Okay, my husband and I see these guys perform all the time at the Irvine Spectrum (it's like an open air mall/ entertainment spot) and they are really really good! We were so excited to see them on the show but I think they just picked the wrong song to play

I just wanted to defend them after they got picked on by the judges and the audience because they totally didn't deserve that! I wish everyone could come see them play one of their normal preformances.

Just a disclaimer I am not like family or a friend or anything, just an audience member

Kel

Yeah but you know how it goes... you get one chance (unless you have a sob story and nice cut aways... then even if you suck you get another chance )

I'm tone deaf, but I know they were out of key once they started.
It was kind of messed up how they said "they hadn't started singing" and once they did, all three judges buzzed them.

Yah, like I mentioned I think they have way better songs they could have performed. It makes me wonder home many of these people are actually pretty good but are just nervous or having a bad day or whatever.

As soon as they started ( Jason and Nolan) I could tell I knew the song but something was wrong, and my daughter sings that song all the time. She finally said, "That's Danny Boy", and I knew they were in trouble. When the first twin went to sing you could tell they have a wonderful voice. I bet they do give beautiful concerts and are very gifted, but it just wasn't their night.

Yeah, they're great other than they can't play in tune to each other.

I'm sure they sound fine to a bunch of drunks down at the pub.

Well, the guy on stage left was way off, and you don't have to be be a music lover to recognize that.

They also said they didn't get a chance to sing, then they just played off key for a forty seconds before they even began to. I'm surprised the judges didn't get impatient and buzz them beforehand.

What I think really counted against them was that their act was very boring -- it was more depressing than the song the band was playing when the Titanic sank. If you remember Season 1, when they showed the judges trying to decide which ten of the fifteen-or-so acts should go through, it usually begins with David singling out the boring acts to be excluded. With that in mind, it's actually merciful that they were given the X in stage one because now they can get back to their normal lives sooner.

As a violinist myself, I give them credit for their experience. Their vibrado was proficient, and it usually takes a few years before it gets to be really good. They also showed ease in their position shifting, and I had been playing for, I don't know, 5 years before I got good at shifting. I don't think they were particularly good, but they at least knew what they were doing, if you know what I mean. They aren't new to the instrument. They used electric violins, which I thought was very cool. However, I cannot even begin to say how terrible their choice of song was. It would have been so much wiser to choose a classical piece, or at least a piece that was distinguishable. I think they pretty much shot themselves in the foot with that song. It really killed me to watch.

Dear All,
Like several on here, I thought I detected some "clinkers," but I also recognize that the arrangement Jason and Nolan were attempting was not at all easy. I would like to have heard more of them, and I'm sorry they didn't get a better shot. I hope their experience wasn't so negative that they will stay away next year. Another year may make all the difference in the world.

I agree. The song just killed them. I wish the judges had perhaps asked them to play a different song, and given them more time. They certainly aren't bad musicians- their website advertises a lot of credentials- and I hope they come back next year, and are able to play a different song.

Hey Nolan,
I think it's cool that you came on here to tell your side of the story.It is to bad that people can't pick their own songs.
At least you got a little exposure.
I send you a friends'request on Myspace.You guys sound pretty good there.
Conny

myspace.com/eaglenr5

Seems to be a common theme in the forum here, folks defending acts based on thier knowledge of 'other' performances. News Flash! They are judged based on the performance on AGT, everything else they have done in thier lives is irrellivant. I don't buy for a minute that they were forced to do one song and one song only.

Just another excuse, shouldn't matter though in any case, they should have done the song they had well, if not, too bad.

While there have been other issues regarding song choice foisted upon contestants, and it seems the judges are little more than a shill for the powers that be, in this case, I don't think it gives the performers much of an excuse. They weren't asked to play something by Paganini fer cryin' out loud, it was a simple arrangement based on one of the most tuneful melodies ever. If they sounded amateurish on that, how are they a million dollar act?

Of course AGT picked that song...it's public domain so they don't have to pay for it (cheap!!!!).
A lot of you really think that shows like this are reality. Ummm....if you only knew how staged and planned they are. I love the logic some of you are using....like a portion of one of their songs not sounding good on TV should negate everything else. Maybe for AGT but not for REAL life. Oh, I am their newest fan. I love their style of music. It is very Gosh Groban meets Sting ish...(a lot of it sounds like it should be in movies).

It is just plain idiocy that an extremely successful and established act like Jason & Nolan (electric violin twins) are kept from showing what they can really do at the expense of their image. A lot of crap is going around online about these guys, and it is apparent that people don't know what they are talking about.

In speaking with Jason & Nolan after one of their concerts, there are several factors that play into this series of unfortunate events for these twin brothers. First of all, they were invited to compete on "America's Got Talent." It was not even their idea. For their interviews, they were encouraged to get "audience symphathy" by claiming that they were geeks growing up, which turns out was the only segment of the interview that was used on the broadcast. All of the music that they really wanted to perform in order to showcase their skills couldn't "clear" just days before the performance according to the producers, leaving them with very little choices in their selection. They did not get the sound check that they needed as an electric violin performance with accompaniment demands detailed EQ and balance checks with onstage monitors, keeping them from hearing themselves properly. The final broadcast mix of their violins was overly compressed, dry, and shrill (not the fault of the twins, but the fault of the sound mixer). We all saw what happened as they were asked to start again in order to finish the song with singing, only to be buzzed viciously before they could sing. To top it off, they edited in fake audience booing.

As it turns out, Jason & Nolan are the real deal. They have performed all over the world to thousands of people and standing ovations, performing all kinds of music from classic rock to opera to original music. They have each previously won national violin competitions. They are the opening act for many celebrities such as Sheryl Crow, Smash Mouth, Huey Lewis...the list goes on. They have performed with the likes of Josh Groban and Peter Cetera. They are requested by many major corporations to be the headline entertainment. They have sold over 10,000 albums independently worldwide in less than 2 years. There is nothing laughable about what they do. It is unfortunate that a supposed contest would set up a real act to fail in such a disgusting manner.

Don't take my word for it. Check out their website:
www.electricviolintwins.com

It comes down to thier audition, if it doesn't go well, to bad so sad. Seems to be no end of excuses for this group on the forum, it's everyone else's fault except thier's. For a group that is apparently so professional, you would think they could have pulled it off despite any roadblocks they faced.

What they have done outside of the audition doesn't matter at all, it's how they did in the audition. Suck it up and reapply next year, or better still get on some other show where they aren't going to have so much to whine about.