S13.E11: Live Quarter Finals 1

[Commando Cody]

Quote

After hundreds of acts auditioned, the competition is down to 36 acts. Twelve performers will take the stage from the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood as judging is turned over to the American viewing audience.

[ams1001]

Thoughts as I'm watching... (kinda like live tweeting? 'cept I don't tweet).

• Is Tyra dressed as the Oscar statue?
• Sorry, Human Fountain, that was gross. At least there were no raw eggs?
• I'd rather see Mel throwing cups of water at Simon than Howie spitting water all over the judges' desk.
• Chorale....meh...sorry Tyra, no "wow"...but maybe Howie's right and it just doesn't translate to TV.
• High School Dance Team...maybe I'm just getting old but I have no idea what the theme is supposed to be...
• Mel (paraphrased) - "It's your best performance to date but it wasn't that good"....what does that say about the rest of their performances?
• Willy Wonka? Okay, if you say so. I guess those were oompa loompas...they looked more like the mushrooms in Alice in Wonderland.
• Amanda - she can sing.
• Shut up Mel. It's not about you.
• Junior New System...did you know they were poor in the Philippines? 
• I would break my ankles just trying to stand in those shoes. Can't imagine landing a flip in them! (Or, well, landing a flip at all.)
• Calm down, Mel. Howie's allowed to have an opinion. You don't have to get mad.
• We Three - they're a band. 
• "Sometimes people come to our show with a really sad story." ...Sometimes‽‽‽
• Escape Artist - drama! they might die!! she's never done this before!!! she dropped her hair pin!!!! her hands are shaking!!!!!
• Please don't let Tyra narrate the acts. A dramatic actress she is not.
• If you're so concerned that their lives are really in danger, maybe don't set off a loud buzzer that might distract them?
• STD? Viral? Oh, Howie.
• "In another life, I will try to sing." Okay, that was funny.
• Flau'Jae - Now we're rapping the sobbackstory? I went to get ice cream.
• Shin Lim - I like him.
• Thanks for the recap, Heidi.
• Trailer Park Comedienne - wow, that's a lotta pink zebras.
• My sound went out and my picture went all screwy while Simon was talking. Probably just as well.
• Courtney Hadwin - she can sing but the screamy thing just bugs me.
• Tyra, please stop talking to teenagers like they're in kindergarten.
• "Don't listen to me...do exactly what you're doing." Um, so, do something different?
• Yay, Darcy Lynn tomorrow. :)

Edited August 15, 2018 by ams1001
i can spell, i swear

[BuckeyeLou]

Shin Lim got my votes....that was really Cool!  Courtney does sound like Janis Joplin but she doesn't do much for me, I liked Amanda better(she did the Pink song).  And Vicki the Trailer Park comedienne was rather funny tonite...I actually laughed at a few of her jokes.  Tyra dressed like a Gold Oscar statue...it was a very dramatic look.

[friendperidot]

ams 1001, you summed it up pretty good for me.

[ams1001]

8 minutes ago, friendperidot said:

ams 1001, you summed it up pretty good for me.

:) 

I saw a comment on facebook asking if we can vote on which judges (and Tyra) come back next year. I think that's a fantastic idea.

[galax-arena]

I'm not sure what Simon was on when he told Shin Lim to move away from the cards and make it more of a performance. It's one thing if close-up card magic just isn't your cup of tea, but.... cards are Shin's thing. Telling him to move away from what he's known for would be like... I don't know, telling the Savitsky cats duo to move away from the cats lol.  

As for making it more of a performance? What exactly does Simon want? IMO what separates Shin from other card magicians (other than pure skill level ofc) in the first place is the level of performance involved, to the extent that it can even come off as kinda pretentious lmao. (Not saying that to rag on him, I find it endearing... I agreed with Penn & Teller when they said that what they love is how seriously he takes card tricks, which are so fundamentally silly.) 

[CelticBlackCat]

Thanks, ams1001, the show hasn't aired here yet (as if I watch it live, NOT--Hulu!) but you've made it interesting already.  I'll have a scoop of spumoni while Flau'Jae raps her my-father-died-before-I-was-born sob story.  Does she let us know what gang he was in?  Cuz that's the way I think it went down.

[ams1001]

1 minute ago, CelticBlackCat said:

Thanks, ams1001, the show hasn't aired here yet (as if I watch it live, NOT--Hulu!) but you've made it interesting already.  I'll have a scoop of spumoni while Flau'Jae raps her my-father-died-before-I-was-born sob story.  Does she let us know what gang he was in?  Cuz that's the way I think it went down.

I honestly was not listening to what she was saying.

Glad my snarky mood is good for something. ;)

Off to bed now. ?

[giaNtsandYankees]

Okay, let me see if I can remember any of this...I'm probably going to sound negative for some of it.

But, that was a night of mixed reviews, wasn't it? I can't say that I'm not surprised that Courtney would get the pimp spot, and that all judges would be on their feet orgasm-ing over her performance. It's like Grace Vanderwaal all over again. I do think that she has an old soul in some ways, but she needs time to develop her voice. When she screams (or something of the sort), I wince.

Human Fountain....No offense to them, but I'm glad that I didn't eat dinner at my usual earlier time, because I probably would have thrown it up watching their performance. To me it was a waste of a wild card. Simon, why bring them back if you're going to give a negative review or buzz them (or whichever judge buzzed them), or did he have something to do with bringing them back? They should have brought back Troy, the creepy contortionist.

PAC...they did better than the previous week, but still not a million dollar material. I hear that they have a strong following on YouTube, so if that is the case, they may move forward.

Shin Lim (sp?) He never disappoints...like others, I wonder how his close up magic would work for a Vegas venue. I was watching with my younger brother and he said, "I'm never playing cards with him...especially if there's money involved."

