America's Got Talent Recap: Audition Show 3

Hey all sorry I did not get around to blogging Wednesday's America's Got Talent audition show but between So You Think You Can Dance and the I'm a Celebrity finale (yeah Lou Diamond Phillips) I did not have a chance to watch AGT until later in the week. For the record nobody on Wednesday's show blew me away but I did like the yodeling domantrix (and I am a woman, by the way), the violin playing triplets (as long as they don't sing), the illusionist (though his act was a bit predictable), and the young dancer at the end (though he seemed a bit hectic and spastic at times during the dance). My favorite act so far is still the EriAm sisters from the first show, though I have a bad feeling they won't last too long with other singers like Voices with Glory getting better judges' reviews.

We get some highlights of last week's shows, and the EriAm sisters are nowhere to be found. We do get the flying frisbee dog, the Billy Elliot kid, the young ballroom dancers who are good but not as good as the Billy Elliot kid, the guy who put a fish hook through his nose and mouth, FootworKINGz, and of course Voices with Glory. Tonight it looks like we meet the other contestant who has been pimped to us for weeks- the chicken catcher with a smooth country voice.

The judges get their usual extended introduction, and the Hoff gets the most cheers (why is he the most popular judge again?)

Tonight's auditions start out in NY- hopefully they'll be better than the ones we saw from NY last week.

First up is Carol Lugo, who was also in one of the previews for the show. She is a 62 year old woman who does a weird dance that is actually entertaining. I remember thinking when I saw the preview that I liked her better than both Voices with Glory and the chicken catcher singer (I do think he has a very good voice, just that's not really my kind of music). Carol is currently a cashier who wears her dance shoes to work. She has wanted to be a dancer for much of her life and believes in following her dreams no matter what. She will definitely get the old people vote if she makes it to the live shows. Wow her dancing is even more impressive in the show than it was in the preview. Like the kid from last week her head movement is very distracting but she has great stuff, especially for her age. She even does a moonwalk! I think she is as good if not better than the Billy Elliot kid, though I could do without the butt shaking part. Even so she was incredibly entertaining, and you almost forget how old she is while watching the routine. The judges and audience are digging it too. Sharon calls her wonderfully bizarre, David says it was awesome and she deserves to be on the stage. He even gives her a standing ovation! Piers thinks she could inspire us in a recession. She gets three yes's and is off to Vegas. That was one of my favorite acts of the season so far and I think she has a chance to go even further in the competition. And she even moonwalks off the stage!!

Montage of unusual talents (this could be good or bad...). Joseph Harris does some cool tricks with a yo-yo. I don't know if he would be able to sustain a Vegas show but he is certainly good enough for the next round, and the judges agree. The Diva League is a group of really good dancers and drag queens. They are totally in sync and one even does a split at the end! They too are put through to Vegas. Chris Allison eats a lightbulb and then has some (hopefully fake) blood coming out of his mouth by the end. He does seem to know how to work the audience though and is put through to Vegas.

Next up (still in NYC) is Jay Mattioli, a magician from Virginia. Oh boy he's going to be bad- they haven't had any bad auditions yet tonight. He always wanted to be a famous magician and when he was younger he made things out of cardboard and glue to use for his tricks. Actually I think I recognize this guy as being one of the good auditioners from the previews- I didn't recognize him until he took off his cape thing. First levitates the microphone and leans against it while it is in the air. Then he gets into an "America's Got Magic" box (awesome) as the top of it appears to come down and crush him. On the part of the box that comes down on top of him is a sign that says "Applause" (also awesome). Sure enough the part goes back to the top of the box and Jay comes out unscathed. I really liked him. He was talented plus had some funny bits in there as well, and he wasn't as predictable as the illusionist from last week. He even did some (pretty good) dancing between tricks. This show has been great so far in terms of talent level. Piers likes the pizazz and star quality Jay has, even though he thought the box trick wasn't as impressive as the microphone bit. I actually liked the box thing better but both were good. Sharon likes the modern and interesting aspects of it. David says it was not just magic but it was entertaining. Exactly! That's why I like him better than the guy from last week even if the tricks themselves were not as good. He gets three yes's and is off to Vegas! Another of my favorite acts so far.

Wow 18 minutes in and no bad acts yet. I'm guessing that's going to change soon though...

