for me and worthy of a Vegas starring gig was Deadly Games.  Like Juneau Gal I was extremely disappointed with Tape Face's routine which I hated.  In the end I couldn't find five acts to vote for so I only voted for Jon Dorenbos, Malevo, Deadly Games and Tape Face.

Edited August 31, 2016 by dbklmt
Edited to correct Jon's last name which I really screwed up.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

I was shocked at how badly the director missed out money shots for Vogt (pairing up the torn piece with the card Simon was holding) and for Deadly Games (the reveal with the tearing of the wrapping paper).  We had audience reaction shots instead of action shots.  Amateur hour.  You have to honor LIVE TV and not be so fine, trying to jam in too much.

Once again, Tape Face was allowed to perform his act in the package and on stage.  I do not ever recall a performer with such an outrageous advantage.  So, a staple gun fight is worth a million dollars?   Or was it the man on the street bit?  It was no coinkydink that the jidges did not comment on the act itself.  I would stop on the street if he were busking.  No question.  I would never pay to buy a ticket to see him, though.  If he were part of a company of variety acts?  Great.

Dorenbos' use of the jidges, running around, actual urgency of timing, was probably the best I have ever seen on AGT!  Fantastic integration.  The various tricks were tremendous.  His confident and forceful presentation is unusually strong, yet he is eminently likable, as well.  If he does not go through, there is no justice.

Really sad and disappointed that Malevo chose to be a pure dance act.  All sound was tracked again.  Hmmm.  How does a LIVE act get slo-mo effects (the final move)?  I smell a big, fat, AGT producer rat for all the artificialities.  

Finally, I was glad Sal got the horrid lead-off spot.  I love big band and he did a fine job.  I simply do not care for the man.  It would be stunning if he survived this group of 11.    

[bluepiano]

3 hours ago, UsernameGoesHere said:

Good god, Lori Mae Hernandez is just ANNOYING. And not funny in the slightest. So cringeworthy. The poor audience having to pretend to laugh at her Barbie jokes. At least her hair looked nice.

I NEVER thought she was funny, but still couldn't believe Simon saying that was her best night. The whole "I'm not that Laurie Hernandez" thing bombed, because obviously very few people in the audience knew there was an Olympic gymnast with the same name. A very bad miscalculation that showed her inexperience. And the indulgence of kid performers also let her get away with taking shots at the judges. The "like Mariah outgrew Nick" line was not witty or funny. It was just mean and rude. Please go away.

I think Tape Face might be in trouble. The humor seems to get more slight each week. And then he had to stand there while the judges acted like 8 year olds. What is it with regularly Simon insulting Mel B. this year? Like Lori Mae Hernandez, his insults aren't clever at all. It's very juvenile.

3 hours ago, UsernameGoesHere said:

Grace - Like I said last week, I appreciate that she writes her own songs... but they all sound the exact same. And I can barely understand a word of it. And I just don't understand what's supposed to be so special about her.

I had the show taped and fast forwarded through the judges' comments about Grace. Because I didn't need to hear yet again that she's the most talented human being who has ever lived, and probably the next winner of the Nobel Peace Price, as well as AGT. The songs all sound the same to me too. I guess the lyrics are supposed to be full of meaning, but I can't understand them, and it bugs me how she slips in and out of accents.

It's like she's doing that whole breathy indie girl singer style that was fortunately starting to fall out of favor, but since she's 12 year old, all of a sudden it's the height of artistry. And she is now three out of three performances not being able to keep a consistent tempo. I don't think all the speeding up and slowing down is part of the song. It's her nerves.

The only acts I really enjoyed tonight were the two magicians. (Mel B. had to throw rather than hike the football, because her dress was too tight for her to bend over).

Edited August 31, 2016 by bluepiano

[Zuleikha]

Deadly Games better move on. First, they deserve it because that woman has nerves of steel. Second, they deserve it because that guy is a real, live Deadshot. Third, they deserve it because he freaking shot an arrow to pop a balloon without popping the inner balloon. Also, their act was well-structured, and they managed to do something very different from their previous auditions while also keeping it exactly what they're known for.

Really sad and disappointed that Malevo chose to be a pure dance act.  All sound was tracked again.

I'm pretty sure the drums were live. They were certainly really hitting the drums, so it would have been live in the theater. They also were doing percussive footwork, but the recorded music totally overshadowed it. I assume the sound carried better in the live theater, too. I don't know why the broadcast sound hasn't figured out how to capture the sound by this point.

[Frankenstein123]

And the race is on, I thought this was a fairly predictable night where everybody did pretty good, but without any real big surprises. It could also not be any more obvious that Simon wants the finals to be nothing but singers considering the absurd amount of standing ovations and "I hope people vote for you" speeches he gave to damn near all of them.  But enough about that, I'll rank the acts based on how much I liked ecah of them.

11. Musicality - You know what's better than 1 sob story? 30 OF THEM. Dialling the self-pity up to 11 didn't impress the judges much, but they were an improvement from the last time. It's all still fairly unremarkable though and if they manage to somehow make it over all the other singers today, SOMETHING has gone horribly horribly wrong. 

