Another bonus round of this show? Are they trying to stay on the air long enough to keep the upcoming X-Factor from debuting at number one? I can’t complain when the producers are letting my beloved Those Funny Little People come back to annoy Piers some more.
As is expected, I’ll be blogging this live. Comment as the show goes on if you feel like it. I love reading other opinions and the live recap means I can’t troll the various forums for instant feedback.
First up tonight is The Kinetic King. He does those impressive kinetic sculptures with the popsicle sticks. If he can actually get the chain reaction going (as opposed to his disastrous Quarterfinals performance where he couldn’t get one step to work right), he might have enough flash to move on.
The stage is filled with cans covered in larger kinetic devices. Kinetic King has light-up goggles and no back-up dancers. He will be launching it himself. It worked. It’s just a really cool looking act. It can’t possibly work in Vegas but he’s absolutely redeemed himself. Good for him. The stage looks like it’s going to spell out some kind of message. We have the return of the Kinetic King’s Got Talent sign and some new devices. The balloons are now spelling out Kinetic King. THe finale is a stack of trash cans crashing to the ground. Flawless run. No X’s.
Next up is Those Funny Little People. They are my favorite contestants. They’re the fantastic dancing elves act that stay in character 24/7. If their social media followers vote, they’re on the fast track for the finals.
There is a Middle Eastern theme. They’re doing “Istanbul” by They Might Be Giants. They’re wearing fez hats and have a camel onstage. Piers X’s them. It’s brilliant. But where’s Lola? Even Max the manager is on the act this time. Lola is about to dance with the back-up dancers. There are even more Elves on the judges’ stand to piss of Piers. Best audition from them so far. 1 X from the dream killer.
Third tonight is Avery and the Calico Hearts. They are the singing trio of young girls with the adorable chipmunk-like voices. If they do better with the monitors this week and sing an age appropriate song, I’m sure they’ll move onto the Semifinals.
Avery and the Calico Hearts are singing “Dynamite” by Taio Cruz. It starts slow before it picks up tempo. The girls are in a neon colored “No Boyz Allowed!!” club. There are boys dancing around the clubhouse. The projection screen is shouting out words from the song. Piers X’s them. Boo, Piers. He’s going to X everyone else’s wild card choices. I can feel it. This is the best the girls have sounded in the contest. It’s adorable and the perfect song for them. 1 X from the child hater.
Seth Grabel is up next. He’s the magician who has had things go wrong consistently. His Quarterfinals performance made absolutely no sense with its Saw-like death trap conceit. If he actually does a trick right that makes sense, he might get some votes this week.
Seth is hanging from a big ring over the stage. He’s addressing the audience directly in a leather outfit. I don’t know what he’s doing. He’s spinning the ring now that has LEDs hidden inside. There’s no magic so far. Slow and confusing again. He’s shooting fire out of his hands. He made a Delorian appear with children dressed as the judges inside. Very strange act. And that’s it. Boring. No X’s.
Shevonne is up next. She’s the one contestant we haven’t seen before. Apparently she wasn’t a unanimous elimination. She was cut in Vegas and put back in because of the dearth of solo female singers. Let’s see if she can stand out among an almost all variety act show.
She dedicates this performance to her mom. She’s onstage by herself with her acoustic guitar. She’s doing a cool little song about not knowing how to stop talking. Very intense performer with a good raw voice. She’ll only get better with more training. The projection is a film reel burning. There are flames on the stage. How did she not get through before with charisma like this? Foolish, short-sighted judges. No X’s.
Performing next is West Springfield Dance Team. They did that amazing Matrix-inspired routine last week and lost in the judge’s choice. Can they break through the pack and get through to the Semifinals this week?
This time, they’re have fright-wig like hair. This is a zombie and Joker-themed routine to “Beautiful People” by Marilyn Manson. They actually choreographed it in five days. It’s…creepy. Mission accomplished. Great floor work. They are really performing this well. Now they switched to “Down with the Sickness” by Disturbed. Great performance. No X’s.
J Chris Newberg is up. He’s the singing comedian with the short funny songs. His Quarterfinals performance was very random and used kids to make fun of Piers and the world. If he actually sticks to the one man comedy he’s good at, he might move on.
