Simon Cowell and Howie Mandel had to see who was faster in pressing the Live Golden Buzzer in the Live Quarterfinals.The latest Live Golden Buzzer on America’s Got Talent Season 19 was given out on Tuesday (with some confusion and controversy) to one of the most impressive Acts to grace the stage.
Acrobatic dance group AIRFOOTWORKS, with the help of a very special AGT alum, brought some of their best work to the competition and inspired not one but two Judges to hit the coveted gold button. The group, who came all the way from Japan to perform on the AGT stage couldn’t have been more thrileld when the big moment came. As mentioned during their incredibly impressive audition, AIRFOOTWORKS has a leg up on the competition thanks to a very special mentor.
Kenichi Ebina won AGT in 2013 with his impressive mix of performance and dance. Now, after inspiring the four members of AIRFOOTWORKS to start their group, he’s agreed to mentor them in Season 19 and whatever he’s been doing is clearly working. Thanks to the new Live Golden Buzzer, they’re poised to bypass America’s vote and the Semifinals and go right to the end of the competition. The $1 million grand prize is well within their grasp.
AIRFOOTWORKS’ AGT Live Performance
Before their performance started, the group’s leader, Takashi Jonishi, called his shot declaring “Tonight, the world will see AIRFOOTWORKS at its best.” He was right.
As with any performer in the Live rounds, they had to find a way to up the ante from their audition. To do this, the group utilized the lights available to them on the AGT stage to create a spectacle that illuminated the floor and wall behind them to synchronize each of their acrobatic dance moves with an impressive visual effect. Perhaps the most eye-catching was their breakdancer spinning on her head while a flurry of what looked like stars spun around her. Or maybe it was another member expertly suspending from a pole and kicking at a circle in a full 360 degrees around him. As host Terry Crews noted at the top of their performance, AIRFOOTWORKS’ show is one heck of a workout.
The Live Show Golden Buzzer Controversy
The way the Live Golden Buzzers work on AGT in Season 19 is that each Judge gets one per episode. On Tuesday, it was Howie Mandel’s turn. However, that didn’t stop Simon Cowell from declaring that he was “about to get myself fired” before going to hit the button himself. Luckily for Mandel (and the general rules of the show) he was too quick for Simon and managed to hit the button first. Check the tape, Mandel got to the button first. Although Simon jumped on stage to take credit, AIRFOOTWORKS will indeed go down in history as Howie Mandel’s Live Golden Buzzer.
“You guys are athletes, you guys are dancers, you guys are creatives, you guys are magicians!” Mandel declared.
He also instructed Simon to keep his hands off his Golden Buzzer.
However, perhaps the most heartwarming part of the whole thing was seeing the mothers of the Japanese dance group celebrating in the audience waving their new moot signs asking America to vote for them.