We Three....Sometimes I believe the music overshadows them to the point where sometimes I cannot hear their lyrics. I like that their songs are based on hope.

More sob stories with a good number of these contestants.

That's all I can remember for now.

Edited August 15, 2018 by giaNtsandYankees

[PhD-Purgatory15]

What does it say when you are down to the final 36 acts, and Simon Red X's the first two of them tonight.

I really wish, this time Mochi would've stripped it down with no background. He is an absolute wizard with that thing, and you really couldn't tell (although, kudos to the camera people for giving a few seconds of a pure overhead shot). *Assuming he's one of the 5 to not make it

Give Human Fountains credit. They can make their thing an act better than a lot of weird variety acts who try AGT can. *Assuming they won't make it, although if they have a shot at the Dunkin Save I wouldn't rule out America saving them.

The Choir is really good. I don't really have much to add one way or the other.

Lord Nil: Nope....didn't watch, came back from DVR FF to Howie going on about an STD and was immediately traumatized. 

PAC Dance Crew: They took up a spot from someone. Thanks Youtube (apparently)

Flaujae...I feel like Rappers have not fared well on AGT, so it wouldn't shock me if she's out and America/The Judges don't even have the opportunity to save her.

First Teen...has pipes

Shin Lim: Still pretty awesome, but I'm not sure it was up to the level of his Audition or Judge Cuts performances. Maybe that was just me unable to keep up though.

We Three: I wonder if going to the well and doing one more original song will finally bite them. I fear they might get lost in the shuffle, and they wouldn't necessarily be the first choice for America to Dunkin Save or for the Judges to save themselves.

Old Lady Comedian: Didn't listen, can't believe she'd advance in this group of 12.

Junior New System: As someone who travels through Southeast Asia a fair bit, I'm not a huge fan of the Poverty Porn edit they continually get....but they can put on a show (Again, they made the finale of Asia's Got Talent along with the winner the Sacred Rianna). A rare dance group that can really bring the tumbling/gymnastics and still really perform in the dance (particular the heels) section.

The Golden Child: What is going on? Seriously? The juxtaposition of her quote unquote "real" personality versus her on stage personality is so jarring it comes off like a weird parlor trick. And who decided a 14 year old Janis Joplin wannabe was something the world wanted? At least with GVW, she was copping whispery, early career Taylor Swift which made some sense artistically.

I think they are 4 pretty certain ones as to who is not advancing out of this group of 12; Lord Nil, the Old Lady Comedian, Human Fountains, and Mochi. I'm not sure on the 5th one though...

Edited August 15, 2018 by PhD-Purgatory15

[ams1001]

16 minutes ago, giaNtsandYankees said:

They should have brought back Troy, the creepy contortionist.

I liked him. My favorite was the line in his first backstory package: "I'm not allowed to lead the office stretching exercises anymore."

I would have brought back Sergey and Sasha, too. Is there a wildcard for each quarterfinal show?

Just now, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Mochi

I left him out...and I totally forgot he was even on until I just read your comment. Oops. I don't really have any snark for him since apparently I forgot all about him. I remember some swirly colors on his background. I don't remember actually seeing his diabolo thingy. Sorry, Mochi.

[giaNtsandYankees]

2 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I left him out...and I totally forgot he was even on until I just read your comment. Oops. I don't really have any snark for him since apparently I forgot all about him. I remember some swirly colors on his background. I don't remember actually seeing his diabolo thingy. Sorry, Mochi.

Mocchi...I forgot about him too. When I hear his name...all I think about is the backgrounds...not much else.

[seltzer3]

7 minutes ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

What does it say when you are down to the final 36 acts, and Simon Red X's the first two of them tonight.

I really wish, this time Mochi would've stripped it down with no background. He is an absolute wizard with that thing, and you really couldn't tell (although, kudos to the camera people for giving a few seconds of a pure overhead shot). *Assuming he's one of the 5 to not make it

Give Human Fountains credit. They can make their thing an act better than a lot of weird variety acts who try AGT can. *Assuming they won't make it, although if they have a shot at the Dunkin Save I wouldn't rule out America saving them.

The Choir is really good. I don't really have much to add one way or the other.

Lord Nil: Nope....didn't watch, came back from DVR FF to Howie going on about an STD and was immediately traumatized. 

PAC Dance Crew: They took up a spot from someone. Thanks Youtube (apparently)

Flaujae...I feel like Rappers have not fared well on AGT, so it wouldn't shock me if she's out and America/The Judges don't even have the opportunity to save her.

First Teen...has pipes

Shin Lim: Still pretty awesome, but I'm not sure it was up to the level of his Audition or Judge Cuts performances. Maybe that was just me unable to keep up though.

We Three: I wonder if going to the well and doing one more original song will finally bite them. I fear they might get lost in the shuffle, and they wouldn't necessarily be the first choice for America to Dunkin Save or for the Judges to save themselves.

Old Lady Comedian: Didn't listen, can't believe she'd advance in this group of 12.

Junior New System: As someone who travels through Southeast Asia a fair bit, I'm not a huge fan of the Poverty Porn edit they continually get....but they can put on a show (Again, they made the finale of Asia's Got Talent along with the winner the Sacred Rianna). A rare dance group that can really bring the tumbling/gymnastics and still really perform in the dance (particular the heels) section.

The Golden Child: What is going on? Seriously? The juxtaposition of her quote unquote "real" personality versus her on stage personality is so jarring it comes off like a weird parlor trick. And who decided a 14 year old Janis Joplin wannabe was something the world wanted? At least with GVW, she was copping whispery, early career Taylor Swift which made some sense artistically.

I think they are 4 pretty certain ones as to who is not advancing out of this group of 12; Lord Nil, the Old Lady Comedian, Human Fountains, and Mochi. I'm not sure on the 5th one though...