Now we are back in Chicago for more auditions. First up is Franklin Sane, a juvenile county judge from Detroit. He uses music as an escape from his boring judge life. Doesn't he as a judge have more important things to do than audition for a talent show? Just saying. Well luckily for his county he should be coming home soon because his singing is painfully bad. I'm surprised it's taking the judges this long to X him. The audience turns on him immediately though, and Piers is covering his ears at the last long note. Piers says he can't sing. Short and sweet. Franklin says he has performed in front of prisoners. Well of course they like him if they don't Franklin could extend their prison sentences haha. He is given three definite no's.

Next up is Thia Megia from California. She is a 14-year old singer and I think she was shown in the previews blowing the judges away with her voice. She would practice in front of the mirror to prepare for this moment. Aw. She does "I'm Changing" from Dreamgirls (though she surprisingly references the song's original singer, Jennifer Holliday, rather than Jennifer Hudson). I like this song so I hope she is good. And indeed she is very good. She has an old jazz singer vibe to her voice, which isn't my favorite style but she does have an amazing voice for her age. I forget she is 14 when I close my eyes. Great last note!!! Her stage presence is pretty good as well. Since a young powerhouse singer has already won this show in the past (Bianca Ryan), I don't think she will win but she has a great shot at the finals. Sharon gives her a standing ovation. David says nothing is going to stop her (a reference to a lyric in the song she sang). Sharon says she sings with emotion and that is hard to do. Piers says she is the best singer he's heard. As far as individual singers go yes (though I think she may be the only halfway decent solo singer they've had so far), but I still think the lead singer in the EriAm sisters act is better than her. She sails through to Vegas. Aw she even got Nick to shed a few tears...

Next up is librarian Jeffery Johns, who claims he is being shut out of performing in Vegas because he is too short and Vegas looks for taller acts since the showgirls are tall. First of all I doubt it's his height that is preventing him from getting gigs. Second of all he is taller than me (not that that is saying much) so he can't be that short. He also looks way too much like Carrot Top, which is never a good thing. His act involves climbing onto a giant chair and singing decently. Then he jumps off the giant chair and starts dancing and singing about being short. This would seem okay but I keep thinking he is acting like a giant kid, from the large chair to the high voice and the corny hand motions. Only David and Piers X him though. David says it was the weirdest act he's ever seen. Piers says it was irritating from start to finish and he is sent back home.

And now a montage of bad acts. Do we have to? This show was going so well with the minimal bad acts. Anyway Witches in Bikinis have great bodies but bad harmonies. Robert Myers starts out as Little Richard and was going to change into other characters but his singing was so bad he thankfully got X'd before he gets very far. Samba Samba Samba does spastic looking dancing and are so loud they can't even hear the X's because their drums are so loud.

Next are The Fab Five, sisters from Utah who are also all mothers. They now live in different states but have stayed close through performing. Their matching leather pants are very shiny. They do some very fast riverdancing in perfect unison. They even get into more complex choreography and still remain in sync. Not my kind of thing but they are very talented. David thinks they did a great job. Sharon loves their energy, technical precision, and love for the dance.
Piers also likes them. They get three yes's and are off to Vegas.

And last but not least is the chicken catcher guy aka Kevin Skinner. He's a good ole' country boy from Kentucky, right down to the thick Southern accent. He likes sitting on the porch and counting stars. He even writes his own songs. He and five other guys once caught 60,000 chickens in one night. He sure is a charmer with the crowd. This is very Susan Boyle-esque with Nick and even David preparing for the worst. Wow he's even better than he was in the previews. The judges and audience don't even cheer- they just sit there taking in his beautiful voice. He might have gone a bit off on the low notes but he still was really great. He has a very legitimate shot to win the whole show. Surprisingly only David gives him a standing ovation though. Piers admits he thought it was going to be bad based on how Kevin was dressed (in an old sweater and backwards cap) but was hooked 20 seconds in. So basically he is like our Susan Boyle, though I don't think he will get millions of hits on YouTube. Sharon is in tears and can tell he is a lovely person and very genuine. David says he moves all of them. He is sent sailing through to Vegas, and Piers agrees with me that he could win the whole show.

And good for AGT for putting a little Michael Jackson tribute at the end. It was just his picture with Nick saying how talented he was, but since this show isn't live yet there's not much else they could have done.