10. Edgar - The good part about having 3 members in your group is that when one of them exhausts their sob story, you have another one ready to take over. This was...pleasant...in the same way oatmeal is pleasant. You eat it, you enjoy it, but you aren't really craving for more and move on to bigger and better things. 

9. Lori Mae Hernandez - Watching the performances again on youtube I noticed Lori had the second to most amount of views (more than Laura, Jon and Tape Face, even twice as much as some of them) and more dislikes than likes. The dislike ratio is unfortunate, but the view count is just baffling. Are there that many people out there checking her out JUST to spread hate? It's a shame, while her material clearly needs refinement and she started out rather weak, the ending was ballsy and made me chuckle. I've always liked her and continue to do so, even if it should have been Julia here before her, but that's hardly her fault. 

8. Sal Valentinetti - With his overflowing confidence in "winning" and shtick as old as dirt,  I should dislike the guy...but he's just so goofy and cheesily charming that I can't. He went back to old standards as was expected and did it well enough that I wouldn't even be upset if he made it to the final. At the very least he's not just another sob story and is entertaining and likable both on and off the stage.

7. Blake Vogt - Being mostly a behind the scenes guy, he's clearly still finding his personality on stage and trying off different things, but I like the quirky weirdness and think he should go even further with it. But I have to agree with Heidi this time, it's not that "going big" was the wrong move, it's that the trick he chose to go big with was fairly underwhelming and easy to figure out. Any other day I would I would still give him a chance to make it through, but there was another magician on today who beat him in every way possible...

6. Laura Bretan - Hey you know what we haven't had in a long time? A GOOD SOB STORY. Thankfully Laura is here to help us out with that and do some pretty wonderful singing as an added extra, Opera will never be my preferred choice of music, but she did her best performance yet and it was close to giving me chills...close...then I closed my window and everything was back to normal.

5. Deadly Games - Besides Malevo I think this is the most polished vegas ready "act". And act is the right word, because everything feels well thought out. It's not just a sequence of dangerous tricks, their costumes, the stage decorations, the movement, the music choice - it all adds up to a package that feels complete. They even managed to avoid the usual danger act pitfall by integrating new elements into the show. While I don't think they have a chance in hell of making it through, they should be remembered as one of the best acts of its kind to have ever appeared on this show and a good example for future contestants looking to do the same. It's also uh...it's hard not agree with Howie...get it...HARD not..to..a..I hate myself. 

4. Grace VanderWaal - Yeah, her shyness is VERY apparent and she might as well be singing the same song round after round because I can't make out a WORD she is singing and all the tunes sound the same anyways, but she still manages to captivate with simple charm. That being said, It sounded like she was straining her voice today...something about it just sounded off, like she had a cold. Even when talking to the judges later, it sounded like her voice was going and I'm not seeing people talking about it...am I..am I losing my mind? Is it normal to see pink elephants flying around? HELP?

3. Malevo - I wasn't too big of a fan of their song choice this time around, it didn't seem to match the movement as well as it usually does and they continue to drown out the drums and steps (I guess adding microphones to all the drums would just cost too much, better to use all the money on a giant pirate ship and fake trees), BUT..BUT...THEY ARE JUST SO DARN ENTERTAINING TO WATCH *jumps up and down like Mel B*. I'm sure it's THAT much more exciting actually being there live, near the fire and smell of sweat and their biggest problem is the fact that it just doesn't translate to TV as well as some other acts, but they always put on a good show.

2. Tape Face - As always, this brought a smile to my face even if I had seen the routine before. I am beginning to get worried about him though, with the element of surprise gone it's hard for him to impress people as this...well...this IS the act. SO much of his stuff consists of interacting with the audience and the 2 or 3 minutes he's given on this show really isn't enough to show off his best stuff, causing him to do sped-up versions of his usual routines. He also suffers by making things look TOO easy, I can see lots of people seeing this and thinking "WTF was that? I could do that in 5 minutes" not considering how much creativity is needed to come up with original ideas and how many years he's spent perfecting this character. In a season relatively devoid of originality (we've seen "I predicted what you would pick" tricks, opera singers, contortionists, knife throwers, crooners etc before) he's a shining beacon of something we actually HAVEN'T seen before and I hope enough people agree with me to vote him through (even if the judges are more interested in their own shenanigans than promoting him)

1. Jon Dorenbos - WIZARDRY AND REAL MAGIC, I BELIEVE IN GANDALF! I can't be the only one that's annoyed with Simon's comments at this point, can I? The whole "you are a wizard" thing was cute at first, but it's going too far now. I know half the fun is in playing along and pretending like magicians are real, but Simon continuously pushing the idea that "this is NOT a trick" like he's trying to make the audience believe Jon has actual supernatural powers and has dedicated his life to using them exclusivley for insignificant card tricks, makes him out to be either a great actor or just senile. As for the act itself, it was a great and original twist on an old TRICK that was easily his best performance so far. I've been a bit hard on Jon in the past, but he blew the roof off tonight. His enthusiasm and energy is absolutely infectious and you can tell he LOVES doing this, at times the energy can be too much and it all turns to chaos, but he somehow manages to bring it all together in the end. 

