West Texas Band Jesse Joe & the 96ers Featured on America's Got Talent

SAN ANGELO, TX — An up-and-coming band from West Texas performed Tuesday night on America’s Got Talent.

Jesse Joe & the 96ers, who played right here in San Angelo at the Arc Light Bar and Grill in March, have now made their way to a national TV audience.

Playing their original song “Grindstone”, the group of blue collar and oil field workers rocked the America's Got Talent stage. 

AGT judges Howie Mandel and Sofia Vergara gave the band a "yes," while Mel B gave them a “no." 

"I was really worried when you said you were only doing this for three months," Mandel said. "There are people who show up on this stage who have been doing things for a lifetime. You are like the musical Landman. When people do what you do then sing about what you do, you have put a lifetime into whatever it is you're singing about. I felt that and you're authentic. I loved it."

Mel B agreed with what Mandel said but then continued, "You were so out of tune, I don't know how you couldn't hear yourself." 

The crowd booed the former Spice Girl before Jesse Joe cut back in with, "That's fair. Where we're from, it's grungy and a bit dirty, so we're proud of being trash folk, so it's alright."

Vergara said that the group had something very interesting going on and loved the song.

On America’s Got Talent, you need three yes votes to move on to the next round, meaning it all came down to Simon Cowell.

"I like the song a lot," Cowell said, "But there were some issues with the lead vocals. Now, that might be nerves, but it didn't sound as good as I was hoping." 

In the end, Cowell gave the band its third "yes" to send Jesse Joe & the 96ers on to the next round.

After the vote, the judges talked and Mel B brought up the lead singing as well as being out of tune, but Mandel  said he liked that it wasn’t perfect. All the judges agreed the song was very good.