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We’re finally down to the top twenty here on America’s Got Talent, and we still have five more acts that we need to see leave before we can get started. After that we’ll see ten acts followed by the remaining twenty tomorrow night. I can’t remember back to last Wednesday. I can only remember little Kaitlyn Mayer.

Piers Morgan congratulates Jerry Springer on becoming a grandfather over the weekend. He then talks about how high the emotions were running between the judges last week, saying they all have a vested interest in acts, and sometimes it’s not the same between the judges. Sharon Osbourne says to stand out now, it’s not enough to dance or sing well anymore. You also have to have charisma. David Hasselhoff says the title is Best New Act In America, and who can sustain in Vegas and who can bring it, we’ll find out tonight.

The ten acts from last Wednesday take the stage, and suddenly I’m remembering again. Nothing But Strings and Indiggo step forward. There’s no contest here. Nothing But Strings move on. Flambeaux and Kaitlyn Mayer step up. No contest again. Kaitlyn moves on, and Flambeaux proves to not just be scary as he gives her a little kiss. Again, no contest as Dorae Saunders and Eli Mattson step up. Eli moves on. Between Donald Braswell and Dallas Desperado Dancers, it’s still no contest. It’s Donald. The final spot will be between Bryan Cheatham and Tapping Dads. Finally, a contest.

Piers calls it tricky, between the Cruise Ship Crooner and Fred Astaire’s Worst Nightmare. He goes with the Cruise Ship Crooner. Sharon says without a shadow of a doubt, it has to be the Dads. That leaves it up to David who doesn’t look happy to be in this position. He tells the Tapping Dads that they’re not the best dancers in the world, but they’re dancing for their daughters, they have heart, he finds them wildly entertaining, and he thinks they can sustain in Vegas. Bryan has a major career ahead of him and has come a long way since Chippendales. He thinks he could headline in Vegas, but he has a ways to go, as the Dads do. His decision is to send the Tapping Dads through. I’m a little surprised with that one.

Cadence is up first, and they know who they have to impress is Sharon, as she’s been their toughest critic. They know she’s right that they have to get that animal instinct. David is surprised they were voted back, as he doesn’t think they’ve proved themselves yet. They’ve been rehearsaing morning, noon, and night, and perform a song they’ve never done before. They definitely come out with the animal instict Shaorn was looking for, performing to You Really Got Me. My son the percussionist calls them “beastly.”

Piers tells Cadence when they first came to audition, it was very raw, and they were told they needed music. They’ve now done that and brought it up a level. Then Sharon asked for more animal-like, and tonight they got that. They listen to what they are told, when many don’t. For the first time, he saw an act that could play in Vegas. Sharon tells them they’ve come a long way and taken a lot o schtick from her, but “mother was right.” She knows they’ll come back next week, and she wants to see even more attitude. David has been their biggest critic, although they thought it was Shaorn, but tonight, he admits they proved him wrong.

The woman that brought down the house last time she took the stage, Queen Emily, takes the stage. She says she felt like a little girl when she found out she was in the top 20. She was in the kitchen cooking a few weeks ago, and now she’s living her dream. She’s now finally dreaming big, because her whole life has changed. She just can’t give up. She sings Hero, which she says she’s always wanted to sing. That big voice of hers plays the song perfect, starting small, then crescendoing just when she needs it.

Piers asks how she’s feeling, and she says relaly good right now. He didn’t think she could carry that song, yet when she sings it’s like a rocket when you exit the earth’s atmosphere. When she wails, she wails. Sharon enjoyed the way Emily paced the song and can’t wait for the final to hear her actually do a whle song. David loves this dream and is glad they’re on this ride with her, as he knows she’s going straight to the top.

The Wright Kids say the stage was really big, as they’re used to a really small crowd. When they were told they were going through, it was like, “Woah.” They know their parents were proud of them. They’re usually doing bluegrass, but switched to pop last time. They’re doing something different again, and wonder if they can make it to Vegas. They’re singing Rockin’ Robin, just for a little wholesome entertainment. The older boy has a pretty good voice that I don’t think was showcased as well before. They’re just so … wholesome.

