America's Got Talent: Season 5 - Top 48 (Group 3)

Before I get to this week's performance episode commentary, here is a recap of last week's results show:

• Mona Sampath Dance Company, AscenDance & Ronith are up first:
• AscenDance - Advancing to Semifinals [1/1]
• Mona Sampath Dance Company - Eliminated
• Ronith - Eliminated
• Ka by Cirque du Soleil performs
• Cheer SF, Iron Horse & Alice Tan Ridley are up next:
• Alice Tan Ridley - Advancing to Semifinals [2/2]
• Cheer SF - Eliminated
• Iron Horse - Eliminated
• Michael Grimm, Lil Chris, & The Strong Man are up next:
• Michael Grimm - Advancing to Semifinals [3/3]
• Lil Chris - Eliminated
• The Strong Man - Eliminated
• Train performs "Hey, Soul Sister"
• Wreckless, Hannibal Means, & Antonio Restivo are the last group:
• Hannibal Means - Eliminated
• Judge's Choice:
• Howie-Antonio Restivo
• Piers-Wreckless
• Sharon-Antonio Restivo
• Antonio Restivo - Advancing to Semifinals [3/4]
• My Predictions: I got three out of four correct.

America's Got Talent Season 5: Top 48 (Group 3)

Airdate: Tuesday, July 27, 2010 [9-11pm]

1. The South Philly Vikings [Dancers]: This is just another generic dance group with no standout moments. It seems like they have these elaborate costumes to mask that obvious fact.
2. CJ Dippa [12 year old rapper]: Once again, he's cocky and has such a huge ego, and if you have that at such a young age, I hate to see what he's going to be like as an adult. The song was stupid, and it's obvious that he's in it for the fame and fortune and not for the craft.
3. Harmonica Pierre [Harmonica player; performed Train's "Hey Soul Sister"]: Even though he won't win, he is excellent at what he does. And doing a modern song put such a unique twist on it (and a risk that worked). He definitely deserves to stay in the competition for now.
4. Polina Volchek [Gymnast]: I would have buzzed her like Piers did, because there wasn't much gymnastics, just moving her body in some fluid motions around on the stage, with a rope.
5. The Strange Familiar [Band (Female lead); performed "Time After Time"]: I agree with Sharon that it was the wrong song choice, because it didn't fit this band. And the female lead was pitchy many times throughout. I didn't like her voice in the auditions, and she didn't deliver this time either.
6. Haspop [Dancer]: He is no doubt very talented, but I do have some criticisms: while most of it was great, there were a couple moments where he went into cheesy dance moves that took away from how great he really is. And the songs changed so many times that it seemed a little disjointed. But like I said, he is very talented (one of the best tonight), and deserves to move on.
7. Luigi [Singer; performed "This Love"]: Right from the first note, I wasn't impressed. His voice is very weak, and the song showed that.
8. Chipps Cooney ["Magician"]: He should not have gotten past the first round, because it's just so pointless and he's wasting airtime. Just when I didn't think it could get any worse, he does by spending most of the time doing a strip tease that had nothing to do with magic.
9. Kaya and Sadie [Belly Dancers]: This act cannot sustain an hour-long show, because the belly dancing is just on a loop with nothing new. (On a side note, Kaya has the scariest smile).
10. Jeremy VanSchoonhoven [Bike Tricks]: As someone who doesn't really like this kind of act, I have to say I really enjoyed it. He added a lot of danger to it, which made it exciting.
11. Debra Romer [Singer]: In previous rounds, the focus was on her nerves. With that out of the way, the focus can be back on her voice. The honest truth is that she has a weak voice. While it's hard to dislike her and I do see potential in her, I can't get over the fact that she has a limited range.
12. Studio One Young Beast Society [Dance Group]: At this point, I want to say that I'm getting bored by just about every dance group. But I have to say that this group has changed my mind for once. At first, I thought they would be just another dance group, but they did do some impressive moves, which, combined with the pimp spot, will earn them a spot in the next round.

