A second night of auditions in Texas yielded a refreshingly diverse cast of Vegas-bound hopefuls. I can't help but contemplate the power of the editing process when comparing last night's Austin auditions to tonight's. Gone were all of the traditionally Texan trappings and the America's Got Talent stage was instead dominated by an eclectic assortment of impressive acts.
But first, the Montage of Horror, because there wasn't nearly enough fodder for the cannon last night and my life was profoundly empty as a result. Let's see, there was that guy in zebra pink hotpants and an unfortunately out of tune R&B group. We saw the lockjaw-afflicted Doppelganger Circus Sideshow whose name was more awesome than that actual act. And of course, we must mention Richard Grossman, the woefully off-tempo opera singer who didn't appreciate Howard Stern's "rudeness." I was bracing myself for a phenomenal war of words between the two, but ended up sadly disappointed when the judges hurried through their votes and shooed Grossman from the stage.
Of course, ultimately, all of the aforementioned unfortunates were ultimately overshadowed by their more amazing counterparts:
The Aurora Light Painters told a love story with their electric paintbrushes, impressing all three of our judges with their creative performance that incorporated art, music, and a touch of dance.
Howie and Howard argued over the fate of the mellow musical duo Eric and Olivia. Their lounge-y cover of "Moves Like Jagger" was admittedly awesome, but Howie didn't believe that it had the potential to be a million dollar Las Vegas act. Admittedly, I saw his point, but to be fair, I think a lot of acts have been advanced that aren't really Vegas material. As in, pretty much all of the musicians who have made it through. I like them and I'm rooting for them, but when I think Vegas, I just don't think of quiet little solo musicians plunking away behind pianos or strumming guitars.
But am I upset that Eric and Olivia (or any of the other less-bombastic musical acts for that matter) made it through? Not at all. Talent is talent and it should be shared. I'm just saying I saw Howie Mandel's point when he voted "no."
Mind-reader Eric Diddleman astounded the audience and judges alike with his incredible ability to describe what each judge doodled on a piece of paper, despite being blindfolded the entire time. The only judge that I would argue was a given was Howard Stern. Howard drew a picture of himself because, well, of course he did.
Summer Lacey had me cringing through her entire aerial dance, but not because it wasn't amazing, but because she did it with chains instead of the soft, flowing linens we're used to seeing. I mean, OW. How is she not covered in bruises?
And finally, rounding up the Austin auditions, and carrying on AGT's tradition of saving the best for last, Andrew De Leon graced the stage in full goth glory only to break into beautiful operatic song. Self-taught, he admitted that his America's Got Talent audition was the first time he had ever sung in front of people. Even his parents, tucked away in the audience, were unaware of his vocal talent. That's a lot of impressive in one package.
Who was your favorite act?
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