I think Mochi, can go through.  He has a ton of positive comments on youtube.  I think him juggling the pyro diablo had enough buzz.  Do agree with too many visuals.  He's incredibly talented.  The part where he did a juggle, and a cartwheel right after to catch it (in timing with the music) is mightily impressive.

I hope the singers at least cancel two of each other out.  I think the choir is going to lose out.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

ams1001, yes we should get two more WC's.

I'm with you, I'm really hoping that Sergey and Sasha get one of the two left. Of all four rounds of Judges Cuts, their's had to be the most ridiculous cut. They got a freaking 5 person standing ovation from the Judges panel, and I really thought Hardwick was going to use his GB on them. I feel like the young, Asian American singer (Jeffery Li) might get the other one...

[giaNtsandYankees]

2 minutes ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

ams1001, yes we should get two more WC's.

I'm with you, I'm really hoping that Sergey and Sasha get one of the two left. Of all four rounds of Judges Cuts, their's had to be the most ridiculous cut. They got a freaking 5 person standing ovation from the Judges panel, and I really thought Hardwick was going to use his GB on them. I feel like the young, Asian American singer (Jeffery Li) might get the other one...

We'll see. We have one space left as far as the Wild Card goes. Emmet has one of them, and will be performing in the week after the next I believe.

[PhD-Purgatory15]

FFS. That guy? Really?

[Kermitthefrog99]

I agree with those that predict the human fountains are going home, I also really hope they go home as I also thought it just looked like them vomiting water and stuff and just think it is plain yucky and I also think it should not have been a wild card either.

[Brookside]

Did that pink zebra stripe woman have even one joke worth laughing at ?  I'm surprised Simon Cowell applauded, never mind stood up.  If this was an ABC broadcast I'd think they were just trying to push the next unfunny Roseanne.

[Lonesome Rhodes]

Young girl as James Brown is somehow "fresh?"   She is not without ability.  I simply can't wrap my mind around the concept.  Is Simon trying to resurrect the 60s sound?  

I loved the wee side eye Shin gave Simon when he was instructed to do something other than card tricks.  It took me too long, though, to figure out he was not using a standard deck of playing cards.  I was wowed the entire time nyhis artistry, but somehow it wasn;t as enjoyable because I was internally incongruent.  I am concerned Ameriker will have a similar reaction.  The audience certainly had trouble with it.  The man should go through.  No question in my mind.

That's the most we've seen of Tyra in a long time.  Less, please.

I'm happily surprised we did not have a new Platinum Buzzer for jidges to push.  Production pretty much played it straight.  Good.

[atlantaloves]

I want Shin Lin for the win, I have followed this guy's career for years and he is THE BEST. Let's have a magician win for once. (or did one win one year, my memory fails me sometimes?). Seriously the guy is flawless, and did you know that he had very serious carpal tunnel surgery? If I can't have him, I will just whine and pout and then disappear in a puff of smoke. ?

[ketchuplover]

I don't give a spit so I voted for the Human Fountains.

[Kimmmmmm]

Yes, to all of this!  Soooooo smoooooooth!

but I have a bad feeling that too many voters are going to buy into Courtney's "oh, I'm a bit shy" act. Then she screeches (only word for it) and bellows for a while and stupid Howie and Simon slobber all over her and each other about how we're watching the second coming. 

[sharifa70]

I fast-forwarded through most of this. The dance performances felt too chaotic: too many people, flashing lights, bright costumes - and that one crew and their high heels, while impressive with the acrobatics, feels played out. Women dance in high heels all the time but bring out a group of men doing it and people go ape s*** over it? Whatever. 

The football players at my high school did that whole spitting-in-each-other’s water in a skit one time during assembly. I’ve seen it, don’t need to see it again.

Shin Lim impresses me every time, and I have a soft spot for the choir.

I didn’t even bother watching most of the other singing performances. A few bars, then fast-forward. 

Count me in with the people who think the creepy contortionist guy should come back. And I usually hate contortionist acts!

[LucidDreamer]

There is something about Courtney that seems so... inauthentic to me. I'm not saying she isn't actually shy, I mean it's like she's just robotically copying Janis Joplin and others, rather than actually emoting. As if she is using the whole "rocker chick" schtick as a mask so she can perform, rather than actually performing what SHE feels. I'm surprised Simon isn't calling her karaoke, because to me that's what she is. (A good version of it, but still an imitation). When Janis Joplin performed, you knew all that was erupting out of her soul. I just don't get that from Courtney (and I do think a young person CAN have that much emotion/soul, I just don't get it from this one).

I much preferred Amanda, but I guess she doesn't "got a gimmick" enough for the over-the-top praise. 

[marketdoctor]

I liked Amanda (the first teen singer). 

I wonder if the choir knew that another choir sang "This is Me" earlier this season (last month?  Two years ago?  I'm losing track of time here.)

Quote

Junior New System: As someone who travels through Southeast Asia a fair bit, I'm not a huge fan of the Poverty Porn edit they continually get....but they can put on a show

"Poverty Porn edit" is my favorite phrase for both what this season is, and what's wrong with it. 

[Mr. Sparkle]

10 hours ago, ams1001 said:

Thoughts as I'm watching... (kinda like live tweeting? 'cept I don't tweet).

• Is Tyra dressed as the Oscar statue?
• High School Dance Team...maybe I'm just getting old but I have no idea what the theme is supposed to be...
• Willy Wonka? Okay, if you say so. I guess those were oompa loompas...they looked more like the mushrooms in Alice in Wonderland.
• Amanda - she can sing.
• Junior New System...did you know they were poor in the Philippines? 

I agree with most of your post, but I had these EXACT thoughts. I turned to my daughter and said "Tyra looks like an Oscar." 

