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AGT Recap: First Semifinal Performances
Hey everyone I know by the time you read this the results of the first semifinal will be up already but I've been busy with college move-in, plus I don't have a TV so I have to find the clips of the show online. Also because of my lack of time now my entries will be shorter.
All I could find online were clips of the performances and the judges' reactions, so that is all I will comment on.
Extreme Dance FX- I don't really remember this group from the auditions so I don't know what to expect. They look decent in the clips before they perform but it doesn't seem like my thing. Piers says they need to grow up a bit to advance in the competition. Overall it was well-choreographed and they were in unison but it's not the type of thing that would make me go "Wow". Plus the music was a bit too loud and distracting for my taste. Piers said he wasn't sure they should have made the semifinals but thought it was terrific. He does say it needs to be better and faster for them to win, and I agree. Sharon said they were smoking and loved the combination of clogging and contemporary. David is inspired by the young age of the group and how well they did. I liked them as well but maybe not quite as much as the judges did.
James Gang- These guys I remember liking in the auditions, with their blend of music styles that reminded me of "In the Heights". They talk about their tough upbringing and how they've been looking for a break like this. David loves their blend of 1920s and hip hop music but wonders if the audience will love it too. They do an act in a restaurant scene that includes dancing on tables and creating a dove out of thin air. Maybe it was the old-time music but I didn't find them as entertaining as I did the first time I saw them. Piers said he thinks they are very talented but that they messed up the magic bits at the end. I didn't even notice that but I still wasn't that entertained. Plus even if no one else saw it either now everyone in the audience knows about it since it was mentioned. He thought they were trying to hard to impress. Sharon said they are unique but thinks the performance had too much too soon. David says he thinks they are what the show is about but agrees the birds were over the top. I think they may be in trouble.
Derrick Barry (aka the Britney Spears impersonator): I've never been a fan of his simply because he doesn't sing like Britney- he only dances like her. He does her famous "Baby One More Time" routine. It's kind of hard to tell if she's lipsyncing well because the camera is so far away. Plus the dancing kind of makes her look drunk. Then again with Britney that might not be too far off the real thing. Woah an X from Piers! I didn't think they could still X people. To his credit Derrick doesn't miss a beat and did pretty well, though the act in general just disturbs me. Piers immediately gets booed when he says he doesn't think men should dress like Britney and thinks Derrick should act like himself. While I agree the act is disturbing I wouldn't go that far- I certainly think he should dress like Britney if he wants to. Sharon however loves Derrick (as does the audience) and is jealous of his tummy! David is questioning his sexuality and thinks there is a place for Derrick in Vegas. Then he shows his "back off" behind to Piers!! Again he certainly is good at what he does but I'm just not a fan of these kind of acts. I don't know how popular he is but I have a feeling he may make the top 20.
Elite (aka the girl who beats people up as a talent): Another act that is skilled but I'm not a big fan of (that seems to be a theme with me tonight). She may get a lot of votes for being a cute girl. She says she has a new stunt for this show that could send someone to the hospital if done wrong!! She starts out coming down from the ceiling and then gets started in a pirate-themed show. The spectacle added to the performance but it was obvious to me that the kicks and punches didn't actually land. They were faked like on TV shows and movies, and for some reason I always thought she actually hit these people. Overall it was more entertaining than her first audition but still not the kind of thing I would pay to see in Vegas. Piers loved the creativity and energy and thinks women will be inspired by her. Sharon loved the presentation and sees opportunities for her elsewhere. David smiles whenever he sees her and thinks she could open a Treasure Island. So again the judges liked it more than I did- I'm guessing they knew from the start that she didn't really hit the people she attacked. She has a chance to make the top 20.
The Cadence: A cool drumming act that I believe I liked in the brief time they were shown in the early rounds. They talk about how hard they worked to get this far and the struggles they faced as artists. Sharon is skeptical about them, saying she hopes they took the judges' advice to add music to the act. Indeed they did add music so that should help their cause. They play "Beat It" and while they don't use as many lit drumsticks like they did in their first audition it is really entertaining. I think they are one of my favorites of the night so far. The audience seemed to love it as well. Piers loved that they took the judges' advice but says they need to work a bit on the start of the act and make it more dynamic. Sharon wants to see more conviction and nastiness from all of them. Wow the judges are harsh on them tonight. David agrees that they were great and thinks they'll be safe (as do I) but wants them to wow the audience even more next week. Again I liked it a bit more than the judges did but I agree that they should be in to the top 20.
Ronny B- This is the yearly "so bad it's good" act. I've always hated these and never understood how they do so well but maybe tonight will be different. David agrees with me, saying he had zero voice, zero dancing, and zero talent. But of course he has to go and sing "She Bangs", making me instantly think of the original "so bad it's good" act, William Hung. He even sounds a bit like William! He's actually better than he usually is, (which isn't saying much) despite getting an X from David. Still not a fan though. Piers says Ronny is a better singer and dancer than David will ever be. Ouch! He doesn't think Ronny will win (shocker!) but likes his spirit and entertainment. Sharon thinks he has this confidence and reminds him of the cricket in Pinocchio. David calls him a singing ant but likes his preparation and seems to be warming up to him.
