Plot

It was Day 2 of Vegas Week on Americas Got Talent, where the standby contestants got a chance to perform for 11 remaining spots in the live Hollywood round.

The danger acts went first. The Kung Fu Heroes got things started with a high-flying martial arts routine that even impressed their fellow competitors who were watching backstage. Still, The Danger Committee threw their knives at each other and juggled flaming torches around each other. Nick Pike promised to deliver something that had never been done before. After having juggled flaming torches on flaming unicycle in his original audition, Nick put a hood over his head and juggled a machete, a cleaver and a flaming torch while walking on broken glass that had been doused with kerosene. After watching Nick successfully complete his routine, Piers said it was going to be a ridiculously competitive category.

Jeremy Vanschoonhoven said there were lots of people who could juggle and throw knives, but there are very few people who can do the tricks he does on his bike. He said he quit one of his jobs so he could train all the time after the original audition. He put on another impressive display that nearly knocked Piers out of his chair. Piers said hes gone from being a rank outsider to someone who should definitely be in the top 48.

The kid dancers were next up in the standby group, and Northwest Dancing Acro went first. They appeared to go head to head against RNG. Northwest Dancing Acro seemed to have the edge, but Sharon worried that the smallest kids in that bunch were better than the older ones. Howie didnt think that was a problem.

Next were the standby singers. The large vocal group, New Directions, gave a great singing performance after a moving story about how theyd all been homeless. Howie wondered if they were stars, granting that they were talented and inspirational. Sharon said they were. Sisters Christina and Ali gave another rousing performance. Sharon asked if they could handle the stress of singing live every week. Piers said wild horses wouldnt stop those two from performing live.

The novelty acts werent giving up without a fight, but things werent going so well for a few of them. The girl who paints canvases with paint on her body was deemed completely ridiculous by Piers. A juggler dropped a racket, and another guy popped a bunch of balloons with fire, Piers said. The guy who flings playing cards (and did it quite successfully in his first audition) tried to pop three confetti-filled balloons that were hovering above the judges heads. He nailed the first two, but kept missing the third, which hung over Howies head. The guy kept flinging cards at tremendously high speeds and missing until Howie demanded he stop.

Impressionist Ronith came to Vegas not wanting to do impressions anymore. Instead, he did a sketch about an angry man on a Monday morning. Sharon was confused as to why Ronith was now doing a talking mime act. He said he changed things up because Piers didnt like his impressions.

The bands were up next, starting with the rocking duo Strange Familiar from the Portland auditions. But this time, they brought more of a backup band. The Haitian band Harmonik was up next. Piers questioned their lead singers voice. More bands -- rockabilly, pop and classical fusion -- took the stage, but it was air band Airpocalypse that finished the group off. The other bands were upset that Airpocalypse was in their category because they didnt play real instruments. It didnt seem like it would matter much as the judges seemed to understand the absurdity of it all after watching Airpocalypse perform again.

The standby male singers were fighting in what Nick Cannon called the most competitive group, by far because more of them made it through to Vegas than ever before. Singer Nate Kenyon was nervous again, but had to sit and watch a bunch of other guys perform before he could take the stage. Luigi Seno put on an impressive and relaxed performance, but Sharon wanted him to have worked harder. Backstage, Luigi cried at the thought of the magnitude of what was going on. Nate finally took the stage and told Sharon hed gotten over some of his fear. Howie told Nate that hes in a tough category and there simply isnt room for everyone.

It was time for the judges to deliberate.

Neither Nick Pike or The Danger Committee made it through, but Kung Fu Heroes and Jeremy Vanschoonhoven did. RNG made it to Hollywood, but Northwest Dancing Acro did not. Luigi Seno broke down when he got word from Piers that hes going to Hollywood. Howie unceremoniously dumped a quartet of male vocalists before Sharon told Nate Kenyon that hes going to Hollywood. Ronith, too, was Hollywood-bound.

From the bands, Strange Familiar and the rockabilly band (whose name wasnt very clearly provided) were through to Hollywood.

Harmonik, the band from Haiti, was told they werent good enough to move on. Then, Sharon told Airpocalypse that they werent a band, but a very entertaining comedy act, and they were going to Hollywood.

Sharon then cried as she told New Directions that they didnt make the cut, and Piers got to deliver the news to sisters Christina and Ali that they were going to Hollywood.