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'America's Got Talent' Austin auditions recap

So the first night in Austin brought us all sorts of talent from gymnasts and musicians to, um, a human cannonball. Could the second night possibly live up to that? Well, Sharon Osbourne, Howie Mandell and Howard Stern are back to find out!

First up and hoping to impress are an act called Aurora Light Painting, led by Julian (who grew up on a commune) and his wife Jackie. Their unusual act sees them moving light and making pictures with it, which are then projected on to a huge screen. To be honest, they seem to be introduced as a bit of a joke act with comedy background music.

But will their "world premiere" impress the judges? Actually, the performance - set to 'Fireflies' - is kind of mesmerising. I don't even know exactly how they're doing what they're doing (I still don't really understand), but it's pretty cool to watch. A winning act? Maybe not, but entertaining enough for an audition.

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Howie praises their "originality", while Sharon says that it's a "very unusual artform" but "spectacular" to see it on the big screen. And Howard says he hasn't seen anything like it before. The result? Three yeses! The only problem is that they exit the stage the wrong way (prompting a comedy run from Nick). Hopefully it's not a sign of things to come!

Next up we get to see a package of the more... unusual acts in Austin, including a man in spectacular purple trousers who sings upside down, a supposed breakdancer and someone playing a grater (really). None of them get through, but will there be better luck for Doppelganger Circus Sideshow?

The couple, Adam and Rachel from Detroit, met in a goth club ("Not every girl will let you swing a sledgehammer at them or come at them with a chainsaw"). Nick notes that Rachel's looking a bit nervous, and begs them to "be safe" before they take the stage. That sounds worrying! It is, too - Rachel sits on a chair and Adam places an apple in her mouth (Howard buzzes at this point, before they've even got going!)

Adam takes out a chainsaw and begins carving a letter H into the apple... but it doesn't seem like the crowd are happy, as they begin booing. Soon the buzzers are going and the act's over, but when Adam removes the apple, Rachel can't shut her mouth. She's only gone and got lockjaw, and has to do that awkward thing where she speaks like her tongue's swollen up (giving Howard a ripe chance to mock her).

Howard does add that he hopes Rachel's alright... but he says that the lockjaw was the "funniest part" of the act. Ouch. Sharon's a bit more concerned and calls a paramedic on, who takes Rachel off... and realizes her jaw is dislocated! Adam's left to take all the "no"s: "It's just been a bad day for you, hasn't it?" Sharon says. So it's bye bye to Doppelganger Circus Sideshow. "She doesn't look happy with you," Nick warns Adam after seeing Rachel's glare.

Things don't improve either - a girl group's rendition of 'Only Girl In The World' actually has someone in the audience putting their head in their hands (and they get three buzzes). They're followed by three inflatable mascots who do a dance (to be honest, the highlight is when one of them falls over on the way on to the stage). Next up is Cubby, who strips off his dressing gown to, well, jiggle his belly (there's no way around it). "I don't want to see it again," Sharon tells him, slightly horrified. Still, Nick counsels him: "You're sexy and you know it."

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After all that, we get a little package of everyone showing a lot of love to each other - the judges being nice to each other, couples kissing in the waiting room - before we're introduced to Eric and Olivia who are definitely not dating, honest. They met in dorms at the University of Texas and "clicked pretty quickly musically". Eric begins speaking about how he's hoping this will be the "beginning of something really special" and how he is "excited about what's in the future for us". Hmm.

Howard's certainly getting a couple vibe, but he doesn't miss the opportunity to tease Eric, who says they're just friends. "Who decided you're just friends?" he asks. "She did, right?" And when Olivia admits that she doesn't have a boyfriend, he declares: "Eric, what's the problem? Close the deal!" Suitably embarrassed, Eric and Olivia launch into an acoustic rendition of 'Moves Like Jagger', which showcases Olivia's amazing voice (Eric's on guitar).

Howard's impressed - "Singers are dime a dozen on this show, and a couple break through. You guys just broke through." He praises the interesting arrangement - he didn't even know it was 'Moves Like Jagger' at first. But Howie's not as pleased, saying that it's "very loungey" and much smaller and more intimate than a million dollar headline act (this earns him boos from the crowd, obviously).

Sharon doesn't agree, namechecking artists like Adele and Amy Winehouse (and exciting Olivia, who says they're her favorites.) Howie just responds that Amy Winehouse's biggest songs were poppy hits - not like Olivia and Eric. With that said, he decides to vote no - it wasn't "big enough". But Sharon gives a yes, as does Howard, who says they did something original and wonderful. "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas," he adds, practically nudging and winking as he sends them through. Nick gets in there too - "There are vibrating beds in Vegas," he declares, wiggling about disconcertingly.

