‘AGT’ Recap: Country Artist Earns Sofia Vergara’s Quarterfinals Golden Buzzer
Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC Reading Time: 4 minutes
America’s Got Talent premiered their first set of live quarter final episodes of the season. Sofia Vergara was the judge that was given the opportunity to hit the first quarterfinal Golden Buzzer. Here’s everything you may have missed on AGT tonight.
Sofia Vergara Hits Golden Buzzer for Country Singer
Tonight’s Golden Buzzer recipient was none other than Country Singer Steve Ray Ladson. Since auditioning for the show earlier this year, his original audition song hit No. 2 on the iTunes chart.
Steve made a smart choice, returning to the AGT stage with yet another original song. The performance was sultry, yet filled with energy. After the performance, judges were seen praising the country artist.
Sofia Vergara even pulled out Simon Cowell’s signature joke for the night. She told the act she “didn’t like” the song, but really “I loved it!” Vergara then hit the Golden Buzzer for the act.
Golden Buzzers Shock on The Live Stage
The night began right off the back with an incredible act, Simon Cowell’s Golden Buzzer LightWire. They once again illuminated the stage, performing a stunning and transformative routine. The routine told a story using a mix of silhouetted people and virtual creations.
Following was Golden Buzzer Charity Lockhart. She sang an intimate rendition of “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley. Her approach to the song was gentle, yet it showed off her incredible range. Mel B, Simon Cowell and Sofia Vergara loved Charity’s approach to the song, but Howie Mandel wasn’t impressed.
“I do think you’re great, I think you’re amazing, I think you’ve got what it takes but I,” he said. “I saw glimpses and I didn’t see a whole thing, it did not blow me away, but you’re amazing.”
Later in the night, Golden Buzzer Jourdan Blue returned to the stage singing “Biblical” by Calum Scott. After the song, Cowell acknowledged that Jourdan almost didn’t perform, since he’s been sick. The singer confirmed that he threw up three times before taking the stage.
“This is everything I’ve been working so hard for,” he said, when asked how the audience makes him feel.
Some Acts Didn’t Hit Their Mark
Next on the episode was scary magic group, Phobias. They made a member’s head get cut off, made another disappear, and even made a rubix cube turn into worms. The group scared the judges, but eventually lost momentum throughout the performance. Mel B gave the act her red buzzer, saying it “wasn’t good enough for me.”
Singing trio Citilimitz took the stage with the ultimate throwback, “Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake. The group harmonized and put on quite the performance both vocally and through dance. Mandel admitted that although this performance was great, it may not be enough for them to make it to the next round. Simon Cowell agreed with Mandel’s point of view, saying that he expected the group to be better, instead the song choice felt forced.
Comedian Shuler King returned to the stage telling a variety of jokes about his job as a funeral director. He spoke about his father introducing him to the family business, as well as his dad’s lack of empathy. Then, he went on to joke about the first time he saw a dead body.
The final act of the night was former Vanderpump Rules star Tom Sandoval and his band The Most Extras returned to the stage singing “Blinded by The Lights” by The Weeknd. Although the act was energetic, almost all of the judges agreed that the performance wasn’t great.
“I like tom and I like the band and judging this performance, it didn’t sound great,” Cowell said.
After judge commentary, Tom revealed that his in-ear cut out right before their performance began, making the performance even more hard.
Judges Change Their Minds on Multiple Acts
Trapeze duo Sirca Maera returned to the stage with tricks they had “never done on stage before.” The crowd was absolutely roaring as the performance went on. Sofia Vergara liked that the pair made their act different from their audition, but not enough to give them her Golden Buzzer.
Earlier in the night, Loco Pop Familia performed an intricate dance routine that embodied their cat theme. Mel B even changed her mind on Loco Pop Familia, she actually enjoyed their performance this time around.
Second to last was dance crew B Unique Crew. The group took the stage with an intricate routine, once again surprising the audience and judges with the illusion of contortion. Mandel absolutely loved this group, saying “two of you came from my Golden Buzzer dance group” before stating that they could win the compeition if they continue on as strong as they are.
Voting for the first AGT quarter final ends tomorrow, Wednesday, August 20 at 7 a.m. ET. Be sure to tune into the show tomorrow to see who will be continuing on into the finale.
