America's Got Talent auditions sneak peek: shadow artist and metal band try to impress the judges

Steel Panther on America's Got Talent
Steel Panther (Image credit: Trae Patton/NBC)

Since 2006, America's Got Talent auditions have been a summer TV staple, as individuals from across the country share their impressive and unique talents with audiences and the AGT judges in the hopes of winning a $1 million prize. With America's Got Talent season 18 premiering on Tuesday, May 30, at 8 pm ET/PT on NBC, the network is getting viewers excited with a sneak peek at some of the brand new acts that they'll see on the show.

NBC released early clips of just two of the many acts that viewers are going to get to see on the May 30 episode, sharing them on AGT's YouTube channel.

The first features a performer called Shadow Ace from the Philippines. As his name alludes to, his talent is shadow art. Howie Mendell and Heidi Klum understood that as shadow puppets, you know, when you create a dog or a bunny using your hands' shadow lit against the wall. However, Shadow Ace is "reviving" this lost art form. When you watch his performance directly below you will see exactly what he means, with nods to Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" and Psy's "Gangam Style."

The second audition that AGT is giving fans a sneak peek at is a bit more traditional in the sense that it is a musical act, but not a genre that appears too often on the show — heavy metal. The quartet that calls themselves Steel Panther came onto the stage decked out just like you'd want a metal band to be and as a result received a standing ovation from the audience before even playing a note. They also tried to earn some extra points with Sofia Vegara and Heidi by promising them Steel Panther tickets and backstage passes for life (do the AGT rulebooks cover bribes?) But how do they sound? Check out the clip below. 

So what do you think? Are these two early contenders to win America's Got Talent season 18?

Watch who else impresses the AGT judges on the May 30 episode, the first of weekly two-hour audition episodes that are going to run through August 15 before live shows begin. If you miss America's Got Talent live, you can watch the latest episodes on-demand via Peacock.

Michael Balderston

Michael Balderston is a DC-based entertainment and assistant managing editor for What to Watch, who has previously written about the TV and movies with TV Technology, Awards Circuit and regional publications. Spending most of his time watching new movies at the theater or classics on TCM, some of Michael's favorite movies include Casablanca, Moulin Rouge!, Silence of the Lambs, Children of Men, One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest and Star Wars. On the TV side he enjoys Only Murders in the Building, Yellowstone, The Boys, Game of Thrones and is always up for a Seinfeld rerun. Follow on Letterboxd.