Tom Sandoval’s quarterfinals performance on talent show falls flat Clutch Fire

Tom Sandoval, the Vanderpump Rules alum, took the stage with his band Tom Sandoval & The Most Extras for the quarterfinals of America’s Got Talent, performing a cover of The Weeknd’s hit song Blinding Lights. 

While judges Howie Mandel, Mel B, and Sofía Vergara praised his energy, Simon Cowell wasn’t impressed, hitting the buzzer halfway through the performance and saying, “That did not sound good I’m afraid.”

Sandoval attributed his shaky performance to technical issues with his in-ear monitors, saying, “Right before I went on, my in-ears kinda went out, so I was flying in the dark there.” 

Despite this, he insisted he wasn’t making excuses, adding, “I had a blast.” Mel B playfully called him out on this, but Sandoval remained upbeat about the experience.

This wasn’t Sandoval’s first appearance on America’s Got Talent. In June, he made his debut with a cover of A-ha’s Take on Me, which earned high praise from the judges. 

Mel B raved that the performance “gave me happy vibes” and appreciated the band’s enthusiasm. Sandoval chose Take on Me because he loved the music video growing up and was determined to hit the song’s challenging notes after training with vocal coaches.

Sandoval’s decision to audition for AGT was motivated by a desire to showcase his bandmates, who supported him through the 2023 Scandoval cheating controversy. 

“I thought to myself, ‘This is a really good opportunity to showcase the band—to get us out there,'” he shared. Despite the challenges, Sandoval found the experience “really exciting and I’m really, really happy I did it.”

America’s Got Talent airs Tuesdays on NBC.