All In All, I'm Pleased

Well, my preferences in and predictions for the first semi-final show pretty much came to pass.

 Sam Comroe continued to make me Laugh Out Loud, maybe even more so than he did in the quarter-finals.  And that's not an easy thing to do with this grumpy old man.   I was dismayed that he had to go through a second vote to advance, but I was tickled to see that he crushed the competition in the dumb mass Dunkin' Save.  That freed me up to try to vote for VOH, which the NBC site blocked me from doing. 

  Duo Transcend did step it up, adding a new aspect to their acrobatics and this time, he dropped his wife on purpose.  Though Duo Transcend is probably more of a Vegas type act, I'd pay to hear and see Voices of Hope before I would want to see them.
 Michael Ketterer continues to be a sincere and soulful singer who deserves his spot in the Top Ten.  And with Sir Simon's unabashed support, he'll probably finish in the Final Five.
 Shin Lim dazzles and delights and adds great variety to the show. I'm glad he made it, as I figured that he would.
 Zurcaroh remains my odds on favorite to win the whole kit and kaboodle.  I just wish that they were American, like the aforementioned four are.  Despite being Austrian, I have to recognize their talent as the most beautifully breathtaking in the competition.

So, who, from the upcoming second semi-final show should and shall join these five for the Finals?

 Aaron Crow is a Belgian bull squeezer who should not have been advanced this far.  He'll get no votes from me and not enough from others to advance further.
  As Simon said, an act like Angel City Chorale has a way of just washing over you to make you feel amazing.  Despite their fuzzy wuzzy, politically correct message and song selections, I love this act and would want to sit front row center for their show in DPAC, as I did for Celtic Woman.  I'm not sure enough voting viewers will agree with me, however. 
 Brian King Joseph is the most electrifying instrumentalist I've seen and heard since Mairead Nesbitt and Vanessa Mae. 

This time, as opposed to his quarter-final performance, I hope that Brian will lose the dumb mass, distracting dancers and overblown, overproduced production behind him and rely on his violin virtuosity for votes, including lots from me....as long as NBC doesn't block me again.
 I've written it before and I'll write it again.  Christina Wells has the vocals, but not the visuals to gain my votes or win this competition.  And I'm not a fan of her boo hoo hoo sob story.  She made the conscious choices that made that story so.

 As Howie proclaimed, just before Golden Buzzering her, Courtney Hadwin is from another era.  She is the 21st century Janis Joplin, with better vocals and visuals.  She is a much better singer and a waaaaaay prettier woman.  But being from County Durham, England, she should be performing in Britain's Got Talent, vying for the pounds and opportunity to perform for the royal family, rather than for the dollars and a Vegas show.  Of course, I'm not sure that Queen Elizabeth has the taste for Courtney's particular talent.  I imagine that she will survive as one of the few solo singers in the Finals of America's Got Talent, since it has basically become Anywhere's Got Talent, thanks to the globalist views of Syco and the entertainment industry, as a whole.
 If the voting viewers were allowed one such vote, similar to the judges' Red X Buzzers, Da Republik would get mine.  The only thing at which this group is perhaps best is their bull squeeze and balderdash back story. I think (hope, at least) that enough other Americans will agree with me that this will be as far as they go...unless the vote counters and/or judges step in again.

 Considering his immense talent and considering that through which Simon put him to prove that talent, Daniel Emmett may be the best male vocalist and even solo singer in the show this year.  He very well might garner enough of the young female vote to advance, as Michael Grimm did to win a few years back over the much more talented Jackie Evancho. 

  Glennis Grace is a breathtakingly beautiful woman and a superb  songstress.   I'd love to be down front for one of her concerts that I'm sure that she'll be doing after AGT concludes this season.  She is SO American like, that I never would have suspected her to be Dutch, which the show has been careful not to publicize as part of her bull squeeze back story of being too shy or scared or whatever to pursue her passion for performing. If that were true, she probably wouldn't have platinum and double platinum recordings. 

