Howard Stern’s Golden Buzzer act Freckled Sky were among the acts that performed at Radio City Music Hall. (Photo property of NBC, FremantleMedia North America & Syco Entertainment)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
Last week, America’s Got Talent went live!
Multiple acts took to the stage and delivered superb performances. At the end of Wednesday’s show, we learned that Piff the Magic Dragon, Drew Lynch, Siro-A, Alondra Santos, Paul Zerdin, Benton Blunt and Samantha Johnson will be traveling to the Semi-Finals.
Tonight, 12 acts made their debuts on the Radio City Music Hall stage. Which acts stepped it up and earned a spot in the Semi-Finals? Which acts were buzzed? Read on to find out….
Up first to face the nation was DM Nation! The all-girls dance group showcased that they were sisters with their pre-performance package (as they shared pieces of cake and took selfies), but their militaristic routine to Beyonce’s “Run This World” proved that they were ready to be the first dance crew to win the NBC talent competition. Mel B stated that the crew was electrifying, while both Howie (who compared them to pizza) and Heidi gave them a standing ovation. Unfortunately, Howard thought that they did not change it up and advised them to switch it up if they made it through. That being said, I would have to side with the King of All Media…the reason why: if they were up against Siro-A, the Japanese dance crew beat them tenfold. C+
Comedic magician Derek Hughes is an intriguing character. The reason why I like his story…however, Piff and Drew overshadow him. For his act, he brought Mel B from the judges’ table and used her to try to break the Magician’s Code. Derek might have been a little thrown off when Scary Spice suggested “Snap!” as a card game. The gimmick was okay, but not worthy of a million dollars. C-
Philadelphia-based rock band 3 Shades of Blue might be leaving their part-time jobs sooner than they think! I was so surprised when they rocked out to Nick Jonas’s “Chains.” Their arrangement brought life into Radio City Music Hall and I am so glad that AGT has a band that could be a force to be reckoned with in the music world! These guys could be dark horses in this year’s competition! Bravo, guys! A-
Hip-hop dance crew Animation Crew has a huge challenge on their hands. Siro-A threw down the gauntlet last week with their astonishing performance. For their performance, Animation Crew brought everyone inside a video game (think Adam Sandler’s box office bomb Pixels). In all honesty, it seemed like the act literally ripped a page out of Kenichi Ebina’s playbook. I needed something original and they just did not deliver. F
Heidi Klum’s Golden Buzzer act Arielle Baril was probably the biggest surprise of the season. She covered Andrew Lloyd Webber’s arrangement of the aria “Pie Jesu.” Arielle’s gorgeous voice shook Radio City Music Hall and I thought the addition of the choir was a brilliant move by the show’s producers. She gave me chills and I believe like last year…there is room for two young performers in this year’s semi-finals. A-
I remember watching Uzeyer Novruzov’s audition with my folks and we were in awe of his showmanship. I love seeing his dedication to his family and his tribute to the Vaudeville era of entertainment. His tricks were smooth and I loved the danger element in his act as he brought out one giant ladder. Between the audience’s nervous claps and the judges’ shocked expressions, Uzeyer had everyone at the edge of their seats and delivered a performance that brought this show to the next level! A
Ira and Miriam is an act that can polarize the audience. While I love Ira’s vocals, I have to be honest and say that this is just Muppets-lite. Yes, it made me smile…but is this a $1,000,000 act? Unfortunately…. not! But, I hope that the Powers-That-Be at Disney, Nickelodeon and PBS talk to their creators, because I believe Ira and his mom belong on TV. B-
Flyboarder Damone Rippy was an odd choice to bring back for the live shows. The show left the comforts of Radio City Music Hall to see Damone perform. As Pharrell and Miley’s collaboration was blasting, Damone did okay stunts…but as I stated with Ira, this is not a $1,000,000 Las Vegas act. I think Damone could be in trouble tomorrow night. D
Comedian Myq Kaplan is back in the Big Apple and was ready to take on the show by storm. Between taking down the acts (such as Uzeyer and Damone) and taking us back to his childhood, Myq’s rapid-fire delivery made me laugh and smile. He definitely delivered on a night of mostly dull acts. A-
The CraigLewis Band received a Golden Buzzer from Michael Buble and I think that the “Home” singer made a good choice. For their Radio City Music Hall debut, the duo took it to church with a little help from the late Otis Redding. Their cover of “Try A Little Tenderness” put a smile on my face and would have made the soul music icon extremely proud! A
Earlier in the auditions, Freckled Sky received the King of All Media’s final Golden Buzzer. The Freckled Sky trio continued their hot streak with another mind-blowing routine that amassed cheers from the Radio City Music Hall crowd. Instead of sending them to the Semi-Finals, they should receive $200 and head straight to the finale. A-
Mel B’s Golden Buzzer act, Sharon Irving, closed the show! She picked the perfect song to end the evening and to represent her family history: Common and John Legend’s “Glory.” I had goose bumps from the get-go and I loved hearing Sharon rap. This was not only the performance of the night, but one of the best performances of the semi-finals. A+
Acts That Should Move On to the Semi-Finals: 3 Shades of Blue, Arielle Baril, Uzeyer Novruzov, Myq Kaplan, CraigLewis Band, Freckled Sky & Sharon Irving
Tomorrow night, we will see the judges take Madame Tussard’s New York by storm and two of AGT’s best alums William Close and Emily West team up and we will also receive the crucial results!