So that's it for tonight's show, which was surprisingly chock full of talent. I liked all the acts that got through though my favorites were dancing Carol, magician Jay, the Diva League (who should have gotten more screen time), and chicken catcher Kevin. The dancing sisters and the 14-year-old singer were good just not really my thing. Kevin is almost a lock to make the finals though I'm not sure about the others.

So what are your thoughts on tonight's show? Any early favorites? Think Kevin is going to win the whole show? Post your comments below.

So You Think You Can Dance Recap: Top 16 Results

Hey all it's time for the results show of SYTYCD. I'm still in shock over Michael Jackson's untimely death. Since I'm so young my only memories of him are his plastic surgery nightmares and court cases but he still was a great icon in the music business. I wonder if they will mention his death on the show (if it's big enough news to make ESPNEWS, it should be big enough to mention here). But we also have two more contestants to eliminate tonight.

I was thinking about the top 10 this morning. I think Brandon/Janette, Melissa/Ade, and Evan/Randi are locks, and probably so are Phillip/Jeanine. That leaves eight people for two spots, and all eight of them have been in the bottom before (and two will go home tonight). I think Jonathan and Karla should go tonight but after last week's shocker anything can happen.

The group dance is set to "I Know You Want Me" by Pitbull. Well this song is kind of annoying but at least I know it. And at least that means the routine is hip hop. Actually though the routine looks more like ballroom/Latin than hip hop but it is still really cool. Probably my favorite group number of the year. At first it was very slow and sexy but then it really got going once the music picked up. The guys and girls got group solos, though once again the guys were better. Three of them even did flips over the other girls (I think one was Kupono but I'm not sure on the others). Plus the girls all got sprayed with water which must make the guys watching this very happy. Apparently the routine was by Tabitha and Napoleon so it was hip hop, though I still think it was the most ballroom/Latin looking hip hop I've ever seen. (NOTE: So I just found out apparently Dmitry Chaplin did part of the choreography as well- hence the ballroom).

Mary looks gorgeous in her red dress tonight, and Nigel is wearing a dapper tuxedo.

Nigel has a few words to say. I bet he's going to talk about Michael. Yep. First he mentions the whole "death in threes" theory of Ed McMahon, Farah Fawcett (whose death will now forever be overshadowed) and Michael Jackson dying in the same week. He says Ed introduced lots of great talent to us on Star Search. I knew about Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, but Drew Carey too?? He's my favorite comedian! I never knew he was on Star Search. I want to go find that clip now. Nigel moves on to tributes for Farrah and Michael, and the producers even have photos of the three to put up during the speech. Nigel apparently met Farrah once and she tried to teach him to make pecan pie! She had great strength and will to live through her cancer. He can't even describe how big a superstar Michael Jackson was. Like I said I was too young to really remember when he was a star but from what I've heard he really influenced a lot of current musicians. But does every photo they show of him in tributes have to be AFTER his surgery? I'm sorry but those pictures just creep me out. Nigel points out how Jackson changed music and dance in the world and says the video of "Black or White", which melded different styles of dance together, was the inspiration for this show. Fred Estaire even complimented Jackson the night he did the moonwalk on television for the first time (which again I have not seen, though my father told me today it completely changed popular culture at the time). He adds we should celebrate their lives and how they influenced us today. Great message Nigel.

I just remembered Jason is a big Jackson fan, and he may be in the bottom three tonight- maybe his solo will be a tribute to Michael.

Nigel continues that many of the dancers today became dancers because of Jackson, and he thinks the greatest tribute to the King of Pop is to show the iconic "Thriller" video that completely changed the way music videos were made. I did not realize how revolutionary the video was and I've actually only seen part of it but I do think this is a great way to honor his memory.

Well they actually only show a bit of the video, and it's so different now watching it knowing he is gone. It almost makes me want to cry even though the song is not a sad song at all. And they finally show a GOOD picture of Michael as they head to the break, a photo from when he was a young afro-ed boy with a microphone in front of him. He really was attractive before all that plastic surgery stuff.


Now enough with the sad stuff and on to the results (actually, I guess those are sad too but not until the end of the show). There are five couples on stage at the same time- I guess that means the other three are the bottom three for the week? Well Asuka and Vitolio are on stage so maybe not. They are up first- could they really be safe? No they are in the bottom. Okay then I have no idea why they brought out five couples at once but at least so far America got it right.

