America’s Got Talent Season 21 returned on Tuesday night for the first live show of the season. Judge Howie Mandel had the opportunity to press the Golden Buzzer this week, and he did so for magic group Hundred Fingers.
AGT Live Shows Kick Off with Golden Buzzer
Eleven acts took the AGT stage during Tuesday night’s live Quarterfinals episode. One act earned a Golden Buzzer from judge Howie Mandel, sending them straight into the Finals. Voting will be open until 7 a.m. ET on Wednesday for viewers to choose their favorites. Only three acts will make it into the Semifinals.
This week, the Golden Buzzer went to Korean magic group Hundred Fingers. They previously earned the Golden Buzzer from Mandel in their audition earlier this season, and the AGT judge was once again wowed by their performance, in which they made objects transform, appear, and disappear.
The routine earned a standing ovation from all four judges, and Mandel wasted no time doing the honors to send them straight into the Season 21 Finals. Afterward, he called it a “million-dollar performance.”
Another act that wowed the AGT judges this week was acrobatic group the Jesse White Tumbling Team. Their performance featured a memorable appearance from 92-year-old Jesse White himself, as members of the team leapt over him on stage.
The panel was also impressed by Dutch singer Brook Lynn, who performed an original song that drew comparisons to classic James Bond themes. Howie Mandel said that Brook is “like a flower blossoming.”
Meanwhile, dog trainer Olivia Befus also charmed the panel with her racecar-themed act, with Mel B pointing out that her dogs “are having so much fun” on stage. Mandel said she “stepped it up” from past performances.
The episode ended with a performance by rapper Luke Taleno, who earned Howie Mandel’s Golden Buzzer in the audition round. His original song performance wowed the judges, with Simon Cowell calling it a “step up” from his audition and Mandel calling him an “amazing storyeteller.”
Comedian Cris Sosa told jokes about his parents that made the AGT judges laugh, with Cowell saying he’s “naturally got it.” Mel B also enjoyed the set but wished he had more time to build up to the laughs.
Other Acts Divided the Judges
Not every act from Tuesday’s show earned unanimous praise from the AGT panel. The open the show, the CommUNITY ATL Choir performed “Unwritten” by Natasha Bedingfield, with Mel B calling it “magical.” However, Simon Cowell wasn’t a fan of their song choice.
Later, mentalist couple James & Marina put on a performance in which they figured out the star signs and birthdays of various audience members, before showing off a painting that predicted what would happen. Cowell hit the red buzzer for the act, and most of the judges agreed that it was too slow.
Singer Ashford Sanders’ performance of “All That Really Matters” by ILLENIUM & Teddy Swims earned mixed reactions from the judges, as Mandel said he preferred the original, and Cowell said he would have liked to see Ashford reinterpret another song.
Although dancer Sando’s unique performance wowed Cowell and had Mandel calling it a “viral moment,” Mel B said she didn’t understand the act. The judges were also divided over the light-up group Royal Lasers, who earned Terry Crews’ Golden Buzzer in auditions. Mandel didn’t think it was an improvement over their audition, but Sofia Vergara disagreed.
What did you think of the first live show of AGT Season 21? Which acts will you be voting for? Let us know in the comments below.
Words by:
Jill O'Rourke Jill O’Rourke is a contributor at Talent Recap, writing news stories and recaps for shows like ‘AGT,’ ‘The Voice,’ and ‘American Idol.’ She graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in English and Film Studies, and has been writing about pop culture since 2012, with previous bylines at Crushable and A Plus. Jill spends her free time binge-watching sitcoms and daydreaming about life as a hobbit