Favorite Performances: Harmonica Pierre

My Votes: Harmonica Pierre [10 votes by phone; 10 votes online]

Predictions to Advance: Harmonica Pierre / Haspop / Jeremy VanSchoonhoven / Studio One Young Beast Society

My Season 5 Vote Tracker:

Fighting Gravity: 20 votes

Harmonica Pierre: 20 votes

Michael Grimm: 10 votes

Alice Tan Ridley: 10 votes

Total: 60 votes cast so far

I almost did not vote for anyone, because I don't see anyone in this third group that has the potential to win. But I ended up voting for Harmonica Pierre only because I felt he was the only one that was perfect and didn't have anything going against him in my eyes. So I believe he will definitely be advancing. I've said many times before that I don't usually enjoy dance acts, but Haspop and Studio One Young Beast Society were two of the best acts this week, and they both should be in the Semifinals. The last spot could be one of two people: either Jeremy VanSchoonhoven or Debra Romer. I ultimately am predicting Jeremy, mainly because I didn't really find anything wrong with his performance, while I found things to criticize about Debra's performance. But I think there are many voters who are on Debra's side and will vote for her. With her nerves out of the way, many voters may vote for her because she is breaking out of her shell. But if this is the case, it shows that people don't always vote based on actual talent. So, it could really go either way with these two.

Tonight, four more acts will advance into the next round. And we will see guest performances by the Jabbawockeez (I read online that they had auditioned for AGT one year and didn't make it), and Mike Posner. See ya then...

America's Got Talent: Season 5 - Top 48 (Group 2)

Before I get to this week's performances, here is a quick recap of last week's first live results show:

• Nathaniel Kenyon, Airpocalypse, & Sally Cohn are up first:
• Nathaniel Kenyon - Advancing to Semifinals [1/1]
• Airpocalypse - Eliminated
• Sally Cohn - Eliminated
• Selena Gomez & the Scene perform
• Nick Pike, Kung Fu Heroes, & Fighting Gravity are up next:
• Nick Pike - Eliminated
• Kung Fu Heroes - Eliminated
• Fighting Gravity - Advancing to Semifinals [2/2]
• Christina & Ali, Marikar, & Hot Shot Tap Dancers are up next:
• Christina & Ali - Advancing to Semifinals [3/3]
• Marikar - Eliminated
• Hot Shot Tap Dancers - Eliminated
• Cast of Broadway's Rock of Ages perform; Twisted Scissors lead singer Dee Snyder join them for "I Wanna Rock"; the cast ends with "Don't Stop Believin'"
• RNG, Paul Safy Jr. & Future Funk are the remaining acts:
• Paul Safy Jr. - Eliminated
• RNG & Future Funk are up last for the Judge's Pick:
• Piers - Future Funk
• Sharon - RNG
• Howie (with basically a second to go before show ends) - Future Funk
• RNG - Eliminated
• Future Funk - Advancing to Semifinals [4/4]
• I got all four of my predictions correct!

America's Got Talent Season 5: Top 48 (Group 2)

Airdate: Tuesday, July 20, 2010 [9-11pm]

1. Cheer SF [Cheerleading]: Even though I love Adam Lambert's "For Your Entertainment," the song they cheered to, the song and their moves didn't mesh; they were slow and boring. I didn't see anything that I haven't seen from a school cheerleading group; nothing extraordinary. And I saw someone stumble at one point. Plus, I agree with Piers that cheerleading isn't a talent in the sense of what the show is looking for.
2. Alice Tan Ridley [Singer; performed "Midnight Train To Georgia"]: She has such an unbelievable voice, with a lot of soul and depth to it, and I love when she goes into that gravel. I have heard this song a lot on American Idol, but I love listening to her singing it.
3. Mona Sampath Dance Company [Bollywood Dancers]: I was a supporter of another Bollywood dance act a year or two ago, so I'm excited to see another one. While they didn't necessarily blow me away, they are still great at what they do, and I would love to see them come back, but with only four advancing, who knows?
4. Iron Horse [Band (with tricks/stunts); performed "American Saturday Night"]: They said they do tricks/stunts during their act, but where was it? They did some hokey things that I think was done to cover up the fact that the lead singer is terrible; both of these factors should lead to a justified elimination.
5. The Strong Man [Strength Act]: I said this last week: you shouldn't revolve your talent around a story (in this case, parking in L.A.). Because of that, he spent most of the time talking (telling the story), and very little time actually doing the stunts. Plus, it was obvious they put those women on stage on purpose; it didn't act anything to the act.
6. Ronith [Impersonator]: This bozo shouldn't have gotten past the first round, because all his impressions are all exactly the same. He is so delusional because he thinks he's going to be famous. And after he got a second buzz (first by Piers, then by Sharon), he didn't know what to do and stumbled.
7. Hannibal Means [Opera Singer; performed "Circle of Life"]: He may not be a bad singer, per se, but what turns me off is the way he presents himself with the stupid hats and such. It was so cheesy, and the dancers with the hats added to that too.
8. Wreckless [Dancers]: They weren't bad dancers by any means, and the costumes were interesting to look at, but I didn't see anything unique and original.
9. Lil Chris [Singer (12 years old); performed "Closer"]: At 12, he is not ready yet. His voice was not always in tune (especially the final note). He was very uncomfortable doing the dancing. And it was just not the right song for him; his voice is not mature enough yet for that type of an R&B song.
10. AscenDance [Rock Climbing Dancers]: The song really meshed well with their movements to create such a beautiful performance. I could say this isn't a talent because it's rock climbing, but it's all in the way they present it with the dancing.
11. Antonio Restivo [Fire/magic Act]: What was that? Was it just a fire act, or a magic act as well? There was only one puny trick. Most of the time was spent either standing, walking around, or sitting, and he wasn't the one really dealing with the fire himself.
12. Michael Grimm [Singer; performed "Tired of Being Alone"]: I don't think I was expecting all that much from him (based on his initial audition), but he came out and blew me away. He has a unique voice (similar to Michael Johns from American Idol), and I hope he comes back, because I want to hear that voice again.