We get our first clear view of the other couples on stage, and they are the four I predicted earlier as being locks for the top 10- Brandon/Janette, Evan/Randi, Phillip/Jeanine and Ade/Melissa. So that likely means two of the remaining three couples- Jonathan/Karla, Jason/Caitlin, and Kupono/Kayla will be in the bottom. But first we must get through the formalities. Brandon and Janette are safe (Yay!). The "butt made the cut", as Evan and Randi are also safe. I still didn't like the choreography of their routine last night but I saw many others call it the best dance of the night. They did dance the routine very well though so I'm happy they are safe. Phillip and Jeanine are next, and if any of these four might be in the bottom this week it would be them because of Phillip's poor technique, even though the dance was fun and entertaining. But America does like entertainment as well, as they too are safe for another week. Hey Ade is wearing an Obama shirt! I still don't quite see the love for him and Melissa so I'd almost be glad if they were in the bottom three but I don't think they will be. And sure enough they are safe, leaving three couples left and two spots in the bottom three to be filled.

If I was a producer I would announce that Jonathan and Karla were in the bottom first, since they were the consensus worst couple last night, and then increase the suspense by having it come down to the beautiful yet not exciting Kupono/Kayla waltz or the weak technically but exciting Jason/Caitlin paso doble. I liked both of these routines last night but I liked the waltz more so I hope Kupono and Kayla are safe. But whichever of these three are in the bottom I will not be surprised, since they have all been there before.

Sure enough when they come out onstage Jonathan and Karla are on the left, which likely means they will be hearing their fate first. The weird thing is the clips from their performance last night aren't that bad. Wonder if Nigel really bet anyone that these two would be in the bottom three? Jonathan says he would have taken the bet. Though then he would owe Nigel money since they are indeed in the bottom. No real surprise here either. Nigel though is sorry they were in the bottom because he thinks they have potential. And he adds he agrees with America's picks so far, as do I.

So now it 's down to Jason/Caitlin and Kupono/Kayla. Kayla and Jason are really popular though I think Caitlin and Kupono are much less so. I wouldn't really be surprised either way but like I said before I hope Kupono and Kayla are safe. Yay they are!!!! So that means obviously Jason and Caitlin are in the bottom. I can live with Caitlin going as long as Jason stays. Plus maybe we'll get to see a Michael Jackson tribute dance.

So that means the three worst dances according to the judges were the fans' least favorite as well. I still thought Jason and Caitlin were good but when there were really only two subpar acts the whole night someone else had to be in the bottom and if they did have the technical flaws Nigel pointed out then I guess they deserve to be there.

Mary is surprised by one couple in the bottom (I'm guessing Caitlin and Jason). Odd since I'm not surprised at all. I guess that means those two will be safe, though I thought the same thing last week about Max. Toni wasn't surprised about one but seemed to think everyone else was good so it was up to America. I'm guessing the duo she wasn't surprised at was Jonathan and Karla. Nigel demands Toni say which couple she was referring, and she admits that those two did not hit it hard enough for a street dance routine.

But before the solos we get some special guests, who get the audience cheering before they even show up. They are young beat boys called the Rage Boys Crew. They are really good but it's a bit too much jumping and flipping for my taste. They look like they range in age from around 8 to around 16 and they are all very talented (and attractive in those leather jackets!!). Woah one of the youngest gets tossed up in the air at the end- very much like Diversity from Britain's Got Talent. Cat gets down on her knees and bows to the youngest, who has a cute afro and missing front teeth. That was one of the more entertaining of these results show dance numbers, though that's not saying much since I didn't really like any of the previous ones.

After a plug for this season's auditions we get the six solos as each contestant fights for their dancing lives.

Asuka- Dances to "Don't Trust Me"- I love this song, but for a ballroom solo? Really? I thought her legs were great but her arm movements seemed a bit distracting to me. Good, but didn't blow me away.

Vitolio- Yay another current song- "Viva La Vida" by Coldplay. It's strong and powerful like his last solo. It's almost animal-like, in a good way. He was better the first time he was in the bottom three but still another great performance.

