Heading into the third America’s Got Talent live show of Season 21, judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Sofia Vergara, and Kenan Thompson (subbing for Simon Cowell) were looking for another act from the field of 11 performers to honor with the next Live Golden Buzzer.
At the first quarterfinals on Aug. 18, Howie gave the prize to the magician group Hundred Fingers, and at the second quarterfinals on Aug. 25, Mel B sent rocker Nene Royal through to the finale. Among the Week 3 acts looking to get that distinction are three that received one during their first audition: Acro Canine Crew, Isaac Atkins, and Lai Noelle.
For the 10 acts not selected by a judge during tonight’s Quarterfinals 3, their fate will be left in the hands of America’s vote, with results being announced on Wednesday where only three more will advance.
Taking the stage in Week 3 are the following: Acro Canine Crew (Terry Crews’ Golden Buzzer), comedian Daniel Alvarez, singer Elsie, poet Guy Kelton Jones I, French acrobat Herwan Legaillard, aerial duo Holland & Sienna, singer Isaac Atkins (Mel B’s Golden Buzzer), Canadian magician Kameron Marshall, singer Lai Noelle (Simon’s Golden Buzzer), German contortionist Maria, and musician Pynk Beard.
Pynk Beard in ‘America’s Got Talent’Trae Patton/NBC
Read on for our performance recap of America’s Got Talent Quarterfinals 3, which aired Sept. 1 on NBC.
At the top of the show, Kenan was already in Simon’s seat at judges’ table and for good reason — he was in control of the night’s Live Golden Buzzer. As Simon continues to recover at home, the duty of selecting one act to advance straight to the finals was left to the comedy king. Who did Kenan honor with the golden confetti? Let’s find out.
Holland & Sienna
The aerial duo opened the night with a daring performance from a floor-to-ceiling aerial ribbon to Alex Warren’s ballad “RESCUER.” Afterward Sienna told Terry that the hardest part of their act is holding on because there’s “a lot of force” in what they’re doing that makes it feel like they’re “holding on for [their] lives.”
Judges’ comments: Howie thought it was an amazing performance, but questioned whether it was better than their audition. Sofia differed, calling it “so elegant” and acknowledging how hard it is for them to perform their act. Mel said it was “pure perfection” and Kenan noticed how they support each other as partners.
Isaac Atkins
Having found a “sense of purpose” through his time in the military, Isaac referred to singing as “the dream that [he] never let go of.” For his chance to advance in the competition, he performed the booming track “Way Down We Go” by KALEO.
Judges’ comments: Mel kicked off comments with fanning herself off while telling Isaac that his “voice is a lot, a lot, a lot, a lot.” Howie and Kenan both earned some boos by suggesting that he can “do some more” by showing more of his range, but Sofia brought it back to the positive by calling it “spectacular” and saying that it’s “so impressive” considering he’s only been on a stage of this size twice in his life.
Maria
Terry warned that Maria’s latest act would blow our minds and he wasn’t exaggerating. Set to No Doubt’s “I’m Just a Girl,” the performance included bends and folds that created still images that looked unreal. Some of the highlights included Maria free-rolling underneath tables and crawling mid-bend through rings of fire.
Judges’ comments: Sofia told the audience that even if they’ve seen many contortionists in the past, Maria is able to show things that they’ve never seen. Kenan called it both “painful to watch” and “dynamically gifted,” Howie called her tricks “so unique and so wonderful,” and Mel said that it’s “so extraordinary.”
Elsie
Elsie promised that her version of “House of the Rising Sun” by The Animals would be like one “nobody’s ever heard,” saying that it taps into a “real and raw” version of herself.
Judges’ comments: Once again Howie (“The Grinch” – Sofia’s words) disappointed the audience by giving Elise criticism rather than support. Sofia called her voice “one of the best voices this season,” Kenan referenced the courage it took for her to take the stage, and Mel applauded her for coming out of her shell while asking her to push her talent further than she has so far.
Acro Canine Crew
Daiquiri, Chardonnay, Twinkie and Mango are the four canine members of the acrobatic group that has created one of the most iconic mash-ups in AGT history. For tonight’s showcase, the group took to the beach where supposedly there’s “no dogs allowed,” but that didn’t keep them from “Walkin’ on Sunshine” as lifeguards on all fours.