Jon and Grace are locks for the final. Laura was given the pimp spot and was impressive enough to get people voting. Tape Face might be losing his luster a bit with viewers and I AM worried for him, but he has an ENORMOUS amount of fans that should get him at least the dunkin save. The last spot is a bit of a gamble, but I'd say it's going to be a fight between Malevo and Sal, with Malevo winning it if they end up in the judges choice. I also don't rule out Edgar and their "good old fashioned christian values" charming enough people to get to the dunkin save, but I can't see them getting out of it.

So in order of most to least likely to go through:

1. Grace 
2. Jon
3. Laura
4. Tape Face
5. Malevo
6. Sal 
7. Edgar
8. Musicality
9. Blake Vogt
10. Deadly Games
11. Lori Mae

In either case, it can't be as bad as last weeks results..r..right? *gulp* At least we have the illusionists to look forward to.

[Mama No Life]

Blake the magician is okay and Jon is awesome. I also enjoyed Deadly Games and that's not my usual cup of tea.  I am bored with all the others.  I am SO OVER opera girl and ukulele girl.  Grace could be singing the ingredients for Mrs. Field's chocolate chip cookies for all I know, because I can't make out a FUCKING THING SHE IS SAYING.  And since I don't speak opera, I am over already-won-a-show girl.  I also thought that quite honestly Edgar was horrible tonight.  Somehow pitchy and shrieky has become "making it your own".  If that's the case I make songs my own every day on the way to work.

ARE YOU NOT AMUSED?  Um, no, I'm not.

[candall]

Grace and Laura.

I agree it's sketchy for Romania's winner to scoot over here for a second bite of the apple, but THEY approved her inclusion, so I'm not deducting personal accountability points.  Even playing field, that is one amazing set of pipes.

 

But then, ha, I take credit for being objective about opera girl and at the same time I have an anti banjo girl bias--because of the judges.  Do they really think they're hearing God's own gift to the world of music?  I mean, maybe Barbra Streisand popped up one day and the world paused to listen, but Grace VanderWaal seems like a product Simon has decided to hype pursuant to marketing.

I can't stop thinking about Simon saying, after one of her shakier performances:  "It's really the potential that's important!"  Umm, no, for this show, it's really not.

Edited August 31, 2016 by candall

[illini1959]

I'm SO glad I'm not the only one who can't understand a word Grace is singing.

Quote

It's like she's doing that whole breathy indie girl singer style that was fortunately starting to fall out of favor, but since she's 12 year old, all of a sudden it's the height of artistry.

Thank you, bluepiano, for the description - I haven't been able to find the right words. I hate, HATE that type of singing, which to me is more talking than actual singing.

[UsernameGoesHere]

9 hours ago, bluepiano said:

The whole "I'm not that Laurie Hernandez" thing bombed, because obviously very few people in the audience knew there was an Olympic gymnast with the same name

Literally the only reason I knew about gymnast Laurie Hernandez is because she was just announced as part of the DWTS cast yesterday.

[marketdoctor]

Quote

WIZARDRY AND REAL MAGIC, I BELIEVE IN GANDALF! I can't be the only one that's annoyed with Simon's comments at this point, can I?

I don't know about "can't", but I know you aren't.  It was good, and I thought the state quarters reveal was clever and it was a nicely staged trick overall--but as Penn Jillette might say, he may have had the wrong Sir Ian McKellan character (that's one way to do the trick; I've been wrong about that before, though.)

I like both magicians this week; the debate about invisibility vs. flying was really clever (and the brick camo body suit was a clever twist.)

I liked the Lori/Laurie Hernandez bit, and I liked her set overall more than others--but going mean about the Spice Girls being over was bad, and making fun of Nick's marriage was over the line.  Some jokes work; some don't, and that will come in time.  I think Lori is trying to get better, and I wish her luck there.

I skipped the sob stories, and it was a much better show for that.

Deadly Games knew how to put on a show; the color-changing balloon was really impressive. The only thing that complicated it for me was the SNL sketch about The Whipmaster, where they had a replacement Whipmaster.  Not the act's fault; that was some great showmanship.

Grace, just remember that asthma drugs can increase your stage fright--but singing might help build up your lungs, so that could work.  I wonder who they'll get to sing with her in the finals--Colbie Caillat?  Dido?  Metallica?  (If you don't like her, her act just got a lot more interesting to think about.  Metallica has their own voice; so does Grace--but no.) 

I liked the staple-gun shootout, but in part because I keep looking for a safer way to do the magic bullet trick.  (Safer is a good direction, but you want to be really sure there.)

[TaraS1]

I can't with that Grace kid and the breathy, indecipherable singing and the special snowflake edit.  

Enjoyed Jon the magician and Deadly Games.  Tape Face's act this time did nothing for me, it was just boring and not funny.

I've missed a few semi-final performances here and there - are the husband and wife mentalist act still in the competition?  I love them.

[bluepiano]

8 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Once again, Tape Face was allowed to perform his act in the package and on stage.  I do not ever recall a performer with such an outrageous advantage. 

Last season, "Ira and his Mom" (or whatever the act was officially called) had comedy sketches as part of their package, such as Ira buying new clothes, mom getting a massage etc. Those taped and edited sketches were generally funnier than their actual live performances. But I don't think it's an outrageous advantage. It didn't help Ira.

