(6) Semi-Finals Round 2 REVIEW

The Kinetic King
Well that was definitely his best performance yet. I liked how it was fast and had a lot of stuff going on. I have some concern with him doing something like this nightly in Vegas or even on tour. It's interesting to watch, but I'm not sure how great it really is compared to some of the other stuff.

Fatally Unique
I thought it was good, but I liked their last performance much better. This one wasn't as synchronized or tight as the last one. The whole creepy thing seemed like it was trying to be like WSDT, but I thought WSDT was better.

Landon Swank
I guess it was cool, but I feel like it would be really easy for him to somehow move his way into the box that the judges didn't pick. I was hoping for more of a magical illusion rather than something involving danger. It was good, but not great.

Gymkana
It was cool, but it got kinda boring. They just did the same flips over and over again. It was cool, but just repetitive. It sucks that they messed up, but stuff happens. That probably means there not going through though.

Summerwind Skippers
It was very good, but I thought there last few performances were better. I tend to like the group jumping better, but they did a lot of single jumping this time. The mistakes are somewhat of an issue, because a headlining act in Vegas has to be pretty much perfect.

Snap Boogie

He is definitely a very talented dancer/stuntman. I agree that the second part was better with the faster dancing. I didn't think it was great, but it wasn't as bad as Piers said.

Anna Graceman

I oddly find myself rooting for her, even though I tend not to like the singers. I just don't think there are any other really good singers this year, so I would be happy with her doing well. She has a great voice, and it's even more amazing that she's so young.

Steven Retchless

I didn't really care for the backup dancers because when they did the tricks on the poles it kind of makes what he does seem less unique. It was good, especially the stairs trick, but I preferred his last performance better.

Smage Bros. Riding Show

I actually thought that was a pretty good performance, considering I didn't really like them last time. I don't think they were incredible or anything, but definitely very good.

Professor Splash

I don't think this dive was that cool. The pool was deeper and the fire didn't really add anything. He deserves credit, but I don't think it's worth a million dollars.

Landou Eugene Murphy, Jr.

I can't deny that he is a very good singer. He comes from the streets and has an amazing voice. I'm just not sure that a singer can win this year. He is very good, but a lot of other acts are better

Silhouettes

It was very cool, but I liked both of their previous routines much better. I was expecting a lot more from them, but I think they really deserve recognition for doing something so unique.

My Ranking:

(from best act to worst)

1. Anna Graceman

2. Silhouettes

3. Smage Bros. Riding Shows

4. Landou Eugene Murphy, Jr.

5. Fatally Unique

6. Summerwind Skippers

7. Landon Swank

8. The Kinetic King

9. Gymkana

10. Snap Boogie

11. Steven Retchless

12. Professor Splash

(6) Semi-Finals Round 1 RESULTS

RESULT #1
Sandou Trio Russian Bar vs. Zuma Zuma vs. Matt Wilhelm vs. Team iLuminate

MY GUESS: Team illuminate obviously. Two of the acts screwed up and Zuma Zuma just wasn't that good.
RESULT: Team iLuminate
MY THOUGHTS: Duh. They were great last night! Really great performance! The other three acts all had potential but just didn't bring it last night.

RESULT #2
Poplyfe vs. Lys Agnes

MY GUESS: Since 5 acts are going through this week, I have a feeling that it's going to be both of them. The judges loved Lys but I think people also really like Poplyfe.
RESULT: Poplyfe and Lys Agnes
MY THOUGHTS: The only way for them to be "that close" but not be up for judges pick is for them to both be through. They are both great, though Lys was not in my top 5. 

RESULT #3
Melissa Villasenor vs. Miami All-Stars vs. Kevin Colis

MY GUESS: I think it's pretty clear that it's Miami All-Stars. Maybe Melissa, but the judges gave lots of praise to Miami last night so my guess is them. 

RESULT: Miami All Stars
MY THOUGHTS: I'm sad to see Melissa go, but the All Stars are great.