Judges’ comments: After a standing ovation from the judges and the audience, Sofia called the act one of her favorites because “there was so much chaos happening.” Kenan thought their choreography was perfect for “an amazing concept” and Mel said that they “didn’t miss a thing.”
Herwan Legaillard
The challenge for Herwan in their daring acts is always having to “push the limit” from what they’ve done before. Knowing they have to “go bigger and more dangerous” for the live shows, Herwan promised the “most dangerous act” ever, which included sword swallowing torches already on fire and aerial work on a flying crescent moon after having swallowed a dagger.
Judges’ comments: Mel thought that Herwan could have pulled out more tricks at this point in the competition, suggesting that from her angle it “didn’t look as dangerous” as she expected. Meanwhile, Kenan was “blown away” and Sofia called Herwan the “main event” of the act.
Guy Kelton Jones I
Growing up with a mother in the poetry scene, Guy followed in the footsteps that were in his blood by taking his poetry through the dive bar scene all the way to the AGT stage. Tonight he was able to extend his mother’s pride in him by showing that “only a few words can make a big difference” and weaving in his signature singing verses, this time from “O-o-h Child” by The Five Stairsteps.
Judges’ comments: Howie and Sofia noted that Guy’s singing brings so much to the spoken poem art form. At one point it seemed like Kenan might hit the Golden Buzzer for him because the audience was chanting for it, but he instead left it at how brave Guy is for coming on stage with his bare feet.
Kameron Marshall
It wasn’t just magic when Kameron wrote in his journal in January that he’d be on AGT — it was successful manifestation. In order to bring his “A game” to the live shows, Kameron knew that he’d have to deliver the most impressive card magic of his life. For the trick, he brought Kenan on stage to interact with his deck of cards while also directing everyone in the audience to follow along with their own deck of cards. In the end, he managed to get everyone in the audience and each of the judges to all individually select the same card as well as a series of other cards in an entire row of the audience.
Judges’ comments: Throughout the performance, Kenan was calling Kameron’s trick “incredible” and was visibly impressed by what was unfolding. He said that it “wasn’t just a card trick, it was insane,” but once again denied the audience chants that he hit the Golden Buzzer. Howie was the only one to critique Kameron’s act, telling him that it “ran a little long.”
Lai Noelle
It was the moment of a lifetime when 14 year old singer Lai received the auditions Golden Buzzer from music industry legend Simon Cowell, but heading in to the live shows she still had the drive to “learn and progress” in her art. Tonight she took on a cover of Elton John’s “Your Song.”
Judges’ comments: Mel said that Lai is starting her career from “pure perfection,” Sofia thinks she sounds like a “huge artist already,” and Howie called her “beyond your years,” but Kenan was finally ready to provide the moment of the night by asking Sofia to hit the Golden Buzzer so that the confetti would rain down on the “dynamically gifted” and “wow factor” performance from Lai.
Daniel Alvarez
As a comedian, Howie was the right judge to mentor Daniel through the Judges’ Callback portion of the competition, but he was still surprised that Howie had as much feedback for him that he did. With that in mind, Daniel prepared more than ever for tonight’s set that included jokes about his life in a wheelchair and how he compares himself to the other acts he’s competing against.
Judges’ comments: Howie told Daniel that he’s “so proud” of him because he’s “so slick and so funny” for taking what is happening in the competition and turning it into a set in real time. Sofia predicted that he’ll have a “huge” future as a comedian, Mel called him “brilliant,” and Kenan said he’s “by far the greatest” comedian he’s ever seen on a show like AGT.
Pynk Beard
As a Grammy Award winning and #1 hit songwriter, AGT is Pynk Beard’s opportunity to be a frontman for the first time in his life. His track “Mine, Lord Willing” from his audition rose all the way to #11 on the streaming charts across all genres. For his chance to advance in the competition, he performed the original track “On My Hood.”
Judges’ comments: Kenan said that they “blew the roof off of this place,” Mel acknowledged that the band makes her fall in love with them each time despite it not being her favorite genre, and Sofia sees them as seasoned performers. Howie closed out the night by stating that it’s been “worth the wait” for him to step into the frontman position after so many years working for others.
On Wednesday night, three acts will be chosen by America to advance to the semifinal while seven others will be eliminated from the competition. As a Golden Buzzer recipient, Lai advances straight to the final round alongside Hundred Fingers and Nene Royal.