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But enough of that - let's go a bit high class. And you can't get much classier than a 58-year-old opera singer called Richard Grossman, right? He seems to take things very seriously and talks about technique and "soul syncing" and stuff I'm not even going to pretend to understand before he steps on to the stage.

Unfortunately, his singing is, well, not strong. Mouths gape in the audience, and then the booing begins - Sharon, Howard and Howie all buzz. Richard thought it went OK and asks if they knew the piece. "I think you were a little off," Howie says diplomatically. Howard goes for the more blunt: "It was a disaster." That doesn't sit well with Richard, who announces that he doesn't "appreciate the rudeness".

That doesn't go down well with the audience, who begin to boo more, as Howard says he was just being truthful and Richard was "not good". "I respectfully disagree," Richard replies. Yikes, this is getting a little awkward. Sharon carefully says it was "shouty", and Richard acknowledges his voice "can get shrill". Ooh, please let's just move on to the vote? Unsurprisingly, Richard is not going through to the next round. Still, he makes time for a little sing in the wings, just for Nick.

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Time for something completely different - enter mindreader Eric Dittelman! Nick tests him out by asking what he's thinking, and Eric gamely replies: "I knew you were going to ask that." This could be fun! He explains that he's been professionally mindreading for about three years, so let's see what he can do.

To be honest, his act starts a little slowly as it requires a bit of set up - to prove that he's not cheating, he gets Nick to duct tape over his eyes and around his head and put a blindfold on him. But the meat of the act, in which he guesses what the judges have drawn, is pretty amazing. Not only does he guess which drawing belongs to which judge, but he's able to precisely guess what they've drawn (an ear in Howie's case, a self-portrait for Howard, and eye glasses for Sharon.) It's kind of uncanny, and I have no idea how he did it, but it goes down well with the crowd and the judges.

Howard says it was "amazing", while Howie clarifies that the judges had no contact with Eric before the act - he says it was "fantastic". Meanwhile, Sharon's been left "shocked and stunned"! Howard definitely wants to see Eric again so he votes yes, as does Sharon. And Howie has fun with Eric as he gets him to read his mind to get his verdict - unsurprisingly, it's a yes. "Get out of my mind," Nick tells Eric suspiciously afterwards.

The good acts keep coming - Summer Lacy performs a great (if nerve-wracking) aerial dance act, while Nikki Jensen performs a beautiful rendition of 'Moon River'. B-Boy Elusive keeps the winning streak going with a fun breakdancing routine, complete with a backward worm, handstand and all sorts of impressive moves.

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Can the final act of the show - Andrew De Leon - keep the winning streak going? Andrew, who has some great contact lenses, is going to sing. He explains that he grew up listening to Marilyn Manson, Rob Zombie and other rock stars, and always thought of singing as an escape since he felt "alienated" and like an "outsider". In fact, he's never sung in front of anyone. Not even his parents have heard him! "This is a huge step for someone like me," Andrew admits. "I think my days of being shy and being an outcast have reached their end. I'd like to be able to really show what I can do."

Andrew takes the stage, and surprises everyone when he belts out an operatic piece. It's fantastic, obviously, and has a few people in the audience crying and sitting with their hands in front of their mouths, stunned. At the end, he gets a standing ovation from all three judges as Nick yells: "That's talent!" from the wings. Asked how he feels, Andrew replies: "I'm so used to being rejected and not really good at anything so this is amazing."

Howard says he knew Andrew was nervous, and Andrew admits he's never sung in front of anyone or had any voice training. Howard says he "blew the roof off the joint", while Sharon asks after Andrew's parents, who are in the audience and have just heard their son sing for the first time. Sharon tells him never to say he's not good at anything - he has an "amazing voice" and is an "individual". Howie adds that he's been "hiding" in his room and never let the world see who he is. "It's not that you're good at anything," he says. "You are great."

Andrew's parents are hugging (while he's getting a bit teary on stage), and it's time for the vote - though of course we all know he's going to sail straight through! Sharon even says she's in love with him! "It was completely unexpected and I'm just shocked," Andrew tells Nick afterwards. "It's overwhelming." In fact, Andrew's all the judges can talk about as they leave the auditions. What on Earth could be next?

America's Got Talent continues Tuesday at 9/8c on NBC.

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