Americas Got Talent 9 Live Shows - Smoothini

For British Viewers, This Article May Contain Spoilers

Last week, Mike Super failed to make it through to the Semifinals, losing the judges vote. This week, Close-up magician Smoothini competed in the last heat, aiming to join David and Leeman and Mat Franco in the next round.

How Did Smoothini Do?

For his Live Show performance, Smoothini stuck to Close-up magic. He performed a set of tricks themed around money, with Howie and Mel B as his guests. He began by taking out a set of dollar bills and changing them into 100-dollar bills in Mel B's hand. He then showed how fast that money disappears by changing one of the 100-dollar bills into a 50, a 20 and finally a 10, before making it vanish completely. He then took another note and moved the federal seal on it. Finally, he made a fish appear out of a third banknote. Smoothini's presentation was as smooth and energetic as it was in his audition, and the tricks he did this time were less generic. However, they were still fairly basic, and magic with banknotes does not translate very well to a stage. There were a number of instances where Howie had to tell the audience what was going on. Overall, Smoothini was successful in upping his game, but his performance was not unique or spectacular enough to dethrone Mat Franco as this year's star magician.

What Did the Judges Say?

With the exception of Howie, who said he was amazing, the judges all gave Smoothini negative comments. Heidi and Mel B felt that his performance was too small for such a big stage. Howard agreed with this criticism, saying that he and the audience had been excluded from the act, and it felt like being "At a bar with the worst seats in the house".

What Was the Competition Like?

Fortunately for Smoothini, the majority of his competitors failed to impress. Card-throwing triplets Dom the Bom's Triple Threat made numerous mistakes in their routine, whilst One Voice Children's Choir provided a hit-and-miss performance of the song "Let It Go" from the hit movie Frozen . The three dance troupes were good, but not great. Bad Boys of Ballet added break dancing and acrobatics to their routine, but failed to stand out from the crowd. Extreme failed to place sufficient focus on the tricks and stunts that made them stand out at their audition, whilst Mothmen Dance put their emphasis on "Flying" with wires, but they lacked the dance skills needed to make their routine truly amazing. Contortionist Nina Burri was graceful, but her act has limited appeal. Singer and pianist Jonah Smith ditched the backing band who helped him stand out, and the Sam Smith song "Stay With Me" was a questionable song choice,  Rola-Bola performer Jonatan Riquelme received unreserved praise from the judges, but his act is limited in nature, and his audition was more impressive to watch. The two other singers in the heat, Kelli Glover and the 12-year old Quintavious Johnson, nailed the high notes but struggled during the verses. The best act of the night were the Cellists Emil & Dariel, who provided an energetic rendition of the Rolling Stones song, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction".

What Are Smoothini's Chances of Reaching the Next Round?

Although Smoothini's performance did not quite meet the high expectations that the viewers and judges have set for him, he still has a moderate chance of making it through due to his large fan base and the mediocre opposition. However, he really has to up his game if he reaches the Semifinals.