Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
West Texas country-rock band Jesse Joe & The 96ers is headed to the live shows of America’s Got Talent after advancing in the NBC competition.
The Midland-Odessa band announced Wednesday that it received the call informing members they had earned a spot in the live rounds.
Jesse Joe & The 96ers formed in early 2026 after a group of West Texas oilfield workers met and began making music together. The band includes frontman and vocalist Jesse Joe, lead guitarist Sid Anderson, rhythm guitarist Ratly Rodriguez, bassist Javier Ponce, and drummer Luis Guerrero.
The group auditioned with its original song, “Grindstone,” a blue-collar anthem dedicated to regional oilfield and manual labor workers. During the audition, the band received unanimous “yes” votes from the judges to advance.
Judge Howie Mandel praised the group’s performance during the audition, calling it a “four yeses, no-brainer” and saying the band belonged on the America’s Got Talent stage.
West Texas country-rock band Jesse Joe & The 96ers is headed to the live shows of America’s Got Talent after advancing in the NBC competition.
The Midland-Odessa band announced Wednesday that it received the call informing members they had earned a spot in the live rounds.
Jesse Joe & The 96ers formed in early 2026 after a group of West Texas oilfield workers met and began making music together. The band includes frontman and vocalist Jesse Joe, lead guitarist Sid Anderson, rhythm guitarist Ratly Rodriguez, bassist Javier Ponce, and drummer Luis Guerrero.
The group auditioned with its original song, “Grindstone,” a blue-collar anthem dedicated to regional oilfield and manual labor workers. During the audition, the band received unanimous “yes” votes from the judges to advance.
Judge Howie Mandel praised the group’s performance during the audition, calling it a “four yeses, no-brainer” and saying the band belonged on the America’s Got Talent stage.
