Tuesday. June 10th. Los Angeles, CA. A theatre. A group of shirtless men with music notes and a frozen stick. This was the magic formula that led to something that once seemed impossible. Simon Cowell, standing with his nipples exposed, getting a frozen stick applied to his right nipple. Welcome, to AGT Season 20 Auditions 3.
As we limped into our third week of auditions on AGT Season 20, expectations were low. Auditions 1 and 2 left a mountain to be desired. It caused me to ask something last week that I never wanted to ask. “Has ‘AGT’ jumped the shark?” Well, it appears that the producers may have read that article because they brought out all the stops for the first performance. A tremendous aerialist performance from Duo Turkeev.
These two were tremendous. There was water, there was fast spinning, there was intensity and there was a level of resolution from the camera that took about five years too long for this show to finally have. As Season 20 began, we heard all types of chatter about a season that was going to be more focused on behind the scenes. More focused on production value and making the show in a more modern way. It took a couple episodes, but they delivered. This performance and a few camera shots that, frankly, took my breath away. For years on the AGT Time Podcast, I’ve talked about certain acts that suffer because you really need to be in the theatre to fully appreciate it. You can only get so much from the television copy. This performance solved that problem. I felt like I was in the room. I felt like I was on the stage. THAT is how you produce a performance. What a start.
For the first time this season we had started with a bang. For some reason it seems like the producers of this show think the best way to open the broadcast is with something silly or red x’s. That’s not what the people want. They want talent. And so we were off and running. What we saw next, you wouldn’t believe your eyes. Simon Cowell on stage with his shirt pulled up and someone he had never met before putting a dry ice frozen stick on his nipple. Felt like a fever dream. It made me ask myself: do we think Simon has ever done something like this in his life? I think he has. You can’t tell me Simon never found himself in Liverpool at some underground party in the 80s and partook in something like this. This was a regular Tuesday night for Simon back in the day.
Golden Buzzer number four was up next. Miss Melanie Brown pressed her second and final AUDITIONS Golden Buzzer for singer Charity Lockhart. Mel still has one more Golden Buzzer available in the live shows. Which is crazy. Three Golden Buzzers per judge is insanity.
Charity got the classic Simon treatment during her first song choice. As she serenaded us with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” sans accompaniment, Simon did what he does. He raised his hand. He waved it a little. This image could stop a locomotive in its tracks.
Simon wasn’t feeling. Frankly, neither was I. It felt small. It felt too stripped down. She clearly can sing and I wanted her to let it fly. She got her chance with her second song, and she made the most of it. As she belted out “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight” by Jennifer Hudson, she won the crowd over. Most importantly for Charity, she won Mel B over. Mel smashed that Golden Buzzer and off to the live shows Charity Lockhart went.
The next 90 or so minutes were a little less exciting. So, we are going to bring back our brand new segment from Auditions 1 recap to wrap things up.
Rapid Fire Grab Bag Brain Dump
We got something that I thought was a certainty this season: someone sang “Pink Pony Club”. It came from our Benson Boone cosplayer:
If it weren’t for the background on the first picture, you can’t honestly tell me you know which one was Benson Boone and which one wasn’t. Oh, also Benjamin was a member of In the Stairwell on Season 12:
I’m out on non-living acts. We had some Boston Dynamics robots dance for us and I just do not think it belongs on this show.
Best part of the act was the lady above said that she had some four legged friends backstage and Mel B guessed birds. Never change Mel. You are one of a kind.
We had a magician that unfortunately came on the show after Shin Lim and I just cannot enjoy him. Shin Lim did to my view of magic on this show what that burger from the place with the little green door and red burger sign did to Marshall on ‘How I Met Your Mother”.
I’ll say this. Auditions 3 was the best of the season so far. That counts for something. I will leave you with my Auditions 3 Power Rankings:
1. Duo Turkeev
2. Charity Lockhart
3. Urban Theory
4. Leo Choir
5. Benjamin Hightower
6. Cyril
7. Osaka Philharmonic
8. Maceo Harrison
9. Boston Dynamics
And my updated Top 10:
1. TT Boys
2. Jacqueline & Wagner
3. The Messoudi Brothers
4. Duo Turkeev
5. Jourdan Blue
6. Team Recycled
7. Charity Lockhart
8. Cole Swensen
9. Urban Theory
10. CitiLimitz
Yikes. It’s been a bad season. Until next week, my friends.