Favorite Performances: Alice Tan Ridley / Michael Grimm

My Votes: Michael Grimm [10 votes by phone] / Alice Tan Ridley [10 votes online]

Predictions to Advance: Alice Tan Ridley / Mona Sampath Dance Company / AscenDance / Michael Grimm

My Season 5 Vote Tracker:

Fighting Gravity: 20 votes

Michael Grimm: 10 votes

Alice Tan Ridley: 10 votes

Total: 40 votes cast so far

It's a given that both Alice Tan Ridley and Michael Grimm are a lock for the Semifinals, for sure. AscenDance has a really great shot at advancing as well, because their performance was so moving to the audience and with the lead woman crying, they will definitely be still in. The last spot could be a few possibilities. It could be Ronith, though I will be ripping my hair out if America or the judges advance him. The dancing act, Wreckless, is a contender as well, but I just don't think they stood out enough. And for no other reason than he performed second to last, Antonio Restivo may have a shot as well. But I'm going with Mona Sampath Dance Company, because of all the dance acts, they are the only one I would want to see again, and because they are Bollywood dancers, that gives them something unique to stand on.

Tonight, four more advance into the Semifinals. Plus, there will be guest performances by Cirque du Soleil and the band Train. See ya then...

America's Got Talent: Season 5 - Top 48 (Group 1)

[WEBMASTER NOTE: In an episode of the T.W.O. Show, I had said that I wasn't sure if I was going to blog about Last Comic Standing or America's Got Talent this summer. I have decided that I will do so for AGT (in the same form that I do with the Idol-Talk segment), but most likely not for LCS, just because it is hard to comment on each comedian's bits without sounding so redundant (hilarious, sorta funny, kinda funny, not funny at all, etc). For LCS, I may just insert my comments into the podcast show.]


America's Got Talent Season 5: Top 48 (Group 1)
Airdate: Tuesday, July 13, 2010 [9-11pm]