58 minutes ago, TaraS1 said:

I can't with that Grace kid and the breathy, indecipherable singing and the special snowflake edit.  

"Special snowflake" is exactly right. I'm just not sure what's behind the infatuation America seems to have with watching little kids perform. On a similar note, there must be half a dozen kids cooking competition shows on TV. I don't get it.

Of the non-singing acts, TPTB seem to be pushing hardest for Malevo, giving them all kinds of production tricks and effects. But all the sound and lights and water doesn't hide the fact that they do the same steps every time. How come Simon never mentions that? And the leader may have actually been beating his drum, but it was out of synch with the recorded trick, which looked silly. I thought their audition performance was the best, because of the element of surprise. Since then, I've gotten kind of bored.

Speaking of bored, Edgar really puts me to sleep. The act seems to be more about how much they all love each other, and rainbows and sunshine, like a real life Partridge Family. But all the good vibes doesn't change the fact that musically they're a snooze. And can anyone actually see them performing in Vegas? (Branson, maybe).

Edited August 31, 2016 by bluepiano

[Drogo]

8 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Once again, Tape Face was allowed to perform his act in the package and on stage.  I do not ever recall a performer with such an outrageous advantage. 

Since his mouth is taped shut, he's not able to get the standard advantage of telling us how terrible his life has been thusfar and why this would be life-changing for him because wahhhhhhh. 

[UsernameGoesHere]

One of the great things about not having a sob story is that you can have fun intro packages that are just as good as the actual act. Same with having great banter with the judges afterwards (well obviously that doesn't apply to Tape Face). A lot of comedy acts have done this over the years. Taylor Williamson always had great intro packages and banter with the judges and it was basically like getting a 7-minute long act from him instead of just 90 seconds. I don't think it's any kind of huge advantage, at least not more so than the sob stories intros they hit us over the head with.

[giaNtsandYankees]

14 hours ago, UsernameGoesHere said:

Edgar would be better if they ditched the kid... lol. Or if mama just performed solo. But I like her and her husband together

It does seem that Jas is "just there." Especially during last night's petformance. I still like them though.

I loved Malevo's performance. Unfortunately, the music seemed to drown out the drumming and tapping - which is part of Malevo's schtick. I gave them all of my votes. ?

 

Grace....she is adorable, and I think that it's great that she writes her own songs. But I don't see her as the second coming, like the judges seem to paint her up as. ? I found her singing to be a tad pitchy last night - I don't know if that was the sound she was going for. But she will make it through tonight- along with Laura due to hyberbole from the judges.

We'll see what happens tonight.

Edited August 31, 2016 by giaNtsandYankees

[TaraS1]

51 minutes ago, bluepiano said:

"Special snowflake" is exactly right. I'm just not sure what's behind the infatuation America seems to have with watching little kids perform. On a similar note, there must be half a dozen kids cooking competition shows on TV. I don't get it.

ITA and as much as I love cooking competition shows, I hate the kid versions.  Which is a conundrum for me because, just like with kids on AGT, you know the judges aren't being truly honest, they're trying to be nice and encouraging.  Which is fine, but not why I watch competition shows.  And yet at the same time, even though I'm not a kid person, I'm still going to feel bad if Gordon Ramsay screams at some ten year old that her plate looks like a dog's dinner or Simon tells Grace he's sick of the precious act with no vocals to back it up and hopes she gets voted out.

[Juneau Gal]

1 hour ago, Drogo said:

Since his mouth is taped shut, he's not able to get the standard advantage of telling us how terrible his life has been thusfar and why this would be life-changing for him because wahhhhhhh. 

Exactly!!!! Not an advantage, actually a disadvantage 'cause, you know, many in the TV audience love the sad sob stories and will vote for a good one despite lack of talent. 

[Sylviad]

I'm  sorry BUT  Grace just annoys me so much I just hit the mute button.  I know she'll go through tonight and that bugs  because there are so many more deserving acts. Having said that must remember it's just a  talent show and of no real importance so must just relax and stop yelling at the tv.:)

[LadyMustang65]

I love Tape Face!!!  Just had to say that.  I think Simon has it right - he can do the silliest/stupidest things, and they just make me laugh and put a smile on my face.  I would seriously love to see him win it all.  I have grown tired of so many of the acts, and he seems so original by comparison.  Plus, it appeals to me that it's so simple.  He doesn't need big props and incredible production values.  It's just him interacting with others and being funny.  I love him.  And I would definitely pay money to go see him.  :)

I am with those who can't understand anything Grace sings, and while I do appreciate that she writes her own music, I just don't find them particularly listenable.  (Is that a word?)  Others have mentioned the changing tempo and there's the irregular phrasing.  I can't ever imagine myself singing one of her songs - either along with her or by myself.  To me, they're not really singable for anyone but her.  I am also with those who do not like seeing Laura in there as a former winner.  Especially given that she just won that other contest.  It's not like it was a year or two ago.  I think she won that one in May or something.  So she went right from one to the other.  But the show seems determined to push both Laura and Grace into the finals.  :(

I did love Musicality, and I hope they go through.  I liked the song they did last night, but I wish they had done the song they were singing in their intro package.  I thought that was really special and was part of the reason I voted for them.  That, and it's rare that 'choirs' get through, and I'd like them to do it.  I don't really see them as being a "sob" story as much as a story of overcoming their circumstances.  They won't win, but I'd like to see them in the finals.