 As a gifted singer/songwriter and fellow Carolinian, I really like Noah Guthrie.  But not enough to vote for him over others whom I like more, as entertaining performers.   And I think that the overall vote next week will reflect that.

 As I've written before, I always root for the comedians, as long as they tickle my funny bone.  Vicki Barbolak does that.  I'm hope, hope, hoping that she will become the second comedian in the Top Ten.  Regardless, I am eagerly anticipating her sitcom Trailer Nasty. Being a singing sibling band, rather than just another solo singer might be enough to propel We Three into the Finals, despite the apparent distaste for singers by much of the audience this year.  I hope so.  They write well.  They harmonize and play well.  And their sob story is at least real and realistic.

  Well, let's wait and see if I am as pleased at this time next week.😀

The First Semi Final Is in the Can

LIVE SEMI-FINALS

And hopefully, the right acts will be canned.  Let's discuss them.

  Amanda Mena evoked no emotional response from me with her performance or pitiably sad sad sob story in English or Espanol.  She'll get no votes from me, though I'm sure that she shall receive many from others, probably enough to be seen and heard again in two weeks.

  At least this time, he dropped his wife on purpose and Duo Transcend did step it up....but still..

..What a WASTE of a wild card selection...for the second time.  Front Pictures, despite their sad sad sob story of poverty and no opportunity, are not starving artists.  They are well educated and well funded Russian software engineers.

 Junior New System may have the best bull squeeze and balderdash sob story of poverty and pitifulness.  It's a toss-up between them and the other troupe of foreign flailers, the cry baby communists from Dominikan Republik.  But that's all at which they're best.  Please, America, send them home to try out for Pilippinas Got Talent.  

  Makayla Phillips just didn't do it for me tonight, as she did with Warrior.  

  Michael Ketterer is an OUTSTANDING young man. He is also a gifted singer.  We are supposed to judge him for his vocals, not his nursing or fathering.   From Sir Simon's broadcast to Garth Brooks, I can assume that Michael is going to be in the Finals, whether he has the viewing public's vote or not.  Tonight, he didn't emotively move me like he did with his Golden Buzzer earning audition.  

 I promised Shin Lim's mother/manager that I would cast him all the votes allowed, if he continued to dazzle and delight.  Tonight, he didn't.  At least, not for me.

  Samuel J Comroe was one of really, only three acts to get an emotional response from me, by making me smile, chuckle, guffaw and Laugh Out Loud.

  Without Clarissa's drum, Us the Duo disappointed tonight.  It was still a fun sounding, upbeat song, but I can guarantee that these two do NOT know  what "Broke" truly is.  I called in some phone votes and may do more on-line, but if I do, it will be more for past performances and for being Americans among interlopers in a show titled  America's Got Talent.

  As children are our future, Voices of Hope Children's Choir gives this old man such hope for the future.  I love the way they uplift my spirits every time that I see and hear them.  And I adore Miss Sarah for what she has accomplished and shall continue to accomplish with this program.   They picked to perform a not easy to sing song tonight that is very appropriate for what they are doing this year.  Beau Dermott performed it twice a couple of years ago to earn a Golden Buzzer and to propel herself to a top five finish in Britain's Got Talent 2016.

  

 Oh, how I wish that Zurcaroh was American and not Austrian.  Tyra's Golden Buzzer selection continues to demonstrate through dance, acrobatics and gymnastics that they are the most versatile variety act and most Vegas worthy act in this year's competition.  Peterson, I wish that you had fled Brazil for Greensboro, rather than Gotzis.    