Karla- She dances to "15 Step" by Radiohead. I've never been a big Radiohead fan. Anyway the routine was a bit spastic for me but the judges seem to like that sort of thing.

Jonathan- He comes out rocking a white leotard and dancing to "The Hunted" by Kodo. He actually dances pretty well but of course adds a few signature flips instead of more actual content. The routine just sort of seems like the same few moves over and over again.

Caitlin- She dances to "Que Sera Sera" by Jennifer Terran. The song and dance are beautiful and she ends with a cool cartwheel. I was actually semi-impressed by her tonight.

Jason- His song is "New American Classic" by Taking Back Sunday. It's not as good as his solo last week but still should be good enough to keep him around for another week.

I'm really torn this week since none of the solos blew me away. I think Jonathan's was the worst and Caitlin's was the best but after that they were all pretty even. Karla's was my least favorite among the girls though I think that's more a style thing than her dancing actually being poor. But based on last night those two should go anyway so I hope the judges keep that in mind.

While the judges deliberate The Veronicas come out to perform. I only know one of their songs, and it's not this one. They do their new single which actually isn't that bad either. It's certainly catchy in the chorus. And since this is a dance show they have their own dancers, who do some cool synchronized movements. The singers themselves don't dance but they do sway with with the beat a bit.

And now it's finally time for the results. The girls are up first, and they are unanimous. Caitlin comes forward first. They thought she gave the best solo of the night, and I think I agree. She certainly was the best of the girls. She is safe for another week. I hope Karla goes home but I wouldn't be surprised if it was Asuka. Karla they thought was a bit desperate- she fell off her pirouettes and never found her center. I guess that's why I thought it was frantic and spastic. They thought Asuka is an exciting performer who puts part of herself in everything she does, but they don't feel like she is growing. Thus, she is sent home. I'm a bit surprised after what they said to Karla but Asuka had no shot of winning anyway. I personally liked her and did think she was great last week but overall I think Karla has been better if you take into account previous routines and solos. I just hope Vitolio doesn't join her....

I'm surprised Toni voted to send Asuka home as well since she clearly said at the beginning the only routine she didn't like last night was Karla and Jonathan's. But like I said it doesn't matter because none of them were going to go that far.

Aww Asuka says Vitolio was the most memorable part of the show for her and that he's always been there for her. They did make a cute couple.

Now for the guys. The judges were not unanimous, which is odd since I thought that decision was more clear-cut. Vitolio is called up first, which I hope means he's safe. Nigel says he shows lots of promise but doesn't deliver. He cites examples of how Vitolio will look like he's going into a great move but then will do a less impressive on (he used actual dance terms that I don't know but that was his general jist). He warns Vitolio not to hold back and then has him step back. Jonathan gets the most cheers when he steps forward. Nigel thought he was not good the night before and the solo didn't have enough dance. Nigel thought Jason danced well last week but the solo this week was too desperate. I didn't see that at all but I agree it wasn't as good as his prior one. He gives Jason the same critique he gave Vitolio about not giving it his all each week. Well since he gave those two the same critique he can't send one of them home and leave the other on the show, can he? Nigel says Jason's routine was not that good but since he was against weaker competition they are sending him to safety. He probably is the most talented of the three and has been more consistent overall than the other two so I'm happy and not surprised. Now if only Jonathan will be sent home. Yay he is!!! They are running out of time but Nigel warns Vitolio to bring it next week or he won't survive. I'm upset about Asuka but at least Jonathan is finally gone. And that means next week Vitolio partners with Karla to form what should be a powerful duo.

Wow Jonathan actually looked semi-decent in the clips of him from Vegas week. Why couldn't he do more of that on the show?

And the best news of all- Fox is rebroadcasting the top 13 on American Idol Season 8 doing Michael Jackson songs on Monday night!! Yay!! I was totally thinking about that week too when I saw all the tributes to him and stuff. I looked up what songs everyone did and I remember standouts being "Dirty Diana" from Alexis, "Give it to Me" from Allison, "PYT" from Danny and "Remember the Time" from Kris (I threw the last one in because I am a huge Kris fan, and while it wasn't his best of the season it was certainly very good).


So what did you think of the results? I think I agree with who was sent home based on how they've done overall throughout the show. I'm interested in how Vitolio and Karla will do as partners next week. Post your comments below.