Piers tells the older brother his singing is miles better than last week, tells the girl she smiled more than before, as she usually looks miserable, and to the younger boy, he says that spinning that great big cello, it was fantastic. Sharon has to tell them he did think the same as Piers, that while they were great kids, it was as far as they can take it. They had great cofnidence and owned the stage. She also likes the attitude they’re starting to get. David totally agrees with the first judges. The Wrights came out and took the stage like a pro, which he says can’t be taught. He knows they can headline Vegas and knows they’ll get voted back.

The James Gang mention that their last perfromance went wrong a few different ways. They were so close to going home, but Sharon sent them through over Elite. The fact that the judges chose them, it makes it a lot of pressure, and now they’ll go back to their roots instad of putting too much in. They perform to Hit the Road Jack, and bring in some actors, making it seem like a Broadway number. Piers gives them marks for making it simpler, but tells them he thought the vocals were off tonight. Sharon tells them they have so much class, are so smooth, and have such great musical theater, but they seem to have gone backwards instead of forwards. David calls her right, saying they have an amazing talent, bringing back swing with hip hop, but they have to bring it and be tighter.

Daniel Jens of the U.S. Army claims if someone would have told him when he was over in Iraq he would be in the top 20 of America’s Got Talent, he would have fell over laughing. The Army has now asked him to reenlist, and while he enjoys all that, he’s pursuing his dream. Tonight he sings without his guitar for the first time, and walks down a staircase as he goes through I’m Already There. He misses something not having his guitar with him. Piers obviously agrees as he Xes him.

Piers tells Daniel he’s liked him from the start and there’s no nobler cause than serving your country, but he doesn’t want to patronize him, and compared to the others, he doesn’t think he’s in their league. Faced with a choice of serving his country or singining, he should serve his country. Y’know, just to make that decision a little tougher for him. Sharon warns him not to get her started. She mentions how the guitar could have been a shield. He’s not the best singer, but she likes him. She argues with Piers, then tells Daniel he’s served his time. David tells him there’s something to be said about heart, and if you can sing from the heart, you affect people in a positive way emotionally, and Daniel does that to him. It’s talent.

I don’t think there’s a way the Zooperstars will go through. The duck mentions falling off the stage last time and thinking they were going home after that. I honestly thought that was a bit. He’s been focused, not wanting to do that again. Then they show a clip of him out in the parking lot running into a car. Tonight they’re performing to I Can’t Get Next to You, and Piers buzzes them a few seconds into it. Interestingly enough they have some new costumes on. Tonight they’re a monkey, ostrich, duck, and … I’m not sure what it is. Then the old man character falls from the sky, the walrus and whale join in as the song changes to Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now). In the end, the duck walks a plank, falls down on purpose, then the old guy character comes wobbling down the stairs bandaged up.

Piers doesn’t know what the Zooperstars are still doing there, but knows Sharon and David thinks they’re talented. He wants America to really look into their souls to see if they want the winner of this show to be a bunch of completely juvenile cretins. Sharon isn’t sure whether to call them gentlemen or ladies, and says they were funny in the beginning, but no longer. She’d like a great big needle to burst them. The walrus and duck show her their asses, and she replies hers is bigger. David know the kids really love them, but tonight they were all over the place, and he thinks they’ve finally reached the end of the road.

Neal E. Boyd is up next and says that his first perfromance was amazing, but the only thing missing was his mom as they couldn’t afford the plane ticket. His  town bought a plane ticket for his mother so she could see him perfrom tonight. He’s singing a song about how special mothers are as his chance to say thank you to her. This is the humility that Michael Strelo-Smith was missing last week as he sings Mama. This is … masterful. There’s just nothing more to say about it.

