TVSquad

(S03E09) "The search for the best new act in America continues." - Jerry

As Jerry said, the competition ain't over yet! (We will actually be watching the show until October!) After taking a short break for a little event called the Olympics, America's Got Talent is back with a two-hour long episode and it's now time for us to vote for Neal E. Boyd your favorite act!

Episode 3.09 is the first of four Top 40 episodes, each lasting two hours. Ten acts perform live each episode. The five acts per episode that received the most votes will move on to the Top 20. Let's review the acts that were shown in the first episode of the week and make our predictions as to which one should move on.

Extreme Dance FX - It showed in their performance that they are taking this competition seriously and truly want to win. Their costumes were hip, the stage set up was interesting, the choreography was fun and energetic. Sadly, the music and the screaming from the crowd made it rather difficult to hear the actual clogging. Nonetheless, they offered an entertaining performance and should move on to the next round.

The James Gang - The performance they offered was not that impressive. I don't know if it's because the novelty wore off during the show's hiatus, but I actually found their act boring and couldn't wait for the commercial break to arrive. Don't get me wrong, The James Gang is unique and could offer a diversified show that could do well on the Vegas Strip, but from the performance we saw this week, they shouldn't move on. Let's face it, Piers was right when he said that they tried too hard and that it got messy in the end.

Derrick Barry - If you've been reading my reviews, you know that Derrick is not one of my favorites. This week's act confirmed to me that he is a joke. At the very beginning of the act, I was impressed with the settings with the screen and seeing him in the school's hallway. I actually thought that Derrick may prove me wrong. He didn't. He proved me right with a poorly executed dance routine. Also, if he wants to impersonate Britney and be believable, shouldn't he try to imitate her look and dance moves perfectly (especially since he doesn't sing)? Then why no ponytails? And if I recall, Britney back then was sharp dancer. Derrick failed on both counts. If he moves on, it's clearly because people are curious as to what he'll do next and not because they think he deserves it.

Elite - Even if I don't think she'll win the competition, I must admit that her act was entertaining. This is definitely a competitor who is taking the show seriously and tries to improve every week. The self-defense choreography was fun to watch and well-performed. I wouldn't be surprised if she becomes a stunt woman when she grows up. Since five acts must move on, she's one of my choices.

Ronny B - Come. On. Ronny is just there for the "what were the judges thinking" factor. As The Hoff said, Ronny has no voice, no dance abilities and no talent. Yes, I was mildly amused while watching him channel his inner Ricky Martin but if I were a judge, he would have never gotten that far in the game. He gave a poorly executed performance. Even if the judges gave him comments that were not that bad, they didn't say he had talent. Let's hope that he doesn't move on.

The Cadence - Yes, they listened to the judges and added music. However, I'm not sure it was the right move. The drumming seemed lost amidst the song. Maybe it was because the microphones were not properly placed? At some point, it was even difficult to hear what they were playing. I agree with Piers when he said that the ending with the water on the drums was impressive. The first part was not tight enough and sometimes, especially when playing on the big white garbage-bin-like drums, they seemed out of sync. Personally, I want them to move on since they offer an interesting product and take the competition seriously. If they want to move on further, they'll need to impress the viewers. How about switching (part of) drums for everyday-life accessories?

Jessica Price - I don't think she is ready to move on further on the show. She does have a nice voice. But, let's face it, all her performances start shaky because she lacks confidence. If she wants to make it in the business, her performances must be strong from the start. I don't know which performance The Hoff was watching but he was totally wrong when he told Jessica that she wasn't nervous at all! The guitar playing and her voice were a little off until the chorus, which is where she clearly got a boost of confidence. She could have a music career but she needs more seasoning before she can make it big. I won't be surprised if she moves on to the Top 20. However, she's not in my choices.

Shimshi - I was really looking forward to his act because we saw practically nothing from him until now. The judges were right when they told Shimshi that his card trick was too "small" for the Top 40. The act was entertaining and impressive but not semi-finals material. He should probably have done that trick at his audition and kept the "sawing a woman in three and moving around with the middle part" act for this week. His card trick may have been "boring" per Piers standards but Shimshi has what it takes to become a good magician. I hope he moves on to the next round.

The DC Cowboys - Boring. The dancers were not in sync, they were not enough energetic, and their moves were pretty basic, especially for guys who "train like athletes." Piers said it right, the DC Cowboys gave a performance that was way below the standard they need.

Neal E. Boyd - I've said it before, and I'll say it again, I hate it when the show tells us who to vote for. Okay, they didn't tell us "Vote for Neal" but having him perform last yet again is a clear indication they want him to move on to the finals. If they keep doing this, viewers may turn on Neal and other contestants may get angry because they never get to perform last. Neal did give a good performance this week but I was not impressed. I don't know if it's because I was not a happy camper because the show wants me to root for him, but I found his performance lacking in emotions and style in the first part. In the end, we could feel his stage presence, see the emotions through his eyes, and sense that he was "feeling" the song but it was too late for me. Even if I was unimpressed this week, I do think he deserves to move on.

The Russian Bar Trio act is being replaced by Donald Braswell. I'm not surprised he was voted through out of the eight acts the judges picked since he has a nice voice and a sad story which touched all our hearts.

Out of the ten acts of the night, here are my picks to move on to the Top 20:

• Extreme Dance FX
• Elite
• The Cadence
• Shimsi
• Neal E. Boyd