Sofia Vergara finally picked her Golden Buzzer act for AGT: Season 18! (Photo property of NBC’s Trae Patton)
By: Jacob Elyachar, jakes-take.com
America’s Got Talent (AGT) resumed its Season 18 Judges Auditions tonight, and once again, all eyes were on Sofia Vergara.
The Modern Family actress was the last member of the AGT on-camera team to find her Golden Buzzer act. Since joining the NBC talent competition in 2020, her Golden Buzzer acts (Season 15 finalist Roberta Battaglia, Season 16 finalist Jimmie Herrod, and last season’s champions Mayyas) have genuinely impacted the competition. Which performer was the lucky recipient of her Golden Buzzer and will compete in the Season 18 Live Shows? Read on to find out!
All the acts were backstage, making final adjustments before facing the judges. As the judges sat down, Columbian couple Duo Acero walked across the stage and interacted with AGT’s resident Columbian: Sofia Vergara. Their daughter, Gabriella, gave Sofia a beautiful drawing earlier and invited her to sit at the Judges’ Desk. The acrobatic duo has intense athleticism and were daredevils as they performed an instrumental version of “Smoke on the Water.” Sofia Vergara called it “sexy,” and Heidi loved their gracefulness. I was blown away when they revealed that it took them four years to perfect their final movement. They received the first set of “four si’s” of the evening.
Summer Rios received a pep talk from her mom before her Judges’ Audition. The Brunswick, Ohio native sang since she was 4, and the now 19-year-old Pizza Hut manager wanted to put herself out there. She hoped her audition would make her leave her pizza-making days behind. I loved her tone and was very impressed when she tackled Zach Bryan’s “Something in the Orange.” Summer has a fantastic voice, and both Heidi and Sofia joined the Pasadena Civic Center audience in giving her a standing ovation. She received the evening’s second unanimous “Four Yeses” and celebrated her victory with Terry backstage.
Teresa and her dog, Leonard, recruited Terry Crews to break the world record for the most baskets in 60 seconds. It was a massive waste of time. He tied with 18 baskets and received a unanimous No. Meanwhile, world champion drumline Pulse Percussion delivered a rocking audition to “Turn Down for What.” I loved seeing that the audience got into it and had creative choreography! They received a standing ovation from all four judges, and Sofia Vergara called the performance “spectacular.” They received the third set of “Four Yeses.”
Sadly, there were buzzers involved tonight! Rob Potylo got the first three red Xs of the evening. Next, Dev the Devil got an unpleasant welcome from the audience, which was well deserved after torturing the judges with Meat Loaf’s “If I Would Do Anything for Love.”
Brazilian singer Gabriel Henrique revealed to the audience that his English was not good, so he brought his translator. Before he auditioned for the NBC talent competition, his beloved dog went missing, so he dedicated the audition to him. Before Gabriel sang, both Heidi and Sofia noted that they sensed his nerves. He tackled Whitney Houston’s “Run to You,” and his vocals gave me goosebumps, and he is one of the best vocalists of the season. Sofia Vergara called the performance spectacular and added “perfection.” She decided to give him her Season 18 Golden Buzzer, and I predict that Gabriel could win this season!
An AGT production assistant had to explain to Simon about Bun the Dog. Bun jumped from the cartoon screen into 3D with his friend Noodle and a horse. The trio performed Aerosmith’s “I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing,” and I could not pinpoint Bun’s voice for the life of me. It was a hysterical performance that received a standing ovation from Simon, Howie, and the entire Pasadena Civic Auditorium audience. Simon proclaimed that Bun was “the best singing dog in show history.” The dog received “Four Yeses.”
25-year-old Zion Clark grew up in the Ohio foster care system. Before he performed in front of the judges, Zion revealed to Terry that he suffers from a rare disorder called Caudal recognition syndrome, in which he does not have his legs. After being treated less than human in the foster care system (he went through 14 homes), Zion met his adopted mother, and his life improved. He wanted to show the world his determination, and took off his shirt and began his act. Zion performed various feats of strength, including pull-ups, several bench presses, and a rope climb (which is very difficult for me). While Zion is inspirational, I must be blunt and say he is not a $1 million Vegas act. I need help seeing how he could make a 60 to 90-minute show that entertains millions a year. However, the judges unanimously sent him through, with Simon giving him over 4 million Yeses.
One of the Nashville-based rock band True Villains members’ mom, Joan, encouraged them to audition. From the first note, True Villains enchanted me! Their sound was outstanding and hypnotic! They rejuvenated my interest after Zion’s boring audition. I could see this band rock their way into the Season 18 finale! I agree with the judges’ opinions and am glad they received four Yeses!
Twinjas bored me to tears, and I wanted to buzz the 10-year-old twin brothers—meanwhile, H.B. Monte brought energy into his set as he showcased the AGT on-air team in 3D form. Israeli-based Bomba Trio hoped the NBC talent competition could make them more famous. They briefly left the stage to disrobe, and the trio did a naked comedy routine that was very cheesy. The good news – they received a standing ovation from Howie, Heidi, and Simon. Heidi named Bomba Trio – her favorite act of the day. Bomba Trio received four “Yeses.”
Rodeo queen Kylie Frey greeted Sofia Vergara after walking onto the AGT stage. The Opelousas, Louisiana native comes from a huge rodeo family and sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at every event as she loved to sing. Kylie also revealed that she was a massive superfan and even impersonated the Got Talent creator at her birthday parties, where she made an awful impression of him, making Simon state, “That was terrible.” After Kylie brought her band onto the stage, she revealed the backstory of her original song, “Horses in Heaven,” which was a tribute to her grandfather. The barefoot performer has a classic country voice that reminds me of a hybrid of Dolly Parton and Jennifer Nettles. “Horses in Heaven” is a gorgeous song, and I can see this song top both the country music radio and streaming charts. Despite Howie’s objections, Kylie advanced through to the next round.
Sunny Chatum was the last act of the evening. The singer-songwriter revealed that he was inspired by Howie’s Golden Buzzer, Grace VanderWaal, who won Season 11 to pick up a ukelele. I was bored with his storytelling and wanted him to get to the point. When he did not, I turned off the television.
