"This is when it gets great," Howard Stern said Tuesday night on "America's Got Talent." He easily could have added, "... or this is where it ends."
Stern was setting up the show's second week of semifinals, featuring performances by 18-year-old Daphne vocalist Jaycob Curlee and 11 other competitors. Viewers got a good look at Curlee at home on the Eastern Shore as he prepared for the latest challenge: "I've gone back home and practiced and practiced and practiced to try to impress them," he said. "And it's just like in life. You have bad days, but you don't give up. You just keep going for that end result." He talked about his commitment to answer every letter from kids touched by his own story of adoption.
Later, after his performance, Curlee thanked the judges. "This opportunity means the world to me, being able to play at Radio City, I mean, how many 18-year-olds can say that they've done that?" he said. "I want to thank America for getting me this far, and I need you one more time."
Six of the 12 semifinalists will move on to join six other finalists chosen last week. Which six? That'll be revealed in a live broadcast starting at 8 p.m. Central time on Wednesday, Sept. 3.
In the meantime, here are one writer's guesses about how the field stacked up.
Looking Good:
Jonah Smith – Smith put a classic spin on OneRepublic's "Love Runs Out," and mostly impressed the judges even though the arrangement threatened to overwhelm his vocals at times. "That's how you open up a show!" exclaimed Mel B., whose praise was seconded by Heidi Klum and Howie Mandel. Howard Stern drew boos for more measured comments, but that was only after he told Smith, "You know, you're my favorite male singer in this competition."
Jaycob Curlee – Elton John's "Your Song" wasn't a selection that expanded Curlee's range, especially given the relatively soft, intimate delivery. But it let him get back to the strengths that made him a standout in the show's season premiere, and it went over well with the judges. Stern called it his personal best. Klum and Mel B had some questions about whether Curlee had shown enough stage presence to advance, but as Mandel put it, "You are now in the hands of America."
Mat Franco – Franco started out with a card trick, then dropped Mel B.'s phone in her drink, then made it disappear, then found it embedded in a theater seat whose number was predicted by the cards drawn at the beginning of the trick. It's hard to judge from TV how convincing such tricks feel in the room, but the judges were all impressed. Last week the voters were kind to magicians, sending both Mike Super and David & Leeman to the finals.
AcroArmy – Some of the show's circus-based acts have broken out of the box by drawing on dance and other influences, and this big acrobatic ensemble took a similar approach. What began with poses you might see in a hand-balancing ensemble moved on to a ballet-like flow, escalating to some amazingly daring jumps, throws and catches, all arranged in a very deliberate progression that made sure none of it was lost in the shuffle. The judges raved, with Stern saying "I really hope America got it this time" and Klum declaring "this is already a million-dollar act."
Blue Journey – This dance duo has already shown an amazing ability to blend dance with interactive projected backdrops and changing perspectives. Even so, Tuesday's performance was astonishing, an escape into a dreamscape set to Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)" Stern praised the group but cautioned that using a slow song was a very risky move, in that it might have lulled viewers rather than inspiring them to vote. Hopefully the fact that voters cast aside the somewhat similar Aerial Animation last week clears the way, rather than serving as an omen.
Quintavious Johnson – My personal take? When a kid with a big voice belts out searing R&B, there's always a question of how valid the song really can be, coming from someone who doesn't understand the adult passions involved. To me, Johnson missed the mark on Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind:" The vocal fireworks were there, but the heartbreak wasn't. He didn't even seem to be aware it was a sad song. That said, Johnson has great personal appeal and stage presence, the judges loved him, and how can you not vote for a 12-year-old soul belter?
Not Looking So Good:
Baila Conmigo – The salsa dance troupe went with a fast-paced performance that put its youngest members front and center. On the one hand, it was so flashy that it looked like an act that had come off a Vegas stage, rather than one trying to win its way onto one. But Mandel and Stern questioned whether the troupe has any real surprises left. "You can't be frantic all the time," cautioned Stern. There's a lot to like about Baila Conmigo, but the voters weren't kind to dance acts last week.
Kelli Glover – After having her hopes crushed in a previous season, Glover has been striving to get back on the horse that threw her. But her rendition of Beyonce's "Love On Top" wasn't enough to put her in the saddle. After a soft start she gained steam, but the judges generally thought that something was missing, and that the something was confidence. Said Mandel: "The truth is this: We see that you don't know whether you're worthy."
Wendy Liebman – Stern spoke fiercely for his wild card pick, saying "There was a crime committed here" when voters didn't choose her for the semifinals. And Liebman gave her best and most cohesive performance of the season, a routine that focused on family and personal experience. The judges were favorable, with Mandel in particular speaking in her favor. But there should have been some big laughs in with all the chuckles.
Emil & Dariel – The cello-playing brothers tackled Wings' "Live and Let Die" backed by a full rock band, which wasn't entirely a good idea. (Note: If you want to impress people by playing electric-guitar music on a cello, don't invite an electric guitar to the party.) It was an energetic performance, but not one that broke the brothers out of the chamber-pop gimmick box. How will it play with the voters? It hurts to admit this, but there's a whole generation of full-grown young adults out there who are barely aware of the song as a '70s Bond theme or even as an oddball '90s Guns 'n' Roses cover.
Christian Stoinev – The hand-balancer has charmed judges and viewers with his skills, his stage presence and his four-legged partner Scooby. But Tuesday night's "Top Gun"-themed performance was long on razzle-dazzle and short on anything new, and the judges were left a bit flat. Last week, hand-balancer Andrey Moraru delivered a far more impressive routine and still got the cold shoulder from voters.
Smoothini – Of the six contestants I've picked as probable losers, I'd most like to see "the ghetto Houdini" pull off an upset win. The other magicians' tricks make you wonder how much of the gimmicks were prearranged, and who was in on them. Rightly or wrongly, they can be explained away. But there's no question Smoothini does it all right in front of you. Unfortunately, as Stern noted, that leaves his work feeling small. Whatever happens, Smoothini gave us this line on Tuesday: "Howie, let me use your pen. I promise not to stick it in my nose this time."