Welcome to Something for Nothing

I’m very happy at this moment! In fact, I’m patting myself on the back while doing the happy dance. Super Cr3w has been my favorite crew since the auditions. WOOOHOOO!

Ok, enough happy dancing, the room’s spinning now. I’ve been watching so many dance shows this summer; I convinced myself that I can dance. Maybe I’ll stick to watching for now.

Speaking of dancing, here’s the link to get all the information you’ll need if you want to be crowned America’s Best Dance Crew for Season 3.

Audition Info

My favorite Super Cr3w routine:

I do think it’s interesting that Randy Jackson said he thought Super Cr3w could take the whole thing from their first audition.

I’ve been waiting all day for America’s Best Dance Crew’s season finale. I even went so far as to tell everyone online that I had to get off at 10 pm to watch the show. Finally it was time, I turned on the TV and heard them introduce a new episode of Run’s House. WHAT!?! At first I panicked, changed the channel then changed it back. Still no ABDC. What’s going on? Taking a breath, I checked the calendar and realized its still Wednesday. I have to wait another day for the finale. Now that’s excitement! I’ll probably need therapy next week when I can’t find the show.

Challenge #1: World Dance Challenge

Using a video given to the crews as reference, the final two crews created a 2 minute routine that included different forms of world dance ranging from Latin Music, to the Caribbean, to Bollywood, to African Music.
Mas Que Nada by Sergio Mendes ft Black Eyed Peas

- Original Music Video
We Be Burnin’ by Sean Paul

The Anthem by Pitbull ft Lil Jon

Mundian To Bach Ke by Panjabi MC ft Twista

Challenge #2: Dance Craze Challenge 2.0

Instead of dancing to a dance craze, crews will create their own dance craze, both in the form of the actual music and the dance steps. All of this combined to create a dance routine.
Super Cr3w - “S To The Chest”
SoReal Cru - “Smash It Up”

Final Challenge: Your Last Word Challenge

Crews will created a routine that showed why they should be crowned “America’s Best Dance Crew”
Super Cr3w danced to the song Give It Up or Turn It Loose by James Brown

SoReal Cru danced to the song A Milli by Lil Wayne

Check out the list of all the America’s Best Dance Crew music.

After what seems a really long wait, tickets for ABDC tour can finally be purchased by the general public on Saturday August 16th. You can go straight to buy ABDC tour tickets on Ticketmaster or take a look at the full list of ABDC Tour venues and click on the specific tour stop you’re looking for.

Here’s the list of ABDC tour locations:
Sep 18 Miami, FL: Waterfront Theatre at the American Airlines Arena - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM EDT
Sep 19 Tampa, FL: Tampa Bay Performing Arts Center
Sep 20 Atlanta, GA: Boisfeuillet Jones Atlanta Civic Center - Buy Your TicketsOnsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 12:00 PM EDT
Sep 21 Clemson, SC: Littlejohn Coliseum - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM EDT
Sep 23 New York, NY: WaMu Theater at Madison Square Garden - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM EDT
Sep 25 Boston, MA: Citi Performing Arts Center
Sep 26 Atlantic City, NJ: Adrian Phillips Ballroom - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM EDT
Sep 27 Sewell, NJ: Commerce Bank Arts Centre - Buy Your Tickets (On Sale Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM EDT)
Sep 29 Washington, DC: DAR Constitution Hall - Buy Your TicketsOnsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM EDT
Sep 30 Newark, NJ: New Jersey Performing Arts Center
Oct 1 Albany, NY: The Palace Theater - Buy Your Tickets (On Sale 8/16 10:00 AM EDT)
Oct 3 Detroit, MI: Masonic Temple Theatre - Buy Your TicketsOnsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM EDT
Oct 4 Milwaukee, WI: Milwaukee Theatre - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 11:00 AM CDT
Oct 5 Rosemont, IL: Rosemont Theatre - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 12:00 PM CDT
Oct 6 Kansas City, MO: Midland Theatre - Buy Your Tickets (On Sale 8/15 10:00 AM CDT)
Oct 8 Denver, CO: Wells Fargo Theatre - Buy Your TicketsOnsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM MDT
Oct 11 Oakland, CA: Paramount Theatre of the Arts - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM PDT
Oct 12 Los Angeles, CA: Nokia Theatre L.A. LIVE????? - Moved to Oct 16???
Oct 14 Portland, OR: Rose Quarter - Theater Of The Clouds
Oct 15 Everett, WA: Comcast Arena at Everett Events Center
Oct 16 Los Angeles, CA: NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM PDT
Oct 18 San Diego, CA: San Diego Sports Arena - Buy Your TicketsOnsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM PDT
Oct 19 Phoenix, AZ: Dodge Theatre - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM MST
Oct 22 Grand Prairie, TX: Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM CDT
Oct 23 Houston, TX: Jones Hall - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM CDT

Tonight SoReal Cru and Super Cr3w went head to head. Emotions were high as the two crews had to dance three routines each.

Challenge one: Music from around the world.
Super Crew: I loved this routine. They incorporated 4-5 dance styles into one short routine. The choreography was excellent while hanging onto the B-Boy styles. I agree with J.C. that the ending was smart. They ended honoring African influence which is how they began the routine.

So Real Cru: I liked their routine; it looked like something you’d see a group of friends doing at a party. Lil Mama felt they struggled through the whole routine, which disappointed her at this point in the competition. Shane felt that they looked lost and showed that they did not have the true rhythm real dancers should have. J.C. was kinder and said they did shine in moments but it was not one of their best performances.

My first thought after these critiques was that we were heading for another Boogie Bots situation. Why would you tell a crew of dancers with two more challenges to perform, that they just proved that they didn’t have what it takes to be in this competition? Not a promising start to what should be an exciting show.