Jon D. was amazing!!! I really enjoyed his performance.  Ditto with Blake.  I thought it was a clever twist.  I'm hoping for both of them to go through.

I think I'm one of the few that isn't that thrilled with Danger Games.  I can't argue with the fact that their performance is polished, and their production is great.  And the woman is gorgeous and knows how to move.  But something about that act just leaves me cold.  Same with Malevo.  I thought they were terrific the first time we saw them, but it's just too much of the same for me now. 

I usually like Edgar, but I was not thrilled with their performance last night.  Given that that song should have had a lot of emotional meaning for them, I was expecting more of a connection between them and the song, and I didn't feel like I got that. 

Anyway, as long as Tape Face and Jon D get through, I'll be okay.  If Blake and Musicality make it as well, I'll be ecstatic.  :)

[oinkers12]

I hope Tape Face goes through. If he's in the Dunkin Save bubble he will probably win that but it sucks that the JUDGES have problems following their very simple job description. At least Mel B sort of "apologized" on her Twitter by singing her praises for the act, but it was still unprofessional and will probably hurt him for tonight's results.

[helenamonster]

Sal Valentinetti: So when he gets voted off tonight (which he will be, right? RIGHT?), I feel like they should keep up with the cliche he's been using and pretend to drive him out to the pine barrens or something. He is so obnoxious and I can't even focus on whether or not he's a good singer cuz he just pushes all of my buttons personality-wise.

Blake Vogt: The invisibility/flying story was a great set-up and I think his showmanship was really good, but I too knew how he did the second, bigger trick, which is saying something because I am incredibly dense and can never figure those things out.

Edgar: I think they're fine. They don't annoy me like a lot of other singing acts, but if they go home I won't be sad.

Lori Mae Hernandez: I do not like her. I don't want to say anything truly mean about her because she's thirteen or whatever and I was an awkward unfunny person at that age too but I would like to no longer be subjected to her, please. And gah, her voice. Hopefully as she gets older and gains more self-awareness she'll learn to use her annoying voice to her advantage, like Sarah Silverman or something.

Musicality: I agreed with Simon that the song they did in their intro package was really good, but the live performance really floundered. I love "Born This Way" (massive Lady Gaga fan) but it's really not the best song to show off vocal talents, especially in an ensemble. I think they're getting too caught up in pushing their message and sob stories instead of strategically picking a song that will really work for them. Also, is it just me, or are members disappearing? What happened to that guy and girl that went to prom together? That was this group, right?

Deadly Games: I. Freaking. Love them. I'm usually someone who takes the whole package into account and they have it. Not only are they skilled in a variety of things (and Simon, I think, said the wife is just as much a part of the act as her husband, and I agree), but they have great showmanship, they're sexy, they pick great songs and staging...I fear they're going to go home and it will be a great injustice because they are positively fire and deserve to be in the finals.

Tape Face: I can't help but love him. Like The Passing Zone last week, he's someone that I can see has a ton of different things that would add up to a great act. I hope Simon and Mel screwing around didn't cost him a spot in the finals. Simon needs to cool it with taunting Mel. He knows what he's doing when he makes those comments and it's so obnoxious.

Jon Dorenbos: I think he'll go through, but part of me was also nervous that he'd get screwed over by the fact that the judges can't read small print and apparently don't know how to count change (Mel gets a bit of a pass because she's from the UK and by the time she was spending a significant amount of her life in the states, she was beyond dealing with quarters and dimes). Like I'm pretty sure the change added up to the number on the board, but we missed it because Howie and Mel didn't know/couldn't see the difference between a quarter and a nickel. That being said, the trick was fantastic, I love him, and he definitely has a spot in the finals.

Grace VanderWaal: Wait, she didn't get the pimp spot??? Whoa damn, are they becoming disillusioned by her already? Is that because her enunciation is so tragic? Seriously, halfway through the performance I honestly began to wonder if she was singing in another language. That affected way of singing seems to finally be getting to her vocal chords too, as people had predicted in previous weeks. She'll go through, even though this performance was incredibly blah and uninspiring.

Malevo: I still like them but I really wish they'd ditch the prerecorded track and just make all the sound they can with their drums/shoes/whips. That's when they're at their best, imo.

Laura Bretan: Have we scraped the bottom of the barrel on sob stories? Dead grandfather? Something that pretty much everyone experiences in their lives? It's hard to lose a grandparent, especially if you're close to them, but it's not a goddamn tragedy. It's the circle of life. Jesus.

Why did Nick feel the need to mention before every commercial break that the crew was setting up the stage for the next act? Has the show been getting complaints about commercial breaks? It was very odd.

