America's Got Talent (AGT) (2011) - 6th Season - 08/30/2011 - Semi-Finals #2

Links:
America's Got Talent at NBC
Full Episodes, Clips and Videos
Official America's Got Talent Facebook page

12 acts left. Only 5 spots in the Top 10 left.

The acts tonight
The Kinetic King
Fatally Unique
Landon Swank
Gymkana
Summerwind Skippers
Snap Boogie
Anna Graceman
Steven Retchless
Smage Bros Riding Show
Professor Splash
Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
Silhouettes

Opening Segment
Montage of tonight's acts
Nick comes in on a rope and hangs above the stage (Kinetic King's layout is all over the stage.)
Intro of Judges

NOTE: Each act runs a montage of prior acts, and a short history of them, with judge comments interspersed.

First up
The Kinetic King - a "dominoes" type thing with popsickle sticks, cans, etc.
Hoping for a personal and world record. If it works, he wants to hear "Woo Hoo"s throughout the audience and America.
Faster than before, but it worked!
Piers: Another spectacular performance. Not quite as spectacular as last time, but it was faster, and nice on the eyes. Great you're still here, and good luck.
Sharon: That was sensational. I disagree with Piers in that I loved it because it was faster. I loved all the things flying through the air. How do you think these things up?
Howie: A agree with Sharon, faster is better. The thing is, this was so explosive, but ... I got hit... There's stuff behind me. I love these Rube Goldberg type things.
KK: (Nick: Can you go any further?) To the floor, if I pass out completely!
And a victory Woo Hoo!

Commercials / Segment #2

Fatally Unique - Dance group
Seems they're trying to copy West Springfield Dance Team. Maybe not, but they are a smaller group than WSDT. That could help them in the long run. we'll see.
Sharon: You guys move with such speed and precision, it's really breath-taking to watch you perform. I think this is definitely the year of the mean dance.
Howie: As I said last week, on AGT, this is the year of the dance. You are amazing. I wonder if you are Fatally Unique enough.
Piers: The interesting thing about you guys in the intensity you bring. I look at this stage, and wonder who wants to win $1M? I think after that performance, you want it.
FU: We started out with a unique look. This is where we started from. This is what we want to do.

Commercials / Segment #3

Landon Swank - Magician
Going to play a real-life version of Russian Roulette
Sharon was nervous enough to accidentally hit the buzzer. It was off by the time the act ended.
Audience and judges - Standing Ovation.
Howie: Wow. Absolute Wow. So exciting so scary. My heart is pounding.
Piers: You went through the wild-card. You were very lucky to be here. It's brilliant magic. You have just come very close to getting into the top 10.
Sharon: The whole presentation was fantastic. From the video that looked a bit like a hologram. All our magicians have shown us their big tricks before the finals. You paced yourself.
[I thought it was a little slow, but...]


Commercials / Segment #4

Gymkana - Dance/Acrobatic team
Piers buzzed
Near the end, one guy kicked a fire hoop as he flipped through it, and it fell on him. He and a girl got burned a bit, but stood for the judges.
Piers: The reason I buzzed you, is the same thing as the last round. It gets competitive. I think when it goes as badly wrong as it just went, it's not been a good day at the office.
Nick: I think if you'd not have buzzed them, they wouldn't have been nervous and...
Sharon: You were like lemings tonight. You kept coming and coming. I was looking for the performance factor. I didn't see it. But you were tremendous.
Howie: I disagree with both of them. I take into consideration that ladder thing, you keep coming.
[It was all gymnasts jumping over and through things. Yes, it was dangerous, but nothing like the ladder thing they did, which was spectacular.]

Commercials / Segment #5

Summerwind Skippers - Jumprope team
Piers buzzed right at the end
Sharon: It's so great to see the progression you've made. You have turned into great performers. You've grown so quickly over the last few weeks.
Howie: I told you last time you were here, you won me over. You're edgy... I just wanted to take this moment to apologize. I don't believe you should have been buzzed. I don't think you should be buzzed at this level.
Piers: Unlike Howie, I believe the buzzer's there for a reason. We're judges in a million dollar competition. Tonight you made one, and a pretty bad one at the end. And I want to be consistent, and say if you make two mistakes I'm gonna buzz you. And it breaks my heart because you're one of my favorites

Commercials / Segment #6

Snap Boogie - Hip-hop Dancer
Starts off softly, then kicks into gear.
Howie: I think Snap did great. I was a little concerned at the beginning, but as soon as the music broke down you began to be yourself
Piers: Honestly, I didn't like it. You were one of the freshest, and then tonight, you started off slowly, then it got cheesy.
Sharon: I wasn't crazy about the dancers, but I'm here to judge you. You've got such likability. I wasn't crazy about the choreography of the girls, but that's not you.