[Sharonana]

I'd rather the Human Fountains win than another singer! They need to audition on all the other 9,999 singing shows on TV. I would never pay to go see them.

[jay741982]

7 hours ago, atlantaloves said:

I want Shin Lin for the win, I have followed this guy's career for years and he is THE BEST. Let's have a magician win for once. (or did one win one year, my memory fails me sometimes?). Seriously the guy is flawless, and did you know that he had very serious carpal tunnel surgery? If I can't have him, I will just whine and pout and then disappear in a puff of smoke. ?

A Magician won before. Matt Franco was his name 

[CrashTextDummie]

A general note on the production. I noticed it during Shin Lim's performance, but it's true for all acts: The camera work and editing was miles beyond what we get for the taped episodes. One uninterrupted camera shot of Shin Lim's hands. 100% of Mochi's performance on screen. No shots of or quips from the judges during the performances (except for red Xes). Minimal reaction shots of the audience.

Every year, AGT transforms from an overproduced, manipulative crap shoot during the auditions/judge cuts into what it is supposed to be during the live shows: A celebration of the acts on stage. I think I should finally learn to just skip everything before the lives.

Edited August 15, 2018 by CrashTextDummie

[Amy Beth]

2 hours ago, LucidDreamer said:

There is something about Courtney that seems so... inauthentic to me. I'm not saying she isn't actually shy, I mean it's like she's just robotically copying Janis Joplin and others, rather than actually emoting. As if she is using the whole "rocker chick" schtick as a mask so she can perform, rather than actually performing what SHE feels. I'm surprised Simon isn't calling her karaoke, because to me that's what she is. (A good version of it, but still an imitation). When Janis Joplin performed, you knew all that was erupting out of her soul. I just don't get that from Courtney (and I do think a young person CAN have that much emotion/soul, I just don't get it from this one).

I much preferred Amanda, but I guess she doesn't "got a gimmick" enough for the over-the-top praise. 

Courtney was on the Voice Kids UK and she flat out stated that she got her style and moves by watching old video and imitating. She has vocal talent, but about 75% of her appeal is the incongruity between real life Courtney and stage Courtney. IMO, that appeal wears thin after a few performances. TBH, I think she got the Golden Buzzer to limit her exposure, not because she was good.

[SunnyBeBe]

I get the criticism of Courtney, but, still.....there's just something amusing about her.  Not the greatest vocals, but, just a good performance in the entertainment sense for me.  I find the dichotomy interesting. 

[Frankenstein123]

12: The PAC Dance Team. In a world of pure abomination, a bunch of Strawberry Shortcakes attack a street pimp. Considering two of the judges were bored out of their mind during this and we all knew exactly what they would do round after round after round (Spoilers: MORE OF THIS) then I still have no clue why they were let through in the first place. All I know is, it's time to PAC their bags and go home very soon.
 

11: Amanda Mena. She IS a good singer, but in an episode with 2 other teenage girls doing something a whole hell of a lot more interesting, there was very little to remember about poor Amanda. I guess the Janet Jackson cosplay was nice...
 

10: Lord Nil. This didn't really work for me. The idea was good enough, but the execution didn't leave me on the edge of my seat as it should have. The whole "OH NO A SCARY ANIMAL" thing is getting old now when there's probably a bearded dude sitting backstage waiting to grab these snakes later and carry them around his neck. And pro tip: if you want your act to have excitement, DON'T get Tyra to provide the commentary, because she will do it with about as much enthusiasm as a 9 o'clock weatherman in Pensilvania. The hair pin thing was a nice touch and overall I don't think it was a bad act, I've just seen it done better...
 

9: Junior New System. It's easy to notice just how good these guys are when you compare them to PAC just a little bit earlier. BUT I'm still not seeing that special something here that would leap them over OTHER dance acts. The high heels are a decent enough gimmick, but we've seen it now. We know it's coming and at this point all it does is slow their routine down and send Mel B bouncing up and down her chair.
 

8: We Three. Simon speaking a bit of sense for once (don't worry, things got back to normal shortly). I still like the way they sound and I didn't find the song bad or anything, but they weren't connecting with the audience. Sticking the three of them on separate podiums continents apart on stage and flashing some shiny lights behind them is classic AGT overproduction. They need to simpify things and look like an actual unit again, but I think they will get the chance to do so. 

 

7: Angel City Chorale. I genuinely had a moment there where I thought "Hang on..didnt they do this song already?" but no, no that was the OTHER choir. And that's the problem , they went with something safe and predictable and it just wasn't interesting. It doesn't help that AGT has no clue how to record decent sound from choirs. At this point, just hurdling microphones randomly around the stage would get a better result than whatever the hell it is they are doing. 

 

6: Vicki Barbolak. The whole "trailer park" personality thing would probably work better if the show allowed slightly more...edgy material, BUT I still like her. She's not the funniest comedian to be on the stage and they weren't the best jokes, but there is still something about her that makes it all enjoyable to listen to...

 

5: Human Fountains. A performance worthy of a spit-take or two. At the end of the day, it's just dudes spewing water into eachother's mouths and I enjoy watching it. Maybe that reveals more about me than the actual act, but hey, I'm reviewing AGT performances on an online forum, I never said I was sane.

 

4: Flau’jae. I also found myself agreeing with Mel B (oh no, SOMEONE CALL THE DOCTOR I MIGHT BE ILL) this time. She has a ton of charisma and the actual rapping is great, but towards the end the performance got very messy and essentially turned into a weird variation of shouting "PUT YOUR HANDS UP" straight out of a bad EDM festival and heavy breathlessness on her part. It's the kind of thing I wanted to see her do, but maaaaaybe let Courtney handle the deranged dancing for now and focus on the rapping.

