Live from the Pasadena Civic Auditorium, it’s AGT!
Heading into the first America’s Got Talent live show of Season 21, judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, Sofia Vergara, and Simon Cowell had finally narrowed down the enormous field of auditioners to just 44 acts. Over the next four weeks of quarterfinals, each group of 11 will perform live for America’s votes on Tuesdays, with the results being announced on Wednesdays.
Taking the stage in Week 1 are the following: magician group Hundred Fingers (Howie’s Golden Buzzer), rapper Luke Taleno (Howie’s Golden Buzzer), light-up dance trio Royal Lasers (Terry’s Golden Buzzer), singer Ashford Sanders, singer Brook Lynn, comedian Cris Sosa, mentalist duo James & Marina, tumbling group Jesse White Tumbling Team, dog act Olivia Befus, dancers Sando, and choir CommUNITY ATL.
Read on for our performance recap of America’s Got Talent Quarterfinals 1, which aired Aug. 18 on NBC.
“America, we are live!” host Terry Crews shouts at the top of the show. He reveals that Howie has the power of the Golden Buzzer tonight and will single-handedly decide which of the 11 acts goes through to the finals. America’s overnight votes will then determine which three remaining contestants will advance to the semifinals.
CommUNITY ATL
The fan-fave choir has the honor of being the first act to perform in the Season 21 live shows. The dozens of singers belt out a performance of Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” and have the crowd up on its feet. Three of the judges give them a standing ovation, but Simon remains seated — uh-oh.
Judges’ comments: Sofia declares this is “the perfect way to start the live shows!” Howie predicts their performance will “launch them into full-time jobs.” Mel jokes, “My earring popped off it was that good!” Simon trashes the song choice, but admits they delivered a “brilliant” performance.
James & Marina
The mentalist duo claims they will turn people’s thoughts into paintings. First step: they ask Terry to throw a teddy bear into the audience. James & Marina correctly guess that the random audience member, Anna, is a Scorpio and that her birthday is Nov. 15. Then, they ask a guy in the crowd, Dash, for his dog’s name and proceed and name it correctly. It’s around this time that Simon presses the red buzzer — yikes! For the third audience member, Madison, they reveal a portrait showing all three of them with Mel on the stage, which means the pre-drawn art comes true.
Judges’ comments: Howie calls their act “so long and so boring” and reveals he wanted to press a red buzzer. Sofia loved their “first performance” better and calls this one “slow.” Simon says he gave them a red buzzer because he was mostly “bored,” even though the end was “great.” Mel interjects, “I thought this was incredible!”
Jesse White Tumbling Team
The ages of this Chicago tumbling team range from 9 to in their 90s, and the group takes up the whole stage as they flip and dance in their trademark red outfits. The live crowd loves it! What about the judges?
Judges’ comments: Sofia says, “I love what you do for the community. … You don’t care about age.” Simon asks aloud, “[Did] you make it better on the live shows? Can I be honest? It was better!” Mel calls the entire production “slick.” Howie jokes, “Twice as fast as the last act!” in a major diss to James and Marina.
Ashford Sanders
The kitchen owner from Atlanta takes the stage and belts out “All That Really Matters” from Illenium & Teddy Swims, as the audience holds up lights to set the mood. Only Mel gives a standing ovation, explaining, “You are a fighter, you really are.”
Judges’ comments: Howie claims Ashford didn’t deliver a Golden Buzzer-worthy moment, saying, “I like the Teddy Swims version better.” Sofia calls him “adorable” and admits she felt “nervous” for him at the beginning. Simon calls the production track “horrible” and “mushy,” and wishes he’d chosen a different song that could have given him a “moment.”
Sando
The social media performer hopes to expand from his TikTok videos, recognizing that AGT is the “biggest stage on Earth.” His performance involves multiple dancers, including children, with all four panelists jumping up to their feet when it’s over.
Judges’ comments: Simon proclaims, “Now we’re in a different place altogether,” and predicts it will receive “tens of millions” of views. Mel champions the new dancers, but confesses, “I don’t get it.” Sofia now understands why he “goes viral” for his dancing. Howie predicts the “viral moment” of the performance is when Sando is dancing on the clock.
Hundred Fingers
The magic act prepares 15 hours, six days a week in order to ensure the “most difficult magic” looks good on a live stage. Following the Las Vegas-worthy performance, Howie doesn’t let any of the other judges vote: he lies down on his Golden Buzzer (in an homage to what he did in the auditions) and advances the magicians straight through to the finals.
Judges’ comments: “That’s the best thing I’ve seen,” Howie says. “One word: magic!” The Canadian judge later added, “That was a million-dollar performance.”
Brook Lynn
Brook’s performance of her original song starts out on the quiet side, but builds halfway through when she passionately sings about fighting.
Judges’ comments: Mel and Sofia give her standing ovations, with Sofia claiming, “That was amazing!” Mel agrees, saying, “Your voice is just amazing.” Howie thinks she’s a “flower blossoming” and is happy she’s getting “better and better” throughout the competition. Simon praises her for writing her own song, realizing, “It’s like a James Bond soundtrack.”
Royal Lasers
The light-up dance trio met at the AGT residency in Las Vegas, but their Season 21 audition was the first time they performed as a group. The performance featured a live virtual screen where Terry, their Golden Buzzer mentor, was shown ripping open his shirt. The act ended with a surprise appearance of a blue-light figure at the judges’ desk.
Judges’ comments: Simon says simply, “It was breathtaking.” Mel praises Terry for picking “the right Golden Buzzer.” Howie argues that this might be worse than their audition and thinks “America will decide.” Sofia pinpoints how Royal Lasers made it “special” when compared to similar acts they’ve seen before.
Olivia Befus
Olivia didn’t “have many friends growing up,” but now she’s being watched by millions of people. Training dogs is her “favorite thing ever,” the 18-year-old tells the camera. Her barkingly good performance includes various canines dancing, balancing, and jumping over flags.
Judges’ comments: Mel says it’s a “joy” to watch her because the puppies are having “so much fun.” Sofia praises her for being self-taught and “not a professional.” Howie admits she “stepped it up” and is “pure joy.” Simon raves that Olivia is “absolutely fantastic” and predicts she’ll be voted through by America.
Cris Sosa
The comedian “never shies away from showing his true self,” Terry notes before welcoming the Texas talent to the stage. Cris’ jokes include making fun of his parents for always being “on the verge of divorce,” his “unlimited” one-time boxing career, and his “dolphin” upbringing.
Judges’ comments: Howie realizes that Cris checks “a lot of boxes” and roots for America to vote for him. Sofia thinks he’s a “showman” with a “fascinating” personality. Mel wishes he had “more time” on the stage because that’s when he gets “funnier” traditionally. And Simon thinks he’s “naturally got it — simple as that.”
Luke Taleno
Last but not least, this Cuban-born rapper used to clean buses until he learned to rap after hearing Eminem for the first time. The self-described “fighter” raps an original tune about growing up, working for minimum wage, and ultimately showing up when he’s needed.
Judges’ comments: After all four panelists give him a standing ovation, Simon recounts the “true story” of Luke going from an audience member to a “special” quarterfinalist. Sofia connects to the “meaning” of his rap. Mel repeats “wowza” over and over again. And Howie divulges, “After tonight, I’m gonna start spelling ‘Eminem,’ ‘LT.'”
That’s a wrap for the Quarterfinals 1 performances! We’ll all find out on Wednesday night who makes it through to the next round.