Commercials / Segment #7

Anna Graysman - 11yo pianist/singer
Audience and judges standing ovation
Piers: When we get to this stage, I've been pretty tough... I'm looking for people who get better show after shwo. That performance is the best one of the night.
Sharon: I told Motley Crue to watch your performance tonight. How did you come up with that... Because Carrie Underwood did it? I agree with Piers, the best performance of the night.
Howie: I'm going to keep this short and sweet. One word to you: WOW.
Nick: Sharon said she told Motley Crue to watch. What do you think they'll be saying?
Anna: I hope they say "She rocked it out!" ;-)
(She did. She's in.)

Commercials / Segment #8

Steven Retchless - Male Pole Dancer
Piers buzzed
Sharon: That move where it looked like you were walking was amazing. When I heard you were bringing in a production, other dancers, I wondered. It was amazing to watch.
Piers: (You "X"ed steven out of jealousy?) I go based on one criteria? Could I watch this for an hour, and the answer is no.
Howie: I don't necessarily agree with Piers. But we've had a group here before and they're in Vegas. Now was this stronger than what Zuma Zuma did, or that group? I don't know.
[I thought he did a great job. Male pole dancing is usually more about strength. This guy has strength, agility, and grace.]

Commercials / Segment #9

Smage Bros Riding Show
Big Guns tonight. Parents and Grandmother. LOL
Standing O by everyone, including judges.
Piers: I thought that was incredible.
Howie: It was so exciting, I hope the excitement translates.
Sharon: This is a family affair. I love the fact that the whole family lives for what you do.
[I think they've proven that they can sustain a show.]

Commercials / Segment #10

Professor Splash
Diving from 75 feet into an 8' diving tank with the surface flaming. 8' of water. Not diving flat this time. Has a split second to perform his "scoop". Backflip, feet first.
Howie: I know that what you did is an amazing feat.
Piers: It's incredible. BUT, your unique selling point is landing in the very small amount of water. I do have to say you are incredible.
Sharon: You were speeding through the air... I literally blinked, and you were in the water.
[You have to realize... 75 feet in the air... A backflip to land feet first at 60mph in 8 feet of water. I know when I jumped off a 10' board feet first, I hit the bottom of a 10' pool pretty damn quickly. Now add 65 feet to that and shorten the depth of the water... GEEZE.]

Commercials / Segment #11

Landau Eugene Murphy Jr. - singer
Last performance was the first time his kids had seen him perform live.
"I've Got the World on a String"
[Amazing. This guy doesn't TRY to sound like Sinatra or Bennett but does!]
Standing ovation by Sharon & Howie and audience.
Sharon: It's just fantastic. It makes me feel so good when I see you perform. It's cooler than I don't know what... I just hope hope hope America votes tonight.
Howie: You deserve, with that performance, to be in the finals.
Piers: I love you as a guy. Love you as a contestent. I didn't think this was your best performance. Some of the low notes you missed, having said that, when you hit the big notes, I loved it.
Landau - Feels the pressure tremendously. America's gonna vote, Piers... They're gonna vote...

Commercials / Segment #12

Silhouettes - Dance behind the screen
Including youngest performer ever on AGT at 4yo.
"Create the World"
Howie: I think they did phenomenal. Just when you think how can they think of something else, they think of something else.
Piers: I thought it was very good, I didn't think it was great. Tonight's a very tough night. Great, but could have been a little better.
Sharon: Your act is endless because your act can go on and on... I do think tonight wasn't as good as the last two, but I do think you'll come back.
[It wasn't the same, but it showed versitility. I think they'd need something like this in Vegas, so... I thought it was great.]

That's it...

My votes... DAMN! Too many great acts! Only FIVE?
Ok... Ok... Anna Graceman, Steven Retchless, Smage Bros Riding Show, Landau Eugene Murphy Jr., Silhouettes
Though I wouldn't mind if any of the following should also go through: Kinetic King, Professor Splash, and Landon Swank

Cya tomorrow night! We'll see. ;-)