 

3: Mochi. For the first part of the act, I admit to being far more impressed by the background visuals than the diabolo itself, which is probably the number one problem with this act...BUT the fireworks one at the end was great and it just works as an act so I definitely hope he stays in a little while longer.

 

2: Courtney Hadwin. Hadwin? More like Haswon. I'm pretty sure I just witnessed Exorcist 6 (yes, there are that many of these and yes most of them should be burned) on stage. Bloody hell...I admit to often wandering off in my mind when watching the show live, I made up the whole entire week's grocery list in my head during Amanda's performance, BUT Courtney had my FULL attention. There's no way to sleep through that, she just grabs you. And although she is a combination of other singers and only seems to sing covers, she does put her own spin on them all. I could do without the "shy girl" act, but I continue to think she'd make for a great winner.

 

1: Shin Lim.  I loved everything about this. There's a wonderful atmosphere of mystery surrounding his performances and his skills are just something else. If he continues winking at the camera, he can probably win the whole thing because girls will just be spellbound. He also gave Simon a reason to snap out of his trance and go back to spouting nonsense. Asking Shin to "move away from cards" is like asking Flau’jae to move away from rapping...or Courtney to move away from cocaine.

 

It was a decent enough show, but I also feel like most acts played it pretty safe and didn't really improve from what we already knew they could do...Still, nothing outright bad here. But I guess now I'll try to guess what will happen...

 

Lord Nil can safely be sent home and Mel B can rest easy for a little while. Pac dance team and Human Fountains are also out. Meanwhile, Courtney and Shin are 100% safe and through. It's that middle pack now that's hard to guess as anything could happen.

 

I would have put Flau’jae as a safe one to go through, but the reactions online (youtube, twitter) have been so mixed that I'm not 100% sure any more. On the other hand, people seemed to really enjoy Junior New System so I can't guess them 100% out either. Mochi and Vicki are still complete wildcards, We Three could easily end up as a save due to Simon's comments and the choir didn't come across amazing on TV either. I'll just have to go with my gut here and say this will be tonight's result:

 

12. Pac Dance Team
11. Lord Nil
10. Human Fountains
9. Vicki Barbola
8. Amanda Mena (narrowly misses out)
7. Junior New System (Judge's Save)
6. Mochi (Dunkin Save)
5. We Three
4. Angel City Chorale
3. Flau’jae
2. Shin Lim
1. Courtney Hadwin

[hnygrl]

I'm calling it now. Courtney "Fake-ass Janice Joplin" is the predetermined winner.

Even when her stuff is meh at best and screechy at worse, she gets praise from the judges.  All the praise and adoration is a clear cut sign that the powers that be have informed the judges who the winner will be and to hype her up.

Overall?

I was not impressed. At all. With anyone. Nobody brought their A-game. It's like they feel like this is the week to relax or something. Pink Zebra Comedienne would've been gut bustingly funny if she were allowed to be nastier. Her trying to keep it clean was dull. The most she got out of me was a "huh. that's funny." No laughs.

If this is the level of entertainment we have to look forward to I may as well just Watch Bachelor in Paradise. 

This. Was not good.

[saber5055]

55 minutes ago, Frankenstein123 said:

If he continues winking at the camera, he can probably win the whole thing because girls will just be spellbound.

True this. He can skip the card tricks and just wink at me. He's got my votes.

6 minutes ago, hnygrl said:

If this is the level of entertainment we have to look forward to I may as well just Watch Bachelor in Paradise. 

See ya over there in that forum.

[CrashTextDummie]

I guess I have some thoughts on individual performances.

I was significantly more impressed by Mochi than I was by his audition, perhaps because I paid more attention. His timing is really impressively on point, and the red diabolo made it (a bit) more easy to appreciate. The size of the screen he performs in front of is still overwhelming and somewhat masking what he's actually doing, but knowing what a diabolo is and how it works I was able to tell the amount of skill involved. Also the entire performance was visually pleasing and I found myself really enjoying it despite my previous disposition towards him.

Dancing in stilettos may be a talent, but it's a stupid one. There are two kinds of performers of stupid talents: Those that know their talent is stupid and play up the silliness of it (case in point: Human Fountain, whose main appeal at this point for me is the fact that so many people are seriously appalled by it). And those that expect me to take them seriously despite how stupid the talent is and be impressed by it. Life seems to have gotten really tough for dance crews recently, as it's apparently not possible anymore to get a spot on this show on dancing talent alone. These days, you have to feature a pre-schooler in your crew, incorporate haphazard storytelling and costumes, or do it all in stilettos. I'm sorry Junior New System, but that's stupid.

I can certainly see how Courtney Hadwin is a controversial performer because her style is polarizing. But I really don't think you can deny that she deserves being on this show and is rightfully considered a front runner. The girl owns the stage and clearly belongs on a stage. I am impressed more by how self-assured she is and by how she expresses herself without inhibition than by her singing. But being able to perform is also a talent and on those merits, she wins the evening for me.

[lynxfx]

I think Mochi is very talented but personally I don't think we have actually seen it on tv yet. His projection screen masks what he is doing the entire time. He might as well be swinging a red ball on a string because that is all it looks like. I was more impressed when they showed the other diablo act which was just montaged. The sparkler element was pretty cool, but again I wasn't sure if I was seeing more graphics on the screen or it was coming from the diablo. 

The escape act was horrible again. Still can't believe they got this far.

Singers/rappers eh, fast forward.

So Simon states that the water fountain guys is the worst act to be in the finals ever. Really? So why did you bring them back as a wild card? It is all on you Simon.

PAC, another act that has no right to be in the finals when there were probably a dozen other dance groups that were better. The dancing was lame, the main pimp was mediocre at best. Their big trick was a single person doing a cartwheel that wasn't even clean and I guess that double decker lineup thing. The next dance group opens with one guy doing a 15 foot flip. 