I'm Saddened, But Not Surprised

It's no shock to me that the judges. producers, or whoever is responsible for selecting wild card acts, would rely more on their own non-American, globalist, left coast inspired liberal leanings than on objective enjoyment/entertainment evaluation and consideration of their American audience's input.  In cramming Front Pictures down our throats for the second time this season, the show's powers who be have opted to make AGT more of Anywhere's Got Talent than America's Got Talent.   I'm sure that each and every one of them are among the idiotic ignorami/ ignoramous idiots  screaming "Russian collusion!" in regards to President Trump.     Now, they collude to give us another Russian act.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.. I know that they're from Kyiv (or Kiev, as we in the English speaking world spell it) and that Ukraine is an independent sovereign state.  I also know that Ukraine was part of the USSR for half a century and remains under a Russian sphere of influence.  Sure, they make a big show of their confrontational condition relative to Russia over Crimea, but still... Putin puppets?  Realistically Russian spies?  As Ukraine is pretty much the poorest nation in Europe, I have to ask, where do these guys obtain the resources to put on their show, which relies more on engineering expertise than on artistic aesthetics?  But I suppose that that is talent, too.  All I'll say is, with all of their high tech whiz bangery, they come not close to the relatively low tech, eloquently simplistic story telling of the Silhouettes.  God bless them and America, second place finalist Silhouettes is from Denver.

With or without the American audience's votes, I can easily envision a Final Five completely comprised of foreigners, with one of them becoming the third foreign act to win the competition, which was designed to be, in the words of early show host, Jerry Springer, an avenue for "the best new talent in America".


Golden Buzzer recipients English Courtney Hadwin and Austrian Zurcaroh, along with Golden Buzzer deserving Dutch Glennis Grace are all serious contenders for sufficient fan votes to advance.

Among Front Pictures, and hip hop, shit show dance troupes Da Republik from the Dominican Republic and Philippino Junior New System, any two could be put through on the basis of being the best bull squeeze and balderdash sob story of pain and poverty.


As for my preferred pick as the semifinals Wild Card act, I had touted American French Accent, "obviously" from Wyoming, as the only act in AGT  history to have judges take back their X's to vote yes and advance him to the next round.  Of course, he's not shown up in the Judge Cuts or since.


I have since discovered that former judge Howard Stern did it at least twice, once declaratively and demonstrably and once just demonstratively.
 

And don't you just know that the one Canadian, one German and two British judges just hate having Old Glory, The Stars and Stripes superimposed behind their picture above?  Even American hostess Tyra Banks probably does, too.

I am SO Stoked for the Semi's & the Top Ten

In this week's last quarterfinals show, just before the judges wrongly sent Aaron Crow to the semifinals, we were shown ten of the acts we'll be seeing in next week's first semifinals show.  I say wrongly, firstly because Mel B shocked me by voting in complete contradiction to her usual demographically based political correctness.  Secondly, Howie shocked me by going against his great little speech about family being that about which the show is supposed to be.  And I was dismayed that the judges' decision flew in the face of the overwhelming Dunkin' Save vote in favor of The Future Kingz.  And I was disgusted that another interloping foreigner is still in contention.  I am no fan of hip hop.  I am no fan of male dancers or all male dance troupes.  And as a past English grammar teacher, I am no fan of anyone who pluralizes nouns by adding the letter 'z'.  But at least Future Kingz are Americans.  And as Jerry Springer always said in the early years of the show when he was hosting,  AGT is supposed to be for finding "the best new talent in America".   There's been a lot of on-line criticism, including from me, concerning so many acts already being professional performers.  I have backed off my stringent stance on that point, as long as the act isn't already an American household name, who is widely known and wildly successful.  Examples would be Glennis Grace, Shim Lin, Us the Duo, Mochi and Zurcaroh.  But I would exempt Glennis, Mochi and Zurcaroh, as they are not American.  Call me a nationalist or a jingoist.  I don't care.  

So let's look ahead to next week's acts and my preferences and predictions.  The first consideration is who will be filling the eleventh spot.  Will it be Aaron Crow or the Wild Card?  If it is Aaron Crow

, I prefer him  NOT.  Though he does offer variety to the show, I can't cast a single vote for him, for the above stated reasons.  I am quite sure that the fans won't vote for him either.  

 If the eleventh act is the Wild Card, which I would think that it wouldn't be, as that would be damned short notice for a performer to prepare.   There has been much on-line fan talk of whom should be brought back.  I just hope that whomever is responsible for choosing shows better taste than they did with the stupid spitters and the morbidly obese belly bumpers.  