RESULT #4
Beth Ann Robinson vs. Daniel Joseph Baker vs. West Springfield Dance Team

MY GUESS: This is very, very tough, especially because all three were in my Top 5. In fact, I won't even call this one. I just can't do it. I have no idea who is leaving. Probably not Daniel though.

RESULT: Beth Ann Robinson
MY THOUGHTS: Wow, she was really great. Sad to see her leave.

          West Springfield Dance Team vs. Daniel Joseph Baker
          MY GUESS: Very tough decision, but I have a feeling they will choose Daniel.

          RESULT: West Springfield Dance Team
          MY THOUGHTS: Wow. That was a shocker. I honestly thought they would 

          choose Daniel. I certainly can't complain though, I love WSDT.

       

TOP 4:
Team iLuminate (my #1)

Poplyfe (my #2)

Lys Agnes (my #7)

Miami All Stars (my #6)

West Springfield Dance Team (my #3)

MY PICKS VS. AMERICA'S
3/5 is pretty good, plus I got my top 3 acts. :)

(6) Semi-Finals Round 1 REVIEW

Zuma Zuma
What they do is definitely very unique and cool. The formations they make just by standing on each other in different ways are really interesting. However, I don't think this performance was better than their first one. It was not as exciting and there weren't as many stunts. They wasted too much time doing the stupid fire-eating and limbo-ing Overall, I was somewhat disappointed because I was expecting more jumping and stunts. (Click for YouTube Link)

Beth Ann Robinson
She is a very graceful dancer, and she really takes control of the stage. I definitely enjoyed the performance, but it does concern me that the dancing could a little repetitive after a while compared to some of the other acts. I also liked the mirrors on the stage; it added a little something to the performance. Overall, I am very impressed with her dancing and her ability to make solo dancing so interesting to watch.  (Click for YouTube Link)

Sandou Trio Russian Bar
I understand their desire to show something different, but that never works on this show (i.e. Rhinestone Ropers). Her voice is not that good, the ribboning was not that good, and the upside-down piano playing was cool for like 2 seconds. They took a risk, and unfortunately it didn't pay off. (Click for YouTube Link)

Kevin Colis
He is a good singer and performer, but I don't think he's good enough for this show. I think just about every other singer on the show could beat him out in the end. He needed a song that really showcased his voice, and I don't think this song really did it. (Click for YouTube Link)

Matt Wilhelm
To me, this act is still a less-cooler fighting gravity. Not only did he fall, but he essentially did the same thing as his last performance, and it wasn't that much better the second time. I see how he tried to add a story, but it didn't work that well. And what is that he says? There's something so cool he wants try NEXT time? Well why didn't he do it THIS time because he's about to be voted off! (Click for YouTube Link)

Poplyfe
I definitely enjoyed them more this time than last, but I'm not sure they made the right song choice. I think they needed something more youthful. That said, they definitely performed this song well. Her voice was amazing yet again, and the band sounded great. I also liked the staging with the different squares. They put a cool, youthful twist on a classic song, and I was quite impressed considering how much I didn't really care for them last time.  (Click for YouTube Link)

West Springfield Dance Team
Every time they perform I am always bewildered as to how they are high school dance group. They are so professional and synchronized in their moves. I really liked the choreography this week and am even more impressed that they've put together 3 different routines in a span of 3 weeks. They are a great group and really deserve recognition.  (Click for YouTube Link)

Melissa Villasenor
I must say I am impressed (no pun intended) that she brings us new impressions every week. Even though I didn't know all the people she impersonated, I still found it pretty funny. She is definitely one of the most talented performers on the show; doing impressions is an extremely unique talent. I didn't think her performance was exceptional or that much better than her previous ones, but it was still pretty good. (Click for YouTube Link)

Team iLuminate
This performance was sort of a combination of their last two performances. I like how they still did the dancing (which is always cool) but I also liked the unique video game stuff they did. There's SO MUCH they can do with there act and I can't wait to see what they do next time! They are definitely one of the top 3 acts in the whole show (Click for YouTube Link)