Only singer I'll comment on is Courtney because she is the manufactured front runner. The dancing is funny in a cringe inducing way. I wouldn't call it singing since all that ends up in my ears are screeches. 

Shin Lim, best act of the night even if it wasn't his best performance. And Simon, stop telling acts that focus one aspect (cards in this case) to do something else. Do you tell singers to next time come out and play the trombone? He's a closeup magician. There are plenty of successful closeup magicians out there with full acts and shows. 

[seltzer3]

Looking straight by youtube views, the bottom 5 are.

1. Pac Dance Team 89k
2. Flaujae 131k
3. Vicki Barbolak 136k
4. Lord Nil 164k
5. Human Fountains. 176 k

6. Mochi (if one of the 5 get the judges saves) 177k

7. Amanda Mena 184k
8. We Three 220k
9. Junior New System 237 k
10. Angel City Choir 268k

Definitely Safe
11. Shin Lim 708k
12. Courtney Hawin 1 million

[LizH]

16 hours ago, giaNtsandYankees said:

We'll see. We have one space left as far as the Wild Card goes. Emmet has one of them, and will be performing in the week after the next I believe.

All three wild cards have already been chosen.....Daniel Emmet, the Human Fountains, and Front Pictures. 

[Destiny007]

Really?  Those are the wild cards?  Great......Ugggghhh.  I was hoping for the brothers aerobatics, father/daughter aerobatics, and creepy contortionist.  Those 3 would be deserving of the wild card.  It is a crying shame that the first two are not in the finals at all.

[rr2911]

Here are my reviews:

12. Human Fountains - It's not only that their act is gross, it's an act that doesn't take itself seriously. They're basically making fun of themselves and it's just not an act that is worthy of a million dollars.

11. Flau'jae - I do give her credit for going on stage at age 14. It must be scary to be onstage in front of America and all those people in that auditorium. I just don't see the big deal with her. I have my reasons I suspect why they put her through but they are my reasons alone. I don't see the talent with all that noise she's putting out. I give her credit for her fast talking that MelB fell in love with. Maybe this kid can be an auctioneer when she grows up!

10. PAC Dance - If the Human Fountains and Flau'jae weren't in the competition, this dance troupe would definitely be last. Their dancing would be great for a high school talent show, but not for paying customers.

 9. Vicki Barbolak - The reason I don't like comedians is because when they flop, they really flop! She wasn't funny at all, and I think she knew it! I don't understand the judges liking her when it seemed obvious she was struggling.

 8. Angel City Choir - I tell you what? This choir would be fabulous performing a Christmas play at your local church! That's it. It's a choir, and people are not going to get excited to see a choir perform......unless it's for background vocals at your local church.

 7. Junior New System - I didn't know where to put this guys. They did better, in fact much better than the high school kids, but once again let me remind you all that this is a dance troupe with moves, although exciting, we all have seen them before. Heels or no heels. "Move along, move along! Nothing to see here"!

 6. Lord Nil - I put him in 6th because there was that small chance that something might go wrong with him under water. His wife failed with her part. She never seemed worried that Nil was in danger. The trick could've been done much better.

 5. Mochi - I wonder what this act would look without the special fx? The special effects do get in the way so much that I lost the red thing a ma jig! Maybe 5 or 6 years ago this act would be awesome, but now it's just....nice.

 4. We Three - I like groups/bands. They have good voices but I am a little worried that Simon was right. They do need to change the way they set up on stage. The girl was kind of lost out there. You couldn't see her as well as the lead singer.

 3. Amanda Mena - She has a wonderful voice but something was missing. Maybe she's too young that she needs to develop her stage presence? I think she will be safe.

 2. Courtney - First of all I don't like her performance or her pretending to be shy act. I understand that the shy routine, to her dancing around the stage trying to sing like Janis Joplin is such a big contrast, you can't help notice! That's what she's aiming for. For people to say," Wow, look at her! And she's shy"!! She comes across kind of odd, and I think people will tire of her rather quickly. I place her 2nd because I think viewers and the audience liked her. I would pick her over the rapper though. Courtney does have a voice!

 1. "America's Got Shin Lim" - That should be the title of the show for the rest of this season. He had another "WOW" performance. Up close and personal and I have no idea how the tricks are done. He'll make it through the finals for sure, unless he listens to Simon's stupid suggestion. LIM FOR THE WIN!

 

MelB pressed the red X during Lord Nil's performance because she questioned why would Nil put his wife in danger. MelB is not there for any other reason but to judge the acts, and she can't even do that! 

 

 

PS - How many acts are going through? 

[rr2911]

Another thing about Courtney. 

Prior to her performing on the The Voice Kids UK, she had a stint playing young Cosette in Les Miserables.

It would seem she's had some acting experience. Hmmm.  

[ams1001]

18 hours ago, Brookside said:

Did that pink zebra stripe woman have even one joke worth laughing at ?  I'm surprised Simon Cowell applauded, never mind stood up.  If this was an ABC broadcast I'd think they were just trying to push the next unfunny Roseanne.

I have to admit I didn't really listen to her (which is why my only comment was on the sheer number of poor hot pink zebras that were killed for her set). I found her delivery irritating. I heard the word "nasty" a lot.

To Howie's comment on there being an opening for a sitcom mom: No.

 

9 hours ago, CrashTextDummie said:

A general note on the production. I noticed it during Shin Lim's performance, but it's true for all acts: The camera work and editing was miles beyond what we get for the taped episodes. One uninterrupted camera shot of Shin Lim's hands. 100% of Mochi's performance on screen. No shots of or quips from the judges during the performances (except for red Xes). Minimal reaction shots of the audience.