 

Names that I've seen often mentioned include The Sacred Riana, Mochi, Flau Jae and Savitsky Cats. 

 

 

Any of the four would offer variety among all of the singers, which a lot of fans are lamenting that there are just too many.  Indonesian Riana is just too creepy to be enjoyably entertaining.  I am a long time Cat Fancier and a lifelong admirer of attractive women and thoroughly enjoyed both short performances of Russian Savitsky Cats.  But I cannot imagine a clowder of cats performing for an hour or more, which would be required for a Las Vegas headline act.   Flau Jae, Golden Buzzerred for reasons of political correctness more than for performance content, is, at least American.  But, I'm sorry, rap is crap and a faux art form for those without the talent to make real music.  As I've written before, she IS a profound poetess and should use her talent in that true art form among the seven fine arts to publish her poems and present them in proper poetry readings.   Of those four, I found Japanese Mochi to be the most endearing and entertaining, but I don't think that he could hold my attention for the length of a featured show.  

I am already seeing a fan following for bringing back Future Kingz and  fake German Australian Hans, though much of the talk about Hans is for him to replace Tyra as host(ess?).  to both, I'd say. "Yo, nahh, sho 'nuff!"  and "NEIN!"   And I think more would join me than wouldn't. 

Hans would probably be more entertaining than Tyra, but he would also be waaaaay too ego maniacal.  And I DO appreciate and admire Tyra, as the only American among the five cast members and for her Golden Buzzer selections.  Future Kingz are just not my taste in entertainment and I don't think that they will garner the votes to move to the Top 10.  For my preferences in performance arts, Hans is just too...campy, shall I say, rather than flamingly flamboyant, much like Prince Poppycock from a few years back.    I would not cast a single vote for any of the six mentioned above. And from their receipt of votes, or lack thereof, I don't think that any of them would be chosen by the voting fans to be in the Top 10 finals show.  Who would I like as the semi finals wild card act? 

 Though it's happened more than once on Britain's Got Talent, I think

that in the show's history, the "freaking hilarious" Francois Raphael Edgar Norbert Celestine Herbert Absalom Correntine Clement Emmanuel Nathaniel Tellus IV is the first AGT act to have two judges take back their X's, giving him three 'yes' votes.  But he never showed up in judge cuts, which is more of a sob story than all of those put forth by so many acts, because he is original, unique, funny and not a singer.  And he's from Wyoming, "obviously".  And he's a better accordionist than Hans.

In looking at the ten acts we were told near the end of this weeks's episode who will be performing in the first semifinals shows, here's my picks of preferences and predictions in alphabetical order.

 Like Flau Jae, Amanda Mena was Golden Buzzerred more for political correctness than for performance content and for her sob story than for talent.  I shan't cast a single vote for her, but I imagine that a lot of people will, probably enough to make her one of the five to advance.

 Though guest judge Dr. Ken said, "It's not America's Got Perfection.   It's America's Got Talent."  That's true enough, I suppose, but in an aerial acrobatic act like Duo Transcend, the husband can't drop his wife from twenty feet up.  Not even once.  They'll get no votes from me and not enough from others to advance. 

 Junior New System is without doubt my least favorite act this week.  I am sick to my stomach with their lying ass sob story.  If we, as voting fans had the option to vote 'no, omg no, bloody 'ell no', they'd get that vote from me.  I shan't cast them a vote and I'm thinking that enough Americans will agree with me that they'll be sent home to The Philippines, where they can enter Pilippina's Got Talent or reenter Asia's Got Talent to see if they can improve upon their Golden Buzzer and third place finish there last year.  

 After Golden Buzzering Makayla Phillips, Heidi Klum proclaimed, "I think I've found the winner!"  Maybe.  AGT fans do have a history of choosing solo singers, but there seems to be a bit of a backlash against that practice this year.  I enjoyed both of her performances, especially Warrior and was okay with her Golden Buzzer.  But I shall not be casting any votes her way and I don't think that enough others will to make her one of this show's five to join the top ten. 

