America's Got Talent - 2009 (09/14/2009) (W13N1)

THE FINALS, tonight. (Week 13, Night 1)

The Top 10 Acts: The Texas Tenors, Grandma Lee, Kevin Skinner, The Voices of Glory, The Fab Five, Recycled Percussion, Lawrence Beaman, Hairo Torres, Drew Stevyns, and Barbara Padilla. Here are their bios (from NBC's AGT site)

[Links on the act names, below, are to their video from the semi-finals shows. Click their names to be taken to NBC and see the videos.]

The show starts.

Montage of the top 10 acts, and some of what the judges said about them (good stuff).

Nick Cannon (host) comes out, explains a bit, tells us about the finals (Wednesday at 8PM, the results show. A number of stars, and Susan Boyle will perform, then), and introduces the judges (Piers Morgan, Sharon Osborne, and David Hasselhoff).

Piers: I don't think there's a clear favorite. This is the biggest talent show in the world. All I said to them is this, "You all have a one-in-ten shot at it."

Sharon: Just think about that million dollars. It can make me funnier, dance better, whatever.

David: When you're headlining in LV, that means that people are paying to see you, and you're there to MAKE money, not LOSE money.

The finalists all come on-stage, being introduced to the live audience.

Break

Voices of Glory
Song: Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All"
Beautiful! They are great. All judges standing.
Piers: I've waited the whole time with you three for it to click, and you to get it right. Then tonight, out comes your little Diva, then you boys come in. Tonight, you may well give your mom a check for a $1,000,000. It's that good.
Sharon: Perfectly in synch and you delivered.
David: You not only brought your mom out of a coma, you brought Piers out of a coma. Fantastic. Out of the park... You hit it out of the park.

Break

Hairo Torres
Sing: Taco's(?) "Puttin' on the Ritz" / Neyo's "Closer"
Nice. He emoted very well. As a solo in a Vegas act, it would work well.
Sharon: You took a really big risk, and you gave a very emotional performance. And I think you did the right thing. Very emotional and I loved your music choice.
David: I loved the way you started out, then you went into ... oh no... but if you do a Vegas act, you need to bring it back and tie it all together.
Piers: I love you as a person, but I've got to be honest, here. I don't think it worked. Once we saw you in a group with other performers, it was fun. Being alone on stage, though, I don't think it worked.

Break

Lawrence Beaman
Song: Barry White's "My First My Last My Everything"
Personally, I think he's got technique, but he's not as emotional as other acts. Good, but...
David: And now you're leaving us a star. Whether you win or not, you will be playing all over the world.
Piers: That is why I wanted you to sing Barry White. Having said that, it's not quite there, yet. When you went toward the women, Barry would have scooped them up. You looked a bit like a deer in the headlights. We need a bit more love.
Sharon: How did you feel? I thought it was very comfortable - probably the most comfortable I've seen you on stage - very relaxed, very comfortable performance that you gave up there.

Break

Barbara Padilla
Song: "O Mio Vino Caro" from IL CRITTICO
Beautiful. She IS a star. Judges and audience standing ovation.
Piers: Millions of Armeican's are looking at you and thinking she's one of us.
Sharon: You look like a billion dollars, and sound like three billion dollars. How far you've come in such a short time. And just think what you will be like a year from now, even better.
David: Like looking at Audrey Hepburn, you're so beautiful. Forget Vegas. You have bigger stages to play.

Break

Fab Five
(stepping out of their comfort-zone for the finals, doing moves they haven't done since they were kids)
Song: Britney Spears' "Circus"
Some in audience standing ovation.
Sharon: I tell you ladies, that was beautifully choreographered. The whole stage... You ladies belong in Vegas. It's going to be so hard on the voter.
David: Do you girls ever stop smiling. But you know what? I can't stop smiling when I watch you.
Piers: What is extraordinary, is you've been dancing with each other for over 20 years, and you're still friends. I think what we're seeing is an act that's put more hours into practicing than any other act, tonight.