Daniel Joseph Baker
I thought this performance was very good, but I miss the theatricality and fireceness of the last one. He has a great voice and is a very good piano player, but I think his exuberance is what really sets him apart, and I thought that was missing from this performance. I still thought it was great, I was just a tad bit disappointed.  (Click for YouTube Link)

Miami All Stars
That was definitely very Vegas. It was big and grand with costumes, theme, and all. They do a lot of cool things and they can definitely take their dancing in a lot of different ways and styles. I didn't think they were super amazing or anything, but they were definitely good. They definitely have the benefit of having a lot of people to fill up the entire stage. (Click for YouTube Link)

Lys Agnes
She has a very good voice, and I really liked her song choice and how the stage was put together. I don't think she is as good as Barbara Padilla or Jackie Evancho, but she was definitely good. Just please don't vote for her just because of her story. (Click for YouTube Link)





That was definitely one of the best Semi-Final rounds I have ever seen! As I watched the act recaps I was like "oh I liked that act! oh wait I liked that act too! And that one!" I have NO idea how I'm going to   pick a top 5! I ranked them all below but honestly I thought my top 8 acts were all GREAT.

My Ranking:
(from best act to worst)

1. Team iLuminate
2. Poplyfe
3. West Springfield Dance Team
4. Beth Ann Robinson
5. Daniel Joseph Baker

6. Miami All Stars
7. Lys Agnes
8. Melissa Villasenor
9. Zuma Zuma
10. Matt Wilhelm
11. Kevin Colis
12. Sandou Trio Russian Bar

(6) Acts by Category

SINGING:
Anna Graceman

Daniel Joseph Baker

Landou Eugene Murphy Jr.

Lys Agnes

Kevin Colis

DANCING:

Snap Boogie

Miami All Stars

Silhouettes

Steven Retchless

Fatally Unique

Team iLuminate

Beth Ann Robinson

West Springfield Dance Team

DANGER / STUNTS:

Sandou Trio Russian Bar

Smage Bros. Riding Shows

Professor Splash

Zuma Zuma

Gymkana

Matt Wilhelm

COMEDY:

Melissa Villasenor

MAGIC:

Landon Swank

OTHER:

Poplyfe

The Kinetic King

Summerwind Skippers

This season is definitely shaping out to be different than any one before it. Last year there were 9 singing acts, 4 dancing acts, 4 magic acts, and 6 other acts. This year there are only 5 singing acts, but there are 8 dancing acts! The numbers practically flip-flopped from last season. We also only have 1 magician but 6 danger/stunts acts. There were a few last season but not enough to group them into their own category like this season. A singer has won in the last 5 seasons, but this season could definitely change that. There are some really talented dance groups this year.

(6) Top 24 Checklist

How did MY Top 24 match up with America's?

I agreed with 17 of the 24 acts in the Semi-Finals. That's great! That's 70% which is better than last season (50%) AND the season before that (65%). Overall, I am very happy with the Semi-Final line up.

(6) Quarter-Finals Round 6 [Wild Card] RESULTS

RESULT #1
Shevonne vs. Yellow Designs Stunt Team vs. West Springfield Dance Team

MY GUESS: I think I've narrowed it down to Shevonne or Yellow Designs because the judges weren't too thrilled with West Springfield. It's really tough because they're both such different acts, but Shevonne is somewhat of a fresh act to America so my guess is her.
RESULT: West Springfield Dance Team
MY THOUGHTS: What?!?! That was totally not what I expected! I just thought since Piers and Howie didn't have the best reviews for them that they wouldn't get through. I'm certainly happy but I just didn't expect it.

RESULT #2
Avery and the Calico Hearts vs. Charles Peachock vs. Those Funny Little People vs. The Kinetic King

MY GUESS: Definitely not Charles or TFLP. I think it may actually go to the Kinetic King because of his successful comeback and I think America likes his personality, they just couldn't vote for him last time because he screwed up so badly.
RESULT: The Kinetic King
MY THOUGHTS: I personally thought it was a little boring last night, but I think America just falls in love with him. Hopefully he will bring back the popsicle sticks next time.