I guess they figure if the audience at home is supposed to vote, they should actually see the whole performance. What a concept. ?

 

6 hours ago, Frankenstein123 said:

12: The PAC Dance Team.  In a world of pure abomination

I read this earlier (can't post from work because for some reason it tells me my password is invalid when I try to log in on any other device than my laptop that I originally used to create my account) and have been singing it in my head all afternoon. So thanks for that. :)

 

6 hours ago, Frankenstein123 said:

8: We Three. 

This song reminded me of another band from a few years ago. Beach Avenue, I think? (Who got criticized for doing originals. Go figure.)

 

6 hours ago, Frankenstein123 said:

4: Flau’jae.

When she started saying "put 'em up" over and over I found myself looking for a good Cowardly Lion gif to include in my original comment.

 

6 hours ago, Frankenstein123 said:

1: Shin Lim.  Asking Shin to "move away from cards" is like asking Flau’jae to move away from rapping...or Courtney to move away from cocaine.

Be more like John Dorenbos? Really? I was amused at Mel saying "It was just such a performance!" followed by Simon's "I need more of a performance." Also, ?

 

5 hours ago, CrashTextDummie said:

 (case in point: Human Fountain, whose main appeal at this point for me is the fact that so many people are seriously appalled by it). 

I wouldn't say appalled, exactly, but I am grossed out…more by the food than the water. I hate mustard and I'm not a big fan of ketchup, either, so the thought of a mouthful of either of them is just…?. Don't get me started on the raw eggs. Aside from that I do think they're kinda funny.

[Kelloggirl]

6 hours ago, Frankenstein123 said:

12: The PAC Dance Team. In a world of pure abomination, a bunch of Strawberry Shortcakes attack a street pimp. Considering two of the judges were bored out of their mind during this and we all knew exactly what they would do round after round after round (Spoilers: MORE OF THIS) then I still have no clue why they were let through in the first place. All I know is, it's time to PAC their bags and go home very soon.

20 hours ago, PhD-Purgatory15 said:

Shin Lim: Still pretty awesome, but I'm not sure it was up to the level of his Audition or Judge Cuts performances. Maybe that was just me unable to keep up though.

The Golden Child: What is going on? Seriously? The juxtaposition of her quote unquote "real" personality versus her on stage personality is so jarring it comes off like a weird parlor trick. And who decided a 14 year old Janis Joplin wannabe was something the world wanted? At least with GVW, she was copping whispery, early career Taylor Swift which made some sense artistically.

 

Frankenstein123 - HA! Also, I didn't get the Willy Wonka thing, and just kept thinking when the edited version of the song with the lyrics "Don't want no short short man" that it was totally inappropriate choice for a high school dance team with a male lead dancer. The real lyrics are "Don't want no short dick man...teeny eenie eenie weenie." I'll just leave it at that.

PHD-Purgatory15 - Agree on Shin Lim, though I love him always. And I just think "Joss Stone on Meth" when I see Courtney.

20 hours ago, ams1001 said:

I liked him. My favorite was the line in his first backstory package: "I'm not allowed to lead the office stretching exercises anymore."

Still bitter about losing the contortionist to stupid crap like the Human Fountain and the SO GOOD! guys. Not that I don't laugh, but whatever show. He was not only talented, but loved his personality. I can kinda see that he needed to somehow make his act bigger. I hope he goes on to horror movie acting, commercials, etc.

Edited August 16, 2018 by Kelloggirl
Still haven't mastered the multi-quote thing, sorry!

[Brookside]

7 minutes ago, ams1001 said:

I have to admit I didn't really listen to her (which is why my only comment was on the sheer number of poor hot pink zebras that were killed for her set). I found her delivery irritating. I heard the word "nasty" a lot.

To Howie's comment on there being an opening for a sitcom mom: No.

 

 

19 hours ago, Brookside said:

Did that pink zebra stripe woman have even one joke worth laughing at ?  I'm surprised Simon Cowell applauded, never mind stood up.  If this was an ABC broadcast I'd think they were just trying to push the next unfunny Roseanne.

Didn't realise Howie had referred to a sitcom Mom!  I guess that's what happens when I comment without having watched properly.  (Which I do try to avoid, but I think I was just feeling uncharitable.)

[atlantaloves]

I agree, she really bombed, repeated herself too much, but she may have some talent. More than I can say for 80% of the idiots they have on this show. Shin Lin for the Win! 

[Lunula]

My initial impression of Courtney was that she was too fake, that the shy girl thing who transforms into something else entirely on stage was an act. It felt forced and inauthentic and last night it felt even more-so. She's okay, but I don't understand the over-the-top reactions. 

Was also surprised at the reactions to Vicki, as I didn't think she was funny at all last night. I gotta believe that comedy is super hard, but if that's her A-game, I don't think she's good enough. 

Shin is my fave. Love him and can't believe that Simon told him to move away from cards. Kind of stupid since he's amazing. 

I also liked We Three, they seem sweet and I think their songs are catchy. I think there's some true talent there - singing, playing instruments and writing original material. 

[lb60]

That was underwhelming.

If I voted, I would have voted for Mochi (even though his performance should have come with a seizure trigger warning), and Shin Lim (even though it wasn't his best performance, imo).

#AnyoneButCourtneyForTheWin

[helenamonster]

I wonder if Mochi is the kind of act that plays a lot better in person? I think it's amazing how he times the diabolo to the projections and the sparkler diabolo at the end was wonderful, but I wish they could find a way to keep the background while toning it down a tad and really letting his talent shine.

The Human Fountains are disgusting, and I love them anyway. I also like that they are completely self aware about their act. I doubt they expected to make it past the auditions, so I'm sure they're just enjoying the ride.

I definitely got the vibe that Angel City Chorale absolutely killed in the room but the sound just did not translate to tv. I hope they still squeak through because I do like them, though that Greatest Showman song is so overdone and needs to be retired forever.

