Here we are, the final 10 contestants on America’s Got Talent. But wait a second – wasn’t this the end last year? What’s this final four thing happening next week? Can you say stretching out the season and maximizing profits? I knew you could. Oh who cares, it means one more week of this crazy show, which makes me very happy.
As I’ve done the past two weeks, it’s time for my initial impressions for each of these acts. Who will make it on to that coveted Final Four spot? Let’s take a look.
Studio One Young Beast Society – OK, first off, I though they were Studio One Young BEATS Society, not Beast. What the hell? Anyway, this group is always impressive. Their level of skill is matched by the level of danger they bring to their dance act each week and this one certainly had that. Lots of really impressive tricks and stunts, executed perfectly. That said, their last audition was far more impressive to me and I think that’s because there was more dancing. I’m hoping to see a greater mix of gymnastics and dance if they make it through to the final four, but I doubt it.
Christina & Ali – I really hate saying anything negative about these young women, but what the hell was that song? That did absolutely nothing for me and I’m certain that the weakness of that song has seriously affected my enjoyment of tonight’s performance. Ugh. Christina’s really the stronger singer of the two, but Sharon is correct – they’ve both improved greatly throughout this show. That said, I’ll be very surprised if they make it to the Final Four. They just don’t compete with what we’ve seen thus far from Poppycock, Fighting Gravity, Jackie Evancho and Michael Grimm.
Jeremy VanSchoonhoven – After last week’s surprising and insane performance, my anticipation for this week’s was quite high and Jeremy did not disappoint. But dude, don’t tell me that when you saw his front wheel drop off his first bike you didn’t think it was all over? Then to find out that was planned? Nice. This guy is incredibly exciting. I really wasn’t a huge fan of his at first, but he’s grown on me in a big way. Nicely done, Jeremy. Really nicely done.
Taylor Matthews – OK, this is a couple of shows in a row where I’ve really been unhappy with the sound work on the guitars of our performers. The audio on Taylor’s guitar was so flat and not reflective of his enthusiastic playing. I really did like the arrangement, though, and the backup players worked nicely. He was a lot of fun. Kid’s got a bright future. Potential final four player.
Anna and Patryk – This is one of the most surprising acts in the Final 10, but it’s well deserved. They are incredibly skilled dancers. Now, when Anna fell coming down those stairs, like everyone watching, I gasped. There seemed to be a split second there where she thought about throwing the towel in, but she looked up and Patryk was ready for her. Just proved what a great team they make. It was so nice to see Anna smiling through the performance and you know what? It really was an excellent routine. I loved the added dancers and the song selection. It all worked, but Final Four? Here’s the thing – that was a trip down slippery stairs, not a move done poorly. I can’t give them too many negative points for that. Let’s see how America reacts, but I think that was the last we saw of Anna and Patryk and Anna, it’s not because you fell. We’re just not ready for you guys… yet.
Now it’s time to take a break for Enrique Iglesias.
Break over.
Fighting Gravity – Look, these guys are fucking awesome. Not as great a performance as last week, but possibly their most complex performance completed in just 7 days. The moon landing theme was a great choice and one that I think with more time could get even better. There’s no doubt these guys should be Top Four and I hope they have a big surprise up their sleeves for that final performance. Imagine these guys with some professional choreographers and a big budget – yeah, I’ll be road tripping to Vegas soon after their show is announced. That said, last year I really though Recycled Percussion would win, but they didn’t advance – no worry, they’ve got a headlining show in Vegas at the MGM Grand and these guys will, too.
Michael Grimm – Anytime someone covers an Al Green song, I get worried. It’s impossible to top the reverend and very hard to match him, but Michael did a bang up job – even without his guitar! He really did quite great – automatic Final Four performance, no doubt. Fantastic voice, confident performance, great song choice – Micahel, you brought it tonight, man. Can’t wait to see more from this guy.
Michael Grasso – Dammit, I did not expect that. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. The wild card who truly deserves it. Not just a great magic act, but an incredible presentation. I think this could be another automatic. Really proud of Michael Grasso.
Prince Poppycock – Outrageous. Outlandish. Outstanding. Every second this guy performs is wildly entertaining. I loved the wild camp of this performance. So unique, so much fun. Voting is going to be very, very difficult tonight. I have to see this guy one more time. What could he do to top this?
Jackie Evancho – This was a big improvement over last week’s performnce. Really quite chilling. What hasn’t already been said about Jackie? All that’s been said before in praise applies here again. My only complaint? All those sheets flowing everywhere were distracting. I half expected those crazy aerialists to come back and start flying around and dropping each other.
So, who gets my votes? Remember, we’re talking about a Las Vegas show. Who can I see headlining a Vegas show out of these 10 acts? Who would I pay to see in Vegas? This is a tough choice, this week. Really tough. Well, we’ve been given four choices and mine are: Fighting Gravity, Michael Grimm, Prince Poppycock.
Wait, that’s only three.
Shit.
Michael Grasso or Jackie Evancho? This comes down to one thing only – I would pay to see Michael Grasso in Vegas. I don’t see myself seeing Jackie in Vegas. Sorry, Jackie, I’m choosing Grasso.