1. Kung Fu Heroes [Martial Artists]: I have never liked seeing martial arts on this show, because it isn't a talent so much as a hobby or sport, so there's no point in having them on the show.
2. Christina & Ali [Young female singers; performed Rascal Flatts' "Bless the Broken Road"]: They were one of my favorites coming into the Top 48. And I have always thought the younger one had the better voice, but I was disappointed by her tonight; the older one was. But the harmony of them together was beautiful.
3. Airpocalypse [Air Guitarists]: This is one of the acts that should not have made it past the first round. There is no point to it, and like Sharon said, it's not to be taken seriously. There is no doubt that they're good at what they do, but if they're not going to play instruments, I'm not interested. Plus, the dancers they had on stage were distracting from their main act (maybe they did that on purpose).
4. The Hot Shot Tap Dancers [Tap Dancers]: On the bad side, I didn't understand the story they revolved the tapping around. And I wonder if anybody will remember this later. But on the good side, they are amazing tap dancers. And I loved the slides across the stage.
5. Paul Safy Jr. [Singer; performed "Cry Me A River"]: He's a great singer, no doubt, but he may suffer from the forgetability factor (I don't think he was featured in earlier rounds). And I agree with the judges about the cheese factor; there were a lot of over-the-top moments, especially the end with the mike going from one hand to the other and such to match the last note.
6. Future Funk [Dancers (5 & 10 years old)]: While the judges were ogling over them because of the adorability factor, they decided to overlook the fact that they were not in sync with each other many times, and it started off bad with the wardrobe malfunction of trying to rip off their sleeves. If this act had featured dancers older than them doing that same off dance, the judges would have ripped them apart.
7. Sally Cohn [Hand Whistler; performed Mariah Carey's "Hero"]: It was fun to see her the first time, but it's not a talent with a high enough caliber to be in the Top 48 or beyond. Tonight, she was off from the music backtrack, and very out of tune. It's time to say goodbye.
8. Nick Pike [Variety act (danger, fire)]: In the words of Joy Behar's SNL impersonator, "So what, who cares?" He was trying to do too much, while not really doing anything at all (a fault of the transitions, or lack of). And when Howie asked him to say what it is he does (in other words, put a label on it), he couldn't even answer. [In his opening video package, it was mentioned that he was cut in the previous round but called back. I must have missed if he they said if someone was disqualified to warrant this.]
9. RNG [Dancers (11 year old girls)]: Why do these acts have to revolve their act around a story? It only detracts from the talent. There were only a couple good moves; the rest was the same old-same old we see all the time. There was nothing extraordinary to see here.
10. Maricar [Painter]: In earlier rounds, I've thought that she's very impressive, but didn't need the revealing outfits, because it's just unnecessary. Here, she's doing the art under water. I'm not sure if there was a mistake at the start when she held up a piece against the glass and it fell off. And for most of it, it was kind of boring. I think because she was underwater, it limited her movements and such. But at least I could tell that she painted Piers (unlike Piers himself).
11. Fighting Gravity [Variety (Blacklight Act)]: This was my absolute favorite act from the auditions, and they didn't disappointed tonight. They just scream Vegas. I have never seen anything like this talent ever, and I can seem them performing in Vegas alongside the Blue Man Group and Cirque Du Soleil, as Sharon mentioned. If I had to pick a winner now, I'd say Fighting Gravity.
12. Nathaniel Kenyon [Singer (YA or teen); performed "Lips of An Angel"]: Even though he has a throat infection, I have to judge this based on what he presented onstage. You could tell in his voice that he was off, by quite a bit. And while he did perform last (the pimp spot), I wouldn't put him through. It's hard, though, because he's very likable.

Favorite Performance: Fighting Gravity

My Votes: Fighting Gravity [10 votes by phone; 10 votes online]

Predictions to Advance: Christina & Ali / Future Funk / Fighting Gravity / Nathaniel Kenyon

My Season 5 Vote Tracker:

Fighting Gravity: 20 votes

Total: 20 votes cast so far

When I was deliberating on which four acts should advance, I immediately chose Fighting Gravity because, let's face it, they're the best we may have seen so far and the odds on favorite to win in my eyes. Next, I chose Future Funk, only because of the adorability factor that I mentioned above. I personally would not send them through, because they were not that good this week. Even though Christina & Ali were not as good as they have been in the past, I predict they will go through based on their story and the fact that their harmonies together were excellent. My only worry is that they performed near the start of the show, which could hurt their chances. If they are eliminated, I will be feeling guilty for ultimately deciding not to split my votes and send half their way. The final spot was a little tougher to decide. I initially went with Airpocalypse only because the judges and the audience seemed to love their "performance." To me, personally, it's a pointless act, but they do have a shot at advancing. But I ultimately went with Nathaniel Kenyon. I think he has two things going for him that may offset the fact that he was not good. The first is the pimp spot of performing last and being freshest in everybody's mind. And the second is the sympathy vote being thrown his way due to his illness. But ultimately, I think the only act that is guaranteed a spot in the Top 24 is Fighting Gravity, with Future Funk being a very, very safe bet as well.

Tonight, four of the preceding acts will advance into the Top 24. I'm not understand this; if 12 perform each week, that calls for 4 weeks of the Top 48. And if only 4 from each are advancing, that only leaves 16 acts in the Top 24. Are they doing a Wild Card episode and/or is this when the YouTube auditions come into play?

Anyway...also tonight there will be guest performances by Selena Gomez & the Scene (I better get the remote ready to hit the mute button), and the cast of Broadway's "Rock of Ages" (which includes American Idol's own Constantine Maroulis!) will perform during tonight's hour-long results show from 9-10pm on NBC. See ya then...