Man, I can't wait until we can finally show The PAC Dance Team the door. The guy playing Willy Wonka wasn't there before, right? He actually seemed like he could dance, and it felt like they added him between judge cuts and lives as a saving throw. The rest of them dance like they learned to dance from a person who has never actually seen dance but has had the concept of dance explained to them.

Shin Lim is mesmerizing and wonderful. Simon was really on one when he suggested he move away from the cards/close-up stuff. That's what he does, dude! And he's fantastic at it!

Huhhhhhh...Courtney. What is there left to say? I'm going to need this entire show to keep Janis Joplin's name out of its mouth. That poor woman suffered enough in life, don't tarnish her memory with this travesty.

Who I want to see go through: Mochi, Human Fountains, Angel City Chorale, Junior New System, and Shin Lim. Don't care about the other two spots, could take or leave the rest.

22 hours ago, Brookside said:

Did that pink zebra stripe woman have even one joke worth laughing at ?  I'm surprised Simon Cowell applauded, never mind stood up.  If this was an ABC broadcast I'd think they were just trying to push the next unfunny Roseanne.

Howie was referencing Roseanne when he said there was a sitcom with an opening for Vicki.

16 hours ago, LucidDreamer said:

There is something about Courtney that seems so... inauthentic to me. I'm not saying she isn't actually shy, I mean it's like she's just robotically copying Janis Joplin and others, rather than actually emoting. As if she is using the whole "rocker chick" schtick as a mask so she can perform, rather than actually performing what SHE feels. I'm surprised Simon isn't calling her karaoke, because to me that's what she is. (A good version of it, but still an imitation). When Janis Joplin performed, you knew all that was erupting out of her soul. I just don't get that from Courtney (and I do think a young person CAN have that much emotion/soul, I just don't get it from this one).

I much preferred Amanda, but I guess she doesn't "got a gimmick" enough for the over-the-top praise. 

Ya know, I will say her dancing kind of reminded me of Lorde, who is one of my favorite singers but does have similar jerky movements in her performances. However, unlike Courtney, Lorde just oozes authenticity. It helps that she's singing her own material, but it is possible for someone so young (Lorde was 16 when Pure Heroine came out) to bring real, deep, raw emotions to a musical performance. Lorde especially excels at finding the hidden depths of otherwise banal parts of life and interpreting them in a way that makes you feel things. I don't get the impression that Courtney really feels anything she's singing, though part of that may be that I can't understand the words.

The other thing about Courtney is she has completely committed to this track of not being relatable. During the judges comments she squeezed in something like, "It's just that nobody gets me." I definitely celebrate individuality, but there is a way to do it where you can also provide a foothold for other people to latch onto. Lorde sings songs about the first time your parents leave you home alone for a night, driving around boring suburbs with nothing else to do, social cliques at school...things people can come together on and commune over. Courtney is just so offputting. The bouncing from uber shy to coked out and back again like a light switch, her whole demeanor just pushes outward. She's an oddity to gawk out, not an artist creating something that people can apply to their own lives and experiences.

7 hours ago, LizH said:

All three wild cards have already been chosen.....Daniel Emmet, the Human Fountains, and Front Pictures. 

Who or what is Front Pictures? I seriously have no recollection of this act at all, not even a guess.

4 hours ago, rr2911 said:

PS - How many acts are going through? 

7 acts total: 5 automatically, then the 3 who are on the bubble (6th, 7th, and 8th place) compete for the Dunkin Save (live audience vote). The remaining two are then handed over to the judges who either choose one of them or, if they tie, it reverts to the original audience vote for the 7th spot.

[Commando Cody]

Mochi - The guy is, obviously, very good at what he does.  The act just gets lost in all that background noise. 

Human Fountains - (Wild Card) The act is actually pretty well choreographed. It's still gross, but the water spray part is cool.  I think there are people out there who would pay to see them. I wouldn't, it's just not my thing,

Angel City Chorale - (Ken's Golden Buzzer) Quite a big production. I think this is the best they have sounded all season. AGT must have a new sound guy. I wasn't into the song at all. 

The Pac Dance Team - High school dance team. Even from the very beginning of this performance they reeked of high school dance team. You just knew it was going to be stupid. It was amateurish. 

Amanda Mena - (Mel's Golden Buzzer) - Her singing sounded off, to me. I don't think the performance was that strong. Even Simon thought she wasn't ready to go it alone. 

Junior New System - Another dance team. They grew up in a one room shack in The Philippines and are now trying to dance team their way out - in high heeled shoes.  The choreography is pretty sharp. It's amazing that nobody breaks an ankle. There is a tremendous difference between this team and The Pac Dance Team. These guys actually look like they practice. Pretty impressive. 

We Three - They play and sing well together. I just feel neutral about them. 

Lord Nil - I dislike danger acts. They just drag with the set up and the wait for them to escape at the last second.  At first I thought someone buzzed this for being lame. It was only Mel who is scared of danger acts. This had to be their worst performance. I didn't get a sense that anyone was in danger at all. Oh no. She dropped the pin. 

Flau'jae - (Chris's Golden Buzzer) This may have been her best performance so far. 

Shin Lim - He's amazing.

Vicki Barbolak - I really wanted to like her. She just didn't make me laugh.

Courtney Hadwin - (Howie's Golden Buzzer) (Pimp Spot) The only words I understood was "Papa's got a brand new bag". The rest was lost on me. I'm not sure what was going on. It almost looked like she was trying to imitate Joe Cocker at one point and then the weird dancing. 

[anthonyd46]

I know out of this post all our votes put together aren't going to effect the outcome but how can some of you give a fair assessment if you are fast forwarding through a bunch of the acts.