It's getting down to crunch time on "America's Got Talent," somewhere in the swamps of Jersey.

We've got the first of two semifinal rounds and only three acts will go on from here. Can you feel the tension in the air? Or is that just Howard Stern blowing more smoke?

Here's the rundown:

-- Andrew De Leon: Stare into this singer's eerie, contact-covered eyes too long and you might get seizures. He croons his way through "Ave Maria" and brings the audience to its feet. Still, Howard says the whole thing is getting a "bit strange" and that he can't relate to it. The crowd boos. It's music to our ears.

-- Todd Oliver: The guy with the "talking" dog is back, and this time they try their shtick in a talk-show format. "I'd rather be on Leno," says Irving, who proceeds to spew a litany of one-liners, including a remark about Prince Harry's nude photos. ("Yeah, now you don't gotta go to England to see Big Ben and the crown jewels."). It's not hysterically funny, but he gets plenty of laughs. Says Howard, "This act deserves to go through." We're reserving judgment.

-- Donovan and Rebecca: These two acrobatic gymnasts are incredible. They bend. They gyrate. They lift. They twirl. They do the splits. (And she's doing it in high heels!). They are so freakin' graceful and strong it's crazy. They also remind us that we need to go do some sit-ups. Sharon Osbourne says Rebecca's abs are so remarkable she wants to "grate cheese" on them. Kinky.


-- Edon. The Yarmulke-wearing teen singer offers his take on One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful" as he plays the piano. It's a nice performance, but is it good enough for the finals? Howie and Sharon think so, but Howard says he was "a little bit bored" by the song. We side with Howard on this one.

-- The Scott Brothers: The dancing twins are in synch as usual and this time they're all coated in silver. Weird and freaky, but also kinda cool. Then again, probably not of a "wow" factor to move on.

-- Eric Dittelman: The guy who claims to be a mind-reader has Howard take the stage and color in a self-portrait he did during an earlier performance. Howard gives himself glasses, devil horns and a goatee on the drawing. Then, Dittelman proceeds to unveil a strikingly similar sketch that was already done. Spooky! Consider our minds thoroughly blown.

-- Turf: The street dancer/contortionist from San Francisco returns with his Gumby-like antics and this time he's mixing in a few more dance moves with all the crazy elasticity. It's enough to bring Howie to his feet, but are we suffering from Turf fatigue? Howard worries that there's a "certain similarity" to his act.

-- Bria Kelly: The 16-year-old singer who came to us via YouTube delivers a cover of Pink's "Perfect." It's all right, but it lacks power and emotion. OK, so she's no Pink, but we like her sparkly little dress, though.

-- Joe Castillo: Mr. sand man is all about telling "epic stories" via tiny gains of rock. It's beautiful, incredibly creative stuff. But is it Jesus? Hard to tell.

-- William Close: The offbeat and inventive musician starts off by playing his wife (don't ask). Then he moves over to his giant Earth Harp with accompaniment from some singers and dancers. Our mind is drifting, but we're stunned to see the three judges on their feet. Howard even calls him the "front-runner." When did that happen?

-- Tom Cotter: The stand-up funny man promises to do "comedy on demand." He asks Howie to pick a topic from eight categories. Howie picks "college" and Cotter responds with jokes about "the best 28 semesters" of his life. It's hilarious, clever stuff and he delivers it with smooth assurance. This guy's much funnier that mangy dog.

-- Academy of Villains: For the second time, the dance troupe from San Mateo closes out an "AGT" show and they do it minus one member who was lost to injury. They emerge in mime regalia do a routine that incorporates lasers, smoke, balloons and plenty of frenetically graceful moves. Sharon and Howie absolutely love them, the latter deeming them to be the best dance group he's ever seen on "AGT." But Howard isn't as impressed.

"I'm afraid I'm going to rain on the parade here," he says. "... I got a little bit bored through it and I was wishing it would be over."

Yes, folks, there's one in every crowd.