 Michael Ketterer is an outstanding young man of whom his hometown of Knoxville, TN is rightfully proud, even though he doesn't live there anymore.  And he's only the third male vocalist in the history of the show whom I really liked, alongside Sal 'The Voice' Valentinetti and Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr.

Ketterer's Golden Buzzer patron, Sir Simon is so enamored with him, that, as the show's boss. he may insist that he be advanced whether he gets the votes or not.  On the other hand, Simon may not want Michael committed to an AGT contract, so that they can immediately produce KettererMusic together, apart from the show.  For me, voting for Michael is going to be  a conflict between my personal talent appreciation and my nationalistic pride.

 I always root for the comedians, because I know what a tough row to hoe stand up comedy is.  If he can keep making me smile, chuckle and guffaw, as he has in his earlier performances, I shall be casting all of the votes that I can for Samuel J. Comroe.  But comedy being the highly subjective art form that it is, I seriously doubt that enough other voting viewers will do so to send him to the finals.

 Shin Lim is a very likable young man and an amazing magician.  As I wrote in response to his mother and manager, if he continues to dazzle and delight, which I have no doubt that he will, he'll be receiving lots of votes from me, as I think that he will from others, advancing him to the finals.

 Us the Duo is perhaps the only act with a truly pure CHEER story.  If they'll select songs that are upbeat and uplifting, as they did for their audition and quarter finals performances, with Carissa beating her drum, they're a shoo-in for my votes, and I think (hope, at least) enough additional votes to advance.

 Guest judge Dr. Ken's Golden Buzzer choice, Voices of Hope Children's Choir gives me such hope for the future.  As Simon said of the other choir, there is something about properly and precisely performed choir music that just washes over you and makes you feel amazing.  VOH does that for me.  Their rotational out front solo singers and their overall choral harmonies are just magnificent, as their effects, costuming and choreography are all simplistically superb and elegant..  I love what Miss Sarah has accomplished with these kids.  But I don't know if there are enough others who see them as a legitimate show to get them into the top ten.

 Beyond Howie's resounding and repeated "WOW!"s, Mel B's echo of that sentiment, and Tyra needing to collect her breath and get some oxygen on her way to press the Golden Buzzer, there are not adjectives enough for me to describe Zurcaroh.  Astounding. astonishing and absolutely breathtaking come to mind.  Better than Cirque du Soleil.  Tyra said that their audition performance has gotten more views than any other in the history of AGT.   At least twenty of those were me.  And every time I've watched, I've been astounded and astonished all over again.  And I can say pretty much the same for their Adam and Eve performance.  This is the only dance act this year worth the electricity it takes to run a television or computer to watch.  For pure entertainment value, Zurcaroh is without doubt the most enjoyable and Vegas worthy act in the competition.   They are, also without doubt, going to be voted through to the final show, with or without my votes.  As much as I love love love this act, I loved them more when I mistakenly assumed that Peterson had fled Brazil and formed this troupe in LA, Houston, Miami or somewhere in the US, rather than in Gotzis, Austria.  It's going to be a dilemma for me to choose between my loves of fine art and great nation.  Maybe after they win, or at least come very very close, they can move to America and become a new, integral part of American Exceptionalism. Then my conflict between love of country and love of creativity would be resolved.  I'd love for such adroit artists to become legal, permanent residents or American citizens.  If they chose that option, I would ask that they leave their Brazilian and European democratic socialism behind.  This is a republican capitalistic country.    Whether they choose that route to be part of US, or decide to be true to the EU in gorgeous Gotzis, they are going to need very extended work visas.  Win or not, they will be in The Final Five, which will allow them to have received enough exposure and created enough excitement that they will be performing on the Vegas Strip, and in other posh casino/resorts, like Harrah's in Atlantic City and Cherokee, as well as touring the country, performing in front of full houses in exquisite, expansive and expensive rooms like Belk Theatre in The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center and DPAC, reaping the rich rewards of capitalism.  It's the same idealistic reason that so many people in general from around the world want to be in America that causes performing artists specifically from everywhere to want to be in
.