Jessica Price- One of the female country singers on this season. I liked Holly Hardin better than Jessica or the other girl who got through but I'll give Jessica a shot. She talks about how her dad gave her confidence and is the one who first taught her to sing. Sharon thinks she needs more confidence and hopes Jessica can handle the pressure. She sings and plays "Time After Time" and I really like her voice but I just hate the beginning parts of the arrangement of the song she did (probably because I'm such a big fan of the original version). She does have great talent though. It gets better towards the end. Piers says it was fantastic but tells her to smile more and she'll be a star. Sharon says she sang beautifully and that her dad must be proud. David says he thinks she has a chance to win. I wouldn't go that far yet, but she is starting to grow on me, as long as she picks better arrangements.
Shimshi: This season's magician. I really like the magicians this show has had in the past and while his first audition had a bit of a "been there, done that" feel to it he could easily impress me tonight. He always wanted to be a magician but never got his big break until now. Piers says that Shimshi is "pretty good" but to get to Vegas he must be "great". I agree. Shimshi then says that he changed his trick at the last minute, a risky move. I hope it pays off. His new trick involves grabbing an audience member. She puts her finger on a card, and he rips a corner off it. The audience member grabs the ripped piece and shuffles the cards. Shimshi puts the cards on a clip above him and tries to kick the deck so that only the ripped card sticks to his shoe, which has some form of tape on it. He does an impressive flip and sure enough there on his shoe is the one ripped card!! The trick took a bit of time to develop but it was impressive. Piers says that he is too good to do a card trick and that it was a huge mistake for him to do that. He thinks it was boring. Sharon disagrees and thought it was perfect and precise. David agrees with Piers that it should have been a bigger trick but thinks what he did was great. I agree with Sharon more than the others but I fear many fans might agree with Piers and not vote for him.
Neal Boyd- The opera singer who I think is the favorite to win this year. I never liked opera but he does have great talent. He reveals his grandmother died a month ago, the day after his first performance aired on AGT. He dedicates his performance to his grandma. Well if he wasn't popular enough already that should get him a few more votes. He too is starting to grow on me each week. He sounds great as always, although I'm still not an opera fan. He gets a standing ovation from the judges. Wow I didn't think it was that amazing, but he certainly was one of the best of the night. Piers says his grandma would love that and says it was incredible. He says Neal is the Michael Phelps of AGT (yeah Olympics references!), meaning he is the man to beat, and I agree. Sharon wants to give him a great big hug and calls it "superb". David loves the song and says this is the place for him.
Last but not least are the DC Cowboys, a group of sexy cowboy dancers. I wasn't a big fan of theirs early on but they should get lots of votes from the ladies. They came together at a rodeo and hope to quit their day jobs to succeed. They train constantly to get their great bodies to show off to the country! I think they are really good, better than they were in their first audition, but they get an immediate buzz from Piers. They keep going though and the crowd seemed to enjoy it (especially the ladies). Piers buzzed them because he saw about 20 missteps! Ouch! I didn't see any but I guess that's why I'm not a dancer. He says they are entertaining but as dancers they are subpar. Sharon says that they make up for their lack of dancing with their personalities and spirit. David loved them from the beginning but thinks they were a bit off tonight. I liked them but the fact that there is another superior dance group in this same semifinal may hurt their chances in the end. Jerry asks them which judge they would want to add to the group- Piers or David? Their answer: Sharon!! Haha! And one of them has a nine painted on his back to tell people that the number to dial for them is 9. I love those guys!!
Only five of these ten will make the top 20. But first some business. The Russian Bar Trio, one of my favorite acts from the early rounds, had to withdraw from the semis because of an injury. So this week fans voted on which act they wanted to come back to the top 40. I liked several of the choices, including the sword swallower, the young contortionist (can't believe she was cut so early!) and the singer who almost lost his voice in an accident (another one who should have been kept in my opinion). It turns out the judges couldn't pick which act from the final eight should go through, and that's (supposedly) why the final act in the top 40 was chosen by the viewers. And now we find out who the winner is. I heard the opera singer who cut his vocal chords is popular, so I have a feeling he's the one who got through. The singer, whose name is Donald Braswell, seemed to get the loudest cheers during the reading of the finalists. And the finalist is.... Donald!!! Yeah I really liked him, and it must be sweet for him getting the audience vote when he was almost booed off the stage at first. I don't think he has a chance to win (he's not as good as Neal) but it's a great story. He's going to perform next week. I can't wait!!
Wednesday night is the results and ten more acts, including two of my faves, Eli and the singer who was in the army. Also performing are popular acts Queen Emily and Kaitlin, so it will be a tough semifinal.
As for this episode, I think Neal and Jessica should be locks to make the top 20. After that it's hard to tell since I don't know which acts are popular. I think Extreme Dance FX has the next best chance to get through. After that I hope some combo of Cadence, Shimshi, or the DC Cowboys get through, but I have a feeling Derrick as Britney may garner more votes than one of these acts. See you tomorrow!
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Aug 27, 2008 11:22 PM
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