‘America’s Got Talent’ review: Justin Rhodes, Smoothini, Anna Clendening impress
After two episodes of “America’s Got Talent,” Tuesday had at least some expectations to be entertaining. We don’t expect to see Susan Boyle on this show, but we do at least want something that we can show to friends the next day. There have only been maybe one or two acts this season, and one of them was Dustin’s Dojo from the premiere.
With that, let’s go through some of the good stuff that we saw during the premiere … after all, there is no real reason to dwell on two guys trying to bring boy bands and failing miserably.
Kamikaze Fireflies – Just a whole lot of fun. We’re always a fan of these jugglers and circus-themed acts, mostly because they are a dying art and you cannot see this sort of thing anything else.
Hart Dance Team – You’ve seen more and more of these sort of visual acts on the show over the years, but we like them for the most part. We just wish at times that they weren’t praised for being that revolutionary.
Jodi Miller – A great audition for a comic, and she may have even gotten through on “Last Comic Standing,” which has the much more experienced comics on there most of the time. The only concern we have is that this entire audition was one bit that she’s probably done on the road for years, and she’ll have to bring something new here on out.
Bob Markworth – What a fun little target practice this was. This was a nice example of an older contestant really doing everything as great as someone thirty years younger. He also had a nice twist and humor to it that actually made it different than what we have seen before.
Anna Clendening – A very good singer, and her story about anxiety gives us some further insight all about how she has leveraged the internet to improve her craft and build confidence over the past several months. She’ll be around for a while.
Mudslinger the Pig – There was no reason for this to be anywhere near as good as it was, but we were entertained by the cuteness of a pig playing golf! It’s better than most of the other animal acts since Olate Dogs.
Aaron J. Field – Why in the world was this grown man on stage, singing in a baby costume? He was an awesome performer, but we’ll never take him seriously in that outfit.
Sons of Serendip – Beautiful. Plus, there isn’t a whole lot else out there quite like this in between the string musical and the folksy singing. It’s like a more classical, soulful Mumford & Sons.
Andry Moraru – A balancing act! In theory, this doesn’t really pop off the screen, but we have to admit that we still find it extremely entertaining to watch.
Smoothini – A great act. We love his character, and how his magic is organic and raw. This is the sort of act that would be great to see in a tiny theater, and we hope the show doesn’t pressure him to do “big” stuff all of the time in the live rounds.
Justin Rhodes – Why does this show always end with singers? Don’t they have enough of a natural advantage with viewers as it is? We realize that he probably has a good story as a guy who got into some trouble, and is looking for redemption. The lyrics of “Wake Me Up” could not be more appropriate.
What did you think about this episode, and is there any act that you especially enjoyed? Let us know below.