He is onstage by himself tonight without a guitar. He’s doing a roast of Piers Morgan while wearing a tux. Piers X’s him. They’re including video of Piers Morgan’s comments. This is interesting. He’s doing everything he can to get Piers to laugh. Piers is biting his tongue not to laugh. This is an unending streak of groaners. J Chris Newberg’s goal is to upset Piers. 1 X.
Next tonight is Yellow Designs Stunt Team. They’re the bike stunt show act. Their Wonderland-themed Quarterfinals performance was poorly shot by the show, making it impossible to tell what they were actually doing. If they hold the cameras steady tonight for this act, they’ll get through. I’m not holding my breath.
They are doing a pirate theme. There’s a mermaid onstage and pirate dancers and even a bubble machine. They’re performing to Lady Gaga’s “Beautiful Dirty Rich.” The camerawork is atrocious again. If we can’t see the act, how can we vote for it? It looks like they might have the best stagecraft of the night and I can’t tell because of the monkey in the editing room. Stop calling camera changes. Can’t even judge them based on this edit. No X’s.
The next performer is Charles Peachock. He’s the juggler who fought with the judges after giving a bad performance in the Quarterfinals. If he actually juggles–rather than bounce balls–tonight, he could move on.
Looks like Charles is actually doing juggling tonight. There’s a circus theme to the act. The stage is filled with old-timey (say, 1920s) civilians. Charles is going to juggle with a flaming chainsaw and two flaming balls. It’s dangerous but still very slow, just like last time. Now he’s juggling with a bunch of different swords. He’s balancing a pair on his forehead and juggling daggers. Dropped the sword at the end. No X’s.
The Fiddleheads are next. They’re the bluegrass cover band that does covers of pop songs. If the producers don’t screw around with making them sleek young pop stars and force them to do a super trendy song again, they might do much better tonight.
The band is performing “Grenade” by Bruno Mars. It’s full on bluegrass mode tonight. They’re dressed like they actually dress when they perform. It’s a very good arrangement and the singer sounds good. The crowd is going wild for them. The stage looks like an actual band gig. I’d personally like a little bit of a fuller sound at the chorus, but that wouldn’t stick with their bluegrass–rather than newgrass–style. Piers X’s them. I don’t know why. Ok, the falsetto on the final chorus was awful. 1 X.
Next up are Summerwind Skippers. They’re the jump roping crew. They did a really clean but slow performance set in a club last time that the judges loved. If they turn up the energy, they could get through to the Semifinals without an issue.
There’s fire onstage and a bunch of scaffolding. They’re performing to Ke$ha’s “Blow” in dirty tank tops. They’re starting with double dutch and screwed up the routine already. To their credit, they kept going as best as they could. Now they’re breakdancing, kind of, while skipping. They’re lighting a pair of ropes on fire for more skipping tricks. This is impressive. Their flow isn’t perfect tonight but it’s a big improvement on their last performance.
Landon Swank is closing out the night. He’s the hip young magician with the great spins on classic tricks. His Quarterfinals performance was just a bit slow and confusing. If he does simple illusions with lots of flair and a modern spin, he could easily advance to the Semifinals.
He’s doing a water tank escape trick. They’re doing his intro as a video on the projection screen. He’s being locked into handcuffs and climbing into the glass tank. If he doesn’t get out in one minute, they have to rescue him for liability reasons. The music–Britney Spears’ “Circus”–does not line up with the act. Neither does the ominous music they just added. The curtain is rising over the tank with 15 seconds left. He’s out, hanging over the tank, with his assistant int he water. Nicely done, if a bit old hat. No X’s.
Personal Ranking:
- Those Funny Little People
- West Springfield Dance Team
- Avery and the Calico Hearts
- Shevonne
- The Fiddleheads
- Summerwind Skippers
- Landon Swank
- The Kinetic King
- J Chris Newberg
- Seth Grabel
- Charles Peachock
- Yellow Designs Stunt Team (I can’t judge them)
Predictions:
- Those Funny Little People
- West Springfield Dance Team
- The Fiddleheads
- Summerwind Skippers
Tonight was a great show. Very few bad performances and some of the more memorable auditions of the season. What do you think? Who do you want in the Semifinals (other than Those Funny Little People, naturally)? Sound off below.