RESULT #3
Landon Swank vs. Seth Grabel

MY GUESS: It's definitely tough to call. America could fall for this grand act with cute little kids or choose the more unique magician. My guess is Landon Swank.

RESULT: Landon Swank
MY THOUGHTS: I don't think it hurt that he had the 12th performance spot, but he definitely put together a good performance last night and deserves to move on.

RESULT #4
Summerwind Skippers vs. J Chris Newberg vs. The Fiddleheads

MY GUESS: This one is not easy to call but I have a feeling J Chris Newberg will be eliminated first. Purely a guess, though, because it could be anyone.
RESULT: J Chris Newberg
MY THOUGHTS: I guess America just doesn't care for his comedy.

          Summerwind Skippers vs. The Fiddleheads
          MY GUESS: Piers will obviously choose the Skippers, and Howie will
          obviously choose The Fiddleheads. Sharon will make the final decision. 
          As to what that decision will be I don't really know. I will say the 
          Skippers only because I liked them so much.

          RESULT: Summerwind Skippers
          MY THOUGHTS: Yay! I was almost afraid Sharon would pick the Fiddleheads just

          in spite of Piers. They definitely have grown a lot and are a really great act.

       

TOP 4:
West Springfield Dance Team (my #4)

The Kinetic King (my #10)

Landon Swank (my #2)

Summerwind Skippers (my #1)

MY PICKS VS. AMERICA'S
3/4 : Yay! This is great!

(6) Quarter-Finals Round 6 [Wild Card] REVIEW

The Kinetic King
Well I must admit I'm glad it worked, but I can't say it was as exciting as I hoped it would be. Parts of it were cool, but it was a little too slow. I prefer the fast paced 'explosion' of all the sticks. I would even go as far as to say there were parts of his first failed performance that were better than parts of this one (such as the face of popsicle sticks that flipped over). Overall, not a terrible performance, but not nearly as exciting as it needed to be for him to deserve to move on. (Click for YouTube Link)

Those Funny Little People
It's a nice / cute idea and everything, but it's just plain and simply not worthy of being on America's Got Talent. As Piers said, "It's not what this show is about". Maybe it's great for kids, but not a show like this. It's sort of upsetting to see a spot in the Wild Card act taken up by a group like this. (Click for YouTube Link)

Avery and the Calico Hearts
This was definitely better than all their previous performances, but I still don't think they are good enough. Avery's voice is very good (although not fully mature), but the backup singers just are not that good. They sound sort of screechy sometimes. It was a good performance, but it wasn't a great one. (Click for YouTube Link)

Seth Grabel
Unfortunately, this was just like his last performance. It was very big and grand and 'vegas', but the trick itself was not that great. I've seen giant objects appear on the stage a million times before, and I've seen it done with items bigger than that. The acrobatics and little kids were great, but the actual magic was very disappointing. (Click for YouTube Link)

Shevonne
It was a very nice performance, but it just wasn't anything special. She probably deserved to be in the quarter-finals originally because a lot of the other sings weren't as good as her. She's definitely got work to do, and in the end I'm just not sure she can compete with the other voices on the show. Not a terrible performance, but not an amazing one either. (Click for YouTube Link)

West Springfield Dance Team
This group does a lot of cool moves that I've never seen before. I also really like their creepiness. I must say, however, that their last performance was better. I must cut them some slack, however, because they didn't have as much time to prepare. I think if they would have had more time they would have been able to put together something really good, so I'm disappointed they didn't get that chance. (Click for YouTube Link)

J Chris Newberg
Some of it was definitely funny and I enjoyed it more than his last performance, but I'm still not WOW-ed. He's a good comedian, but he's not a great one. Melissa Villasenor, although more of an impressionist than a comedian, is still better than him in my opinion. (Click for YouTube Link)

Yellow Designs Stunt Team
As far as I'm concerned, this was essentially the same as their last performance (including the guy falling) but with a different theme. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. There last performance was good, and so was this one. It's sort of difficult for me to accept the 'marriage' of theatre and BMX, but I think I'm getting more used to it. (Click for YouTube Link)

