I'm delighted to see live wushu on one of the most popular TV programs now.

July 14, 2010
'America's Got Talent' goes live

Hey, folks. It's SKK here, pinch hitting for usual guest blogger (and pinch hitter for me) Chris in KS. Funny how that works out. Anyway, tonight is the first live show of this season of AGT, so I couldn't let it pass unblogged-upon.

Tonight, the first 12 of the Top 48 will perform live for viewer votes. I'm coming at this mostly blind, having only seen bits of the season so far, so bear with me.

Just as a reminder that it's live, when host Nick Cannon comes out and starts talking, there's no audio. Doh!

Next up, the judges hit the stage, which I would let pass without comment, but have you heard that Piers Morgan is in the running to replace Larry King? How insane is that?

So tonight, 12 will perform, and four of them will make it to the next level.

First up are the Kung Fu Heroes. They want to bring the martial arts to the masses, and in order to raise their game tonight, they're going to use real weaponry. Fun Fact: I'm a senior green belt in tae kwon do, and the school I used to go to spends quite a bit of training time on musical forms. Not like this, mind you, but still. I'm pretty fascinated by these guys, and I think they put on a good show, and I don't think all of that has to do with my own TKD background. Piers says this wasn't as enthralling as their audition was. Sharon Osbourne says it was more like a martial arts exhibition and that she'd like to see more intricate choreography in the future. Howie Mandel says that's what's missing: the choreography.
'America's Got Talent' - 'Episode 513' Live Show Recap
by Isabelle Carreau, posted Jul 14th 2010 1:15AM

After 12 episodes of auditions, it is now time for America to take control of the show and vote for their favorite acts. Live shows are back! This not only means that the pressure is on, as Howie mentioned, but that we will finally get to see every performer for a full act before we vote -- some of them we've seen for only a few seconds during auditions.

One of my big beefs in past seasons when live shows are concerned was that the sound was terrible during a lot of the performances. Bad sound can send an act packing if viewers aren't able to get the full experience and if the performer doesn't get a second chance. Sadly, tonight's show started badly with sound problems during the opening credits, but also when Nick started to talk on stage. Would acts suffer from the same faulty sound?

It's time for America to make all the decisions!

Kung Fu Heroes, martial arts performers: Sharon and Piers said exactly what I was thinking as I watched these martial arts performers at work: It felt like an exhibition where one guy showed his skills while the others watched in the background. Yes, they interacted for a few moves, but not that much. As the judges pointed out to them, if they return they need to change their routine to have more moves where they are performing together. Nonetheless, the Kung Fu Heroes performed an energetic routine set to a cool soundtrack and with great lighting and background effects.
'America's Got Talent': Quarter Final 1
Wednesday, July 14 2010, 5:41am EDT
By Lara Martin, News Editor

The quarter finals for the fifth season of America's Got Talent began on NBC last night as the first 12 performers took to the stage in a bid to win America's vote and become one of the four acts from the group to progress to the next stage.

Here's what the judges said:

Kung Fu Heroes - Martial artists

Piers jokes they might kill him if he says the wrong thing but he doesn't think it was as enthralling as the audition because it was too routine. Sharon wants more intricate choreography but loves the energy. Howie agrees the choreography was the issue but thinks that can be changed and advises them to figure out what America wants.