[BlueJayFan]

5 hours ago, Mama No Life said:

Blake the magician is okay and Jon is awesome. I also enjoyed Deadly Games and that's not my usual cup of tea.  I am bored with all the others.  I am SO OVER opera girl and ukulele girl.  Grace could be singing the ingredients for Mrs. Field's chocolate chip cookies for all I know, because I can't make out a FUCKING THING SHE IS SAYING.  And since I don't speak opera, I am over already-won-a-show girl.  I also thought that quite honestly Edgar was horrible tonight.  Somehow pitchy and shrieky has become "making it your own".  If that's the case I make songs my own every day on the way to work.

ARE YOU NOT AMUSED?  Um, no, I'm not.

Thank you. I thought it was just me, I actually ff'd it after about 45 seconds.

[bluepiano]

5 hours ago, UsernameGoesHere said:

2 hours ago, giaNtsandYankees said:

I loved Malevo's performance. Unfortunately, the music seemed to drown out the drumming and tapping - which is part of Malevo's schtick.

For me, without the drumming they've become considerably less interesting. Early on, one of the judges call them a Latin American Riverdance, which was not a bad comparison. But Riverdance has more variety, and actual choreography, instead of everyone doing the same steps. Which is the issue I have with most of the dance troupes on AGT. Well, with the judges giving them standing ovations, and Simon not saying "I need to see you step it up," I can't blame them for staying with the same act. (Just adding more noise and flashing lights)

2 hours ago, LadyMustang65 said:

I think I'm one of the few that isn't that thrilled with Danger Games. 

Me neither. It's slick but repetitive. I think people (well, men) are voting for them just because they like looking at the wife. And that screaming version of "Radar Love" gave me a headache.

12 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Finally, I was glad Sal got the horrid lead-off spot.  I love big band and he did a fine job.  I simply do not care for the man.  It would be stunning if he survived this group of 11.    

 The issue for me was that singing that Sinatra song, he was so closely mimicking the phrasing of the original that he came across as a Sinatra impersonator. With Sal, you can't really separate his shtick from his singing, so I don't feel like he's ever been judged solely as a singer. The intro packages they've been doing, with his cigar chomping Sopranos wannabee uncle, are framing him almost like a comedy act, as much as a musical act. As a swing/big band singer he's okay, but nothing special in a genre where there's a pretty high bar.

If I were Grace's parents (or career advisors) I'd be concerned with how hard and fast she's being pushed. At this rate, she could be a star at 13 and washed up at 15. (Then I guess she could disappear for a few years and make a "comeback" at 18).

I bet Joni Mitchell wrote more interesting songs when she was 12.

Edited August 31, 2016 by bluepiano

[marketdoctor]

Quote

Why did Nick feel the need to mention before every commercial break that the crew was setting up the stage for the next act?

That's because of people like me, who complain so much about the time for the intro packages, judges' comments, etc.  Some acts need setup (magic acts, Malevo, etc.) but some don't (Lori Mae needed a mic and...a background graphic?)  They're over-staging their productions at the expense of actual entertainment.  Explaining that once or twice could have helped someone who wasn't as picky about that sort of thing--and in a few cases (Deadly Games, the magic acts again) there was serious need to get the setup right--but it was a structural flaw when you need it for EVERY STINKIN' ACT INCLUDING THE STAND-UP COMIC.

[UncleChuck]

Quote

...I mean, maybe Barbra Streisand popped up one day and the world paused to listen,

And that is just what happened.  One day, on our little black/white tv sets, this 20 year old girl from Brooklyn started to sing...and the next day EVERYONE knew about her.

[JMarie99]

Grace sounded even worse than usual last night. By the end of the song I think I may have heard some actual words and musical notes come out of her. But for most of the song it was all crackles, squeaks and mumbles. Gah. The judges' over the top praise made me want to gag. Glad it's not just me. 

Lori Mae was horrible too. I actually watched the Olympics gymnastics competitions and even I didn't catch the whole "not THAT Laurie Hernandez" thing.  Nothing she said struck me as funny - and then she resorts to insult comedy?  I've never liked that type of comedy - couldn't stand Don Rickles and the only one I've ever liked is Triumph the Insult Comic Dog. But coming from a child I thought it was particularly unappealing.  The joke about Mariah outgrowing Nick was the worst. I do feel bad about trashing kids, but for me Grace and Lori were the worst of the night. 

I liked Deadly Games. They truly do combine beauty and danger. And I loved Jon Dorenbos, and I don't usually care that much for magicians. He was my favorite of the night. 

[rr2911]

I'm going to rate who I liked yesterday from worst to best:

11. Lori Mae - I've never thought she was funny and yesterday she had her worst performance. Her joke about Mariah and Nick was rude. She's going home and I think she knows it.

10. Grace - Someone posted that they don't like to criticize kids. Well, maybe that's why Grace is still in this thing. No one had the guts to tell her the truth. She sounded terrible, her voice was terrible, and like many have said, I couldn't understand her.

09. Musicality - I actually liked their performance yesterday, but it is time for them to go home.

08. Laura - I don't mind if she's won already. I don't like her pretending to be humble and totally in awe about this whole experience. Jackie Evancho gave me chills. Laura's singing doesn't. 

07. Sal - I'm tired of his mafia personality and his fat uncle! He comes across as arrogant. Does he know that many people will be turned off by this and not vote for him?

