Bird and Byron are going live.
The central Ohio duo has been competing on “America’s Got Talent” since the premiere of Season 21 in June, when their audition earned four “yes” votes from the celebrity judges.
Next, the team of Blake “Bird” Bergere and Nick “Byron” Lorenz will be vying for America’s votes on the show’s live quarterfinals. But a circuitous route got them there.
Bird and Byron weren’t among the 28 acts that advanced to the live shows on July 28, but the New Albany natives didn’t pack up and go home.
Instead, they went to the callback rounds with 22 other acts the judges wanted to see again. New this season, callbacks give contestants another chance to prove they deserve a spot in the live shows.
On the Aug. 11 show, the pair performed “By My Side,” a breezy original offsetting Bergere’s old-school soul croon with Lorenz’s bluesy riffs. The song has more than 7 million streams on Spotify.
“AGT” judge Howie Mandel called the tune “distinctive,” though he and his celebrity guest adviser, comedian Nikki Glaser, offered Bergere one piece of advice: Open your eyes.
“Man, if he opened his eyes, he’d see we’re all just grooving so hard right now. Be the front man,” Glaser urged.
Mandel added, “Share the vibe with America.”
Ultimately, Bird and Byron’s vibe prevailed and they made it through.
Featuring 44 acts, the quarterfinals started Aug. 18 on NBC. Bird and Byron will compete on the episode airing at 8 p.m. Sept. 8.
The three-hour episode will include the live results, so if you want to vote, you'll have to tune in. Once the performances begin, voting will open immediately on TikTok, the "AGT" mobile app and the NBC website at agt.vote.nbc.com.
Voting will close at 10:05 p.m. and the final hour of the show will be devoted to the results.
The quarterfinals will culminate in a two-part live finale on Sept. 22-23.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
Contact features and entertainment reporter Belinda M. Paschal at bpaschal@dispatch.com.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Central Ohio's Bird and Byron survived 'AGT' callbacks for live show