Charles Peachock
I like how he brings something different every time, but this performance definitely wasn't as good as the last few. I don't think it was as dangerous as his Vegas performance or as cool as his last quarter-final one. I was actually really looking forward to seeing him do something cool, but it just wasn't that great, regardless of whether he dropped anything or not. (Click for YouTube Link)

The Fiddleheads
I thought it was a fairly good performance, and better than their last one, but not as good as their Vegas one. I think the song was a little too high for the lead singer who usually has a really good voice. (Click for YouTube Link)

Summerwind Skippers
WOW! I loved the skipping, loved the dancing, and loved the danger! It's so fast-paced and yet so slick. I really love this group, and was really disappointed when they went home week 3. You also have to take into account how little time they had to prepare. Overall, a really cool and exciting act. (Click for YouTube Link)

Landon Swank
I thought the trick was better in his last performance, but this was definitely more entertaining. It was big and grand but also very dangerous and scary. There was something going on the entire time to watch, which kept me entertained. (Click for YouTube Link)




Overall, I am actually fairly disappointed with performances tonight. After my Top 4 picks, I struggled to rank the rest of them because I really didn't think any of them were that great. I am fairly confident that my top 2 picks will make it through, but after that I am not sure.


MY RANKING:
(from best act to worse)

1. Summerwind Skippers
2. Landon Swank
3. Yellow Designs Stunt Team
4. West Springfield Dance Team

5. Avery and the Calico Hearts
6. Shevonne
7. The Fiddleheads
8. J Chris Newberg
9. Seth Grabel
10. The Kinetic King
11. Charles Peachock
12. Those Funny Little People

Do you agree with me? Disagree with me? Share your comment below!

(6) Quarter-Finals Round 5 [YouTube] RESULTS

RESULT #1
Gymkana vs. Powerhouse

MY GUESS: Probably Gymkana. Not only did Howie 'X' Powerhouse them but I just don't think show choirs are for everyone. Could it be both? Maybe, but probably not.
RESULT: Gymkana.
MY THOUGHTS: Gymkana is probably the more skilled of the two, so they deserved to move on. I can't wait to see what they do next!

RESULT #2
Matt Wilhelm vs. TNC Elite vs. Aeon

MY GUESS: Not only did Matt Wilhelm win the most votes from his original video, but everyone seemed to really love his act, so my guess is he will move on.
RESULT: Matt Wilhelm
MY THOUGHTS: No surprise there. He definitely wasn't one of my favorites (I found his act kind of boring), but I can tell America really likes him. Maybe he will do something better for the semi's that will impress me more.

RESULT #3
Kalani Basketball Freestyle vs. Illusionist Brett Daniels vs. Kevin Colis vs. Breena Bell

MY GUESS: Probably Kevin Colis; none of the other acts were that good. Plus, America loves male solo singers, and he is a pretty good one.
RESULT: Kevin Colis.
MY THOUGHTS: He was in my top 4 so I'm happy. He's the only male solo singer of his type in the competition so I think he has a pretty good shot at doing well in the future.

RESULT #4
West Springfield Dance Team vs. Gabe Rocks vs. Beth Ann RobinsonMY GUESS: Gabe Rocks will be eliminated first; it just wasn't that good and I think America knows that.
RESULT: Gabe Rocks
MY THOUGHTS: I'm glad America got that right at least. He just isn't up to par with the other two acts.

          West Springfield Dance Team vs. Beth Ann Robinson
          MY GUESS: They are both great acts, so this is a really tough one to call. 
          If I had to make a guess I would say that they will choose West Springfield
          Dance Team.

          RESULT: Beth Ann Robinson
          MY THOUGHTS: Definitely the hardest choice yet, but I have a feeling the judges

          thought there were too many group dance acts this season. I'm slightly
          disappointed but at least West Springfield gets another chance next week.

       

TOP 4:
Gymkana (my #3)

Matt Wilhelm (my #8)

Kevin Colis (my #4)

Beth Ann Robinson (my #2)

MY PICKS VS. AMERICA'S
3/4 : Pretty good! I've been doing pretty well this season.