06. Blake Vogt - I liked the trick but I wasn't thrilled.

05. Edgar - I like this group and I thought they performed well again. A lot of people don't like them. They could be in trouble.

04. Malevo - Great performance once again. The only complaint I have is I wished they were actually playing their drums.

03. Deadly Games - I like everything about them, their costumes, the whole act, and of course the wife!

02. Tape Face - He made me laugh yesterday. In fact, he's made me laugh every time he's performed.

01. Jon - I have no idea how he did the trick. I think he has a great act and I would pay money to see him!

I voted 10 votes each for my Top Five.

Unfortunately America and I don't always agree. I think America will vote this way:

 Grace, Laura, Jon, Malevo and Sal

 

Until next time....

[Jordan27]

Rating tonight's performers...

Sal - 7.5 - It was good for what he does, but come on, that song isn't going to beat the other girl singers.  He needed something more inspirational.  That was more like the opening song of a concert tour.  He was done when he chose that song. 

Musicality - 6.0 - It was just like Heidi said, sounded a good high school play.  They never had a chance and were only here for their last performance.  Easily the worst of the night.

Lori Mae Hernandez - 7.0 - Somewhat funny, the early jokes were okay.  She ended it pretty good, but nothing that will get her through. 

Jon Dorembos - 8.0 - Good tricks and good use of the judges.  Entertaining, but his frantic style is still a little annoying. 

Deadly Games - 8.5 - The whole stage, music, outfits and production were excellent. 

Blake Vogt- 7.5 - Lame card trick.  If you couldn't figure that one out, yikes.  

Tape Face - 8.0 - He made me laugh and is certainly inventive. 

Edgar - 8.5 - Very good and likeable. 

Grace Vanderwaal - 9.0 - Another outstanding performance. 

Malevo - 8.5 - Visually stunning and entertaining. 

Laura Bretan - 9.5 - Just flawless and very likeable.

[Jordan27]

So, the ratings...

1. Laura Bretan - 9.5

2. Grace Vanderwaal - 9.0

3. Edgar - 8.5

4. Deadly Games - 8.5

5. Malevo - 8.5

6. Tape Face - 8.0

7. Jon Dorembos - 8.0

8. Sal - 7.5

9. Blake - 7.5

10.  Lori Mae Hernadez - 7.0

11.  Musicality - 6.0

[Jordan27]

So, who will go through...

Grace and Laura will for sure.  And Musicality, Lori, Sal and Blake are toast. 

That leaves Jon, Tape Face, Edgar, Deadly Games and Malevo fighting for 3 spots.

I'll take Edgar, Tape Face and Deadly Games, but it will be really close.  Could be any of the five, but all would be deserving.

[Jordan27]

Some other observations...

I agree with others.. what's with Simon's total lack of understanding of magic.  Is it because he is British?  Yikes, no, there are no wizards, the tricks are mostly easily explainable.

Mel B keeps letting Simon taunts annoy her.  Is that about the 12th time it's happened?  Lighten up Spice Girl, he only keeps doing it because you keep responding.

I like Laura and Grace.  And I like their singing, unlike most here.  But,  wow, they are a little overboard with their praise.  A superstar?  The best ever?  I haven't seen any past seasons of AGT, but I know Evancho was on here and I'm sure there has been others that were very good.

Hey Nick, who is dressing you?  Your coat was too tight and your pants even tighter.    Nothing he ever wears is flattering.  Not only has Mariah passed you by, but style has too.

And I thought American Idol did puff pieces for their contestants.  They look practically benign to these sob stories.  And on that note, Sal's is the one that really hurts him.  He comes across as a Mafia guy.  Not going to beat the cute little girls.

[AZChristian]

Prude Alert.

Howie's comment about the wife in Deadly Games was - IMHO - inappropriate.  He said to the male part of the act, "Your wife is HOT.  She's so HOT that I couldn't give her a standing ovation because . . . " (as he looked down at his crotch).

If I were Howie's wife or the male part of Deadly Games, Howie would have been in BIG trouble.  

[giaNtsandYankees]

1 hour ago, AZChristian said:

Prude Alert.

Howie's comment about the wife in Deadly Games was - IMHO - inappropriate.  He said to the male part of the act, "Your wife is HOT.  She's so HOT that I couldn't give her a standing ovation because . . . " (as he looked down at his crotch).

If I were Howie's wife or the male part of Deadly Games, Howie would have been in BIG trouble.  

Speaking of Howie's comments, has anyone noticed last night that Howie's comments are usually cut off by the theme music? Or did I not notice if it happened to the other judges?

Edited September 1, 2016 by giaNtsandYankees

[AZChristian]

Just now, giaNtsandYankees said:

Speaking of Howie's comments, has anyone noticed last night that Howie's comments are usually cut off my the theme music? Or did I not notice if it happened to the other judges?

I noticed that he was cut off several times.  Either the others were taking too much time with their comments, or the production staff was afraid of what might come out of his mouth.

[krawz555]

How I watch this show:  DVR it, when watching forward through the intro packages and critiques (so meaningless at this point) and JUST watch the performances. Took a two hour show and Bam! Watched it in 15 minutes.