Piers asks where Neal’s mother is, then says he wants to talk to her, as he gets the feelig she’s massively important to him and his career. She tells her they’ve been blown away by him, even though he was raw in the beginning. He figures she’s made some sacrifices for him, yet when she watches him tonight sing that well, he’s got a brilliant chance at winning the show. Sharon tells Neal he looks handsome tonight, looking and sounding like a superstar. She loved the song choice. David jotted a note down before this, questioning if he sustain enough as an oepra singer in Vegas, but when he came out and sang tonight, David scratched it all off. He’s proud Neal’s mother is here as well as his own to hear his talent. Neal blew him away.

Jessica Rice talks about being really nervous for her first performanc, although now she feels a confidence rising in her. She knows she can do it, and David thinks we’re seeing the emergence of a star as she grows in confidence. To prove that, she goes with a more challenging song this week, singing Bubbly. Sharon Xes her before she even starts, and I have no idea where that is coming from. Jessica sings with a confidence that has never been seen by her. Somewhere along the way Sharon’s X clears, but that gives Piers reason to X her himself. And honestly, having her follow Neal just wasn’t fair.

Piers tells her he buzzed her because he thought the performance was a bit cheesy like a toothpaste commercial, although he recognized her new confidence. Sharon liked the song choice, a real sweet, sassy song, yet she thought it could have had more sassiness. She still has a long way to go with the confidence, like “taking off your clothes and just go for it.” Is that how Sharon gets her confidence? David agrees with Piers, yet says he can’t take his eyes off her. He wants to see her “story” through her singing.

The clog dancing Extreme Dance FX call making it this far an amazing feeling, yet now they feel that pressure every week. Normally many of them are worried about the first day of school, but now they’re worried about that along with this. They, too, are taking a huge risk, saying clogging has never been done like this before. They start out jumping rope and sliding down stairs to Let’s Get It Started. The performance had to have been hard with such a fast song.

Piers talks to the leader of the group, saying it’s all about her, as she’s mesmerizing, and that’s what every dance group needs, a good leader. It’s beginning to work, as they’re coming with her. Sharon truly believes she can take them to Vegas, calling them a sexier contemporary version of Riverdance. David agrees with Piers, but says it’s all so cute. It needs an edge and she wants to hear their feet hit the floor.

Last year’s winner, Terry Faher, comes out and talks to Jery, alone. Jerry tells him he knew once he hit the big time, he’d abandon the dummy. For now, he just likes that he can see his lips move finally. Terry will be appearing in Vegas at the MGM Grand, but tomorrow night he’ll be right here on this stage performing. Hopefully he’ll perform after all the others to not take away from their performances, although I don’t think he could against Neal or Queen Emily.

Frank Sinatra impressionist Paul Salos says when he saw Piers give him a standing ovation, he knew he did his job. With his wife there in the audience as well, he’s not on cloud nine, he’s in outer space. He’s doing a song about flying tonight, meaningful to him as a mission pilot for nearly forty years; this wil bring his two worlds together. He’s of course singing Come Fly With Me, and does amazing as always, but there’ssomething about the ribbon on his hat that bugs me.

Piers levels with Paul, telling him while it’s a crucial time in the competition, he thinks this is a weaker perfomrance that he’s used to by him, and Paul admits he couldn’t hear the music through the monitor. Sharon points out it was a light-hearted song anyway, but she still prefers him doing the Sinatra with just the grand piano. David agrees the chemistry wasn’t the same as it has been, but the voice is still there, and so is he, doing a great job.

When I look at the five I think should go through, we have to put Neal at the top of the list, followed by Queen Emily. Cadence, The Wright Kids, The James Gang, Extreme Dance FX, and Paul Salos have a shot as well, but two of that last five won’t make it. I’m not sure how it will fall, but there’s no way The Zooperstars, Jessica Rice, or Daniel Jens are going to make it. With the last two, they definitely don’t compare up to Neal and Queen Emily. And they really don’t compare up well to to the other singers either.

Photos Courtesy of nbc.com.

For more information on America’s Got Talent, see SirLinksalot: America’s Got Talent.

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