Break

The Texas Tenors
Song: "My Way"
Wow. That was fantastic. Standing O by everyone.
David: Man you guys got a lotta guts, coming out and doing a Frank Sinatra song. And I LOVED it. You coulda gone any way, cheesy, like you've done before. You could have gone country, but you did it YOUR way.
Piers: What do you mean cheesy? That was the most cheesy thing I've seen. I could feel the mozerlla seeping off the stage. I was walking down Malibu and started singing Unchained Melody, and it was YOUR version. Here's the thing, you're cheesy at times. Las Vegas is cheesy at times. You guys have become my guilty pleasure.
Sharon: Tonight it was triple cheese. You've vocals were right on, your harmonies were right on, and as I said before, I love cheese, and I love you guys.

Break

Drew Stevyns
The dark horse. He came back as a Wild-Card.
Song: The Pretenders' "I'll Stand By You"
Great. That was fantastic. I think he has a very "Rob Thomas" voice.
Piers: Watching that I just felt very proud of the show tonight. All the acts are performing out of their skins. Every time I see you, I'm very embarrassed that we left you out of the top 40.
Sharon: If I was a manager and looking for a great rock singer, I would pick you. You check all the boxes, you're good-looking, you have a great voice, and ... your trousers could be tighter, though. LOL You are a dark horse. This is going to be very interesting.
David: Great job, man. Your best performance of the whole season, you have a great chance to win this whole thing. Great job.

Break

Grandma Lee
Carried out on a sedan, appearing pregnant. "Cut the Crap" (cuts the music). Says, "Well discuss this (her belly) later, Mr. Morgan."
Standing O.
Sharon: Your material tonight, the Ryan Seacrest joke, just got me. It's gonna be so hard to choose.
David: It's so hard to choose. Every time you come on here, you're funnier and funnier.
Piers: You shameless little hussy. First of all you cheat on me with The Hoff, then with Simon. I want a paternity test, 'cause if you win the million dollars, I want my slice of the pie.

Break

Kevin Skinner
Song: Aerosmith's "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing"
Piers stands, then the other judges. Good version. He's got a kind-of-a very early Randy Travis-type voice. VERY country.
David: You've been one of my favorites all along, because you ARE what this show is about.
Piers: Not perfect, you hit a few flat notes, but you are a rough diamond, You're unpolished. This time last year, you were catching chickens. What would be a better way, America coming out of this recession, but with YOU winning this competition.
Sharon: You DON'T have a the best voice, but neither did Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, and (missed it), but they are all unique. YOU are unique. You don't NEED that "great voice". Wonderful.

Break

Recycled Percussion
Song: "Wipe Out"
They start on stage, then run to the top of a piece, and drum, then get into the piece, thunder sounds, two on top are playing (on guitar), and two inside in "rain". Water bouncing off the drums...
Cool. VERY Vegas. That was GREAT!
Piers: That was an absolutely brilliant way to end this show. I would put you in Vegas tomorrow.
Sharon: I have to hand it to you, you are all so creative. You belong in Vegas.
David: You guys are insane. You make me want to beat on things, and now I wanna take a shower, and put drums in the shower.

OH MAN! HELL of a choice. EVERY ONE of these acts are great in their own way. This is getting harder and harder each year.

Wife: Five on The Three Tenors, and Five on Recycled Percussion
Me: Five on The Three Tenors and Five on Recycled Percussion

I've said it before, and will again here, and again, next year, I'm sure. Every one of these people need to be doing their acts on stage somewhere, making their living doing it. That goes for many of those that DIDN'T make it THIS far, too.

That's it for tonight. See you Wednesday for the Results show.

Full-Length Video from tonight's show

Full Season Four episodes
Newest videos (where tonight's acts' will appear, and the start of the video library for AGT)
Top-rated videos (watched most often, I'm sure)
If you're interested only in knowing what the music done on the show was, it's here.