I joked with my 12 yr old how I'm so tired of the constant boo hoo stories, " When I was 8 my entire head fell off. The hospital ran out of sutures so they taped it back on. I walked around like that for 2 years until they could properly reattach it. Now I'm singing and it's my dream to win."  What a buzz kill these into packages are.

[giaNtsandYankees]

14 minutes ago, AZChristian said:

I noticed that he was cut off several times.  Either the others were taking too much time with their comments, or the production staff was afraid of what might come out of his mouth.

I was thinking the latter! ;-)

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Anyone else catch Howie in his lie as to how much coinage was on the table?  Ultimately, it appeared that there was $1.11 (it certainly was not $1.67 (to match the state values)).   But, the lie was early on.  Howie looked at the coins and quickly realized it wasn't close to what it needed to be, and he said it looked like $1.67.  

Of course, the director missed shots which would have definitively proven it one way or another.   It could have been more amatuer hour garbage, or he was told to stay off any of those shots by a producer.

To me, it was an example of a "chosen" act getting benefits beyond doubts, if not facts, by the jidges - a form of fixed contests.

The act was still the best of the night, imo, but Howie's shenanigans were quite the tell, to me.   

Edited September 1, 2016 by Lonesome Rhodes

[tribeca]

I loved Edgar performance.  It brought a tear to my eye but I freely admit to being a sap. I found their story before their performance quite sweet. It didn't seem like a sob story JMHO.  

[candall]

6 hours ago, UncleChuck said:

And that is just what happened.  One day, on our little black/white tv sets, this 20 year old girl from Brooklyn started to sing...and the next day EVERYONE knew about her.

So Simon was right about part of it--the first time you hear an extraordinary voice coming from an unknown IS memorable!

I'm struggling to imagine someone 50 years from now saying, "And there she was, just some little girl with a ukulele on a talent show. . ."

[UsernameGoesHere]

4 hours ago, candall said:

So Simon was right about part of it--the first time you hear an extraordinary voice coming from an unknown IS memorable!

I'm struggling to imagine someone 50 years from now saying, "And there she was, just some little girl with a ukulele on a talent show. . ."

I'm struggling to imagine anyone saying it in 50 days.

[Jordan27]

3 hours ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Anyone else catch Howie in his lie as to how much coinage was on the table?  Ultimately, it appeared that there was $1.11 (it certainly was not $1.67 (to match the state values)).   But, the lie was early on.  Howie looked at the coins and quickly realized it wasn't close to what it needed to be, and he said it looked like $1.67.  

Of course, the director missed shots which would have definitively proven it one way or another.   It could have been more amatuer hour garbage, or he was told to stay off any of those shots by a producer.

To me, it was an example of a "chosen" act getting benefits beyond doubts, if not facts, by the jidges - a form of fixed contests.

The act was still the best of the night, imo, but Howie's shenanigans were quite the tell, to me.   

Oh stop with the conspiracy theories.  AGT has no reason to fix anything, but being caught would cost them millions.

The trick wasn't the amount, it was the states on the quarters.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

6 minutes ago, Jordan27 said:

Oh stop with the conspiracy theories.  AGT has no reason to fix anything, but being caught would cost them millions.

The trick wasn't the amount, it was the states on the quarters.

AGT has every reason to alter presentations, and have.  They have every reason to couch jidges comments, and have.  Placement of acts within a show, eg pimp spots, and favorable groupings as a season progresses?  Check, and check.

Thank you for helping me make my point about Howie.  There was no obvious reason for him to shade the facts, yet he did.  What, or who, motivated him?   From where did his bias originate?  I am very comfortable believing that jidges, throughout the history of this show, and other "reality" competition shows, are given suggested scripts.   How many times have many of us have asked just what the heck a jidge saw that we missed, or how did they miss something really good that many of us saw?

We can argue the term "fix."  For me, greasing the skids to oust the unfavored and assisting the chosen is fixing.  YMMV.

[Jordan27]

1 minute ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

AGT has every reason to alter presentations, and have.  They have every reason to couch jidges comments, and have.  Placement of acts within a show, eg pimp spots, and favorable groupings as a season progresses?  Check, and check.

Editing the show is not fixing. 

And placements, pimp spots and favorable groupings are more conspiracy theories by watchers with no evidence to support it. 

3 minutes ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

Thank you for helping me make my point about Howie.  There was no obvious reason for him to shade the facts, yet he did.  What, or who, motivated him?   From where did his bias originate?  I am very comfortable believing that jidges, throughout the history of this show, and other "reality" competition shows, are given suggested scripts.   How many times have many of us have asked just what the heck a jidge saw that we missed, or how did they miss something really good that many of us saw?

Nope, you didn't make any point.   How do you know he shaded the facts?  I thought he just didn't count right.   He does seem to have a problem with his vision.

You disagreeing with a judge does not rise the level of fixing the show.

[Jordan27]

6 minutes ago, Lonesome Rhodes said:

We can argue the term "fix."  For me, greasing the skids to oust the unfavored and assisting the chosen is fixing.  YMMV.

No evidence to suggest this happens, except unsubstantiated theories by conspiracy buffs.

Again, how does this help the show?  Losing millions in a scandal to help out a performer.   Not happening.