Challenge two: Start a dance craze by designing original music, lyrics and choreography.
Super Crew: They wanted to show the history of Super Cr3w and create a dance with their style that anyone could learn to do easily. Their track was called-S to the chest.

I really liked it. The S to the chest and S to the sky was easy to do and catchy. It was really funny when the camera would scan the crowd and show them trying to follow along. Talk about people with no rhythm. J.C. felt it might have represented Super Cr3w’s style a bit too much in the dancing moves but was identifiable. He said it was ok. Lil Mama thought it was fun but it wasn’t a great performance. She said they needed to stop thinking about the routines and start performing them because fans are still waiting for a great performance. Shane said it had what it needed to be a hit song and dance but he didn’t really like the performance. In fact, he thought it was one of their weakest performances so far.

SoReal Cru: They wanted to represent the dirty south. Their track was called Smash It Up.
I really liked the track and enjoyed the routine but it did border on too simple. I think it’d be a hit in the clubs though. Lil Mama, of course, didn’t find it exciting but did say she enjoyed it. Shane thought it was hot, something straight out of the hood. J.C. liked the track and thought the routine was well executed.

I agree with J.C. that the battle was now one win for each crew at this point. So now who brought it for the final challenge?

Challenge three: Last chance to prove why each crew was in the finale and should win the $100,000 prize.
Before each crew performed we saw a sympathy video with lots of crying about how much this win means to the dancers. I’ve become kind of jaded with TV editing these days and usually feel that I am being manipulated so I don’t really feel for them the way I should.

Super Cr3w: Danced to James Brown
Loved it. Lots of B-Boy moves, energy and great choreography. Just what I wanted from my favorite crew.

SoReal Cru: Danced to Lil Wayne
Loved it. Not only did they have their smooth groove but it seemed harder. It really felt like a battle everyone wanted to win.

If people were only voting for this show performance, picking a winner would be very hard. They both had good points and bad points but proved that they deserved to be in the final showdown.

VOTING INFO:
For the first time, text and phone voting will continue from last week and remain open until this Saturday, August 16th at 9am. So vote if you can!

For SoReal Cru - 1-887-RJCREW1
Text 1-22444

For Super Cr3w - 1-887-RJCREW2
Text 2-22444

Go to:
online voting

VOTING IS OPEN. Cast your vote for the hottest dance crew before polls close on Thursday, Aug 21 at 9:00 a.m. ET.

I can’t wait until next week to find out who wins!
I’ll be happy either way but my fingers are crossed for Super Cr3w.

Tonight, the remaining top two crews had to create a dance crazy from the bottom up. They had to design original music, lyrics and choreography that could be hot and start a dance craze, right now.

You be the judge.

Super Cr3w:
Song: S to the Chest

SoReal Cru:
Song: Smash It Up

Watch the people in the audience trying to do the moves.

NOTE: This will open a new window, taking you to MTV’s official site. The videos for Super Cr3w and SoReal Cru will begin after a few commercials.

In my previous ABDC Music post, it looks like I missed a few other music items from that episode of ABDC. Here it is now:

Like the “Dance Craze Challenge” from Season 1, crews were given a physical challenge to complete during their routine.
Dance Crew Dance Physical Challenge
Super Cr3w The Humpty Dance Perform the move with only 4 feet on the floor
SoReal Cru Kid N’ Play Create a chain reaction during the routine
Fanny Pak Vanilla Ice Perform the move horizontally

Challenge #2: Dance Movie Challenge

Crews must create a routine that incorporates elements of an 80s dance movie. Similar to the “Broadway Challenge” from Season 1, crews were given remixed versions of the songs from their respective movies:
SoReal Cru danced to the song Electro Beats from the movie Breakin’

Super Cr3w danced to the song Footloose from the movie Footloose

Fanny Pak danced to the song Maniac from the movie Flashdance

Most of the ABDC tickets are finally ready to be sold. You can check out all the ABDC tour dates and locations. That link also contains links to buy the tickets online.

It looks like the ABDC ticket price ranges between $26.50 - $59.50 depending on the seats and the venue. I’m always amazed at how much places like LA can charge for tickets.

Also, it looks like ABDC has added a few tour stops to the list of venues. Here’s the new tour stops or the change in dates for the LA ABDC tour stop.

Oct 16 Los Angeles, CA: NOKIA Theatre LA LIVE - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM PDT (This was originally Oct 12th)
Oct 19 Phoenix, AZ: Dodge Theatre - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM MST
Oct 22 Grand Prairie, TX: Nokia Theatre At Grand Prairie - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM CDT
Oct 23 Houston, TX: Jones Hall - Buy Your Tickets Onsale to General Public: Sat, 08/16/08 10:00 AM CDT

Tickets for the ABDC almost all go on sale on August 16, 2008 with most of them having a presale starting August 15, 2008.

Round 1: July 24th
The judges of America’s Best Dance Crew found themselves facing two crews that they felt were the best on the show. It was announced, B-boys Super Cr3w and Supreme Soul were dancing for their lives. The angry judges lashed out in frustration at the voters, strongly suggesting that America start voting right. Their eyes added an ‘or else’ feel to the message. After deliberations, Supreme Soul was sent home but not forgotten.

Round 2: July 31st
The judges had their chance for payback when Boogie Bot fans could not keep them out of eliminations. Earlier in the season, Lil Mama told Supreme Soul they needed to go harder, really stab the heart of the chicken. The judges united to do just that. Boogie Bots were verbally abused before being dismissed without any positive feedback. It was the first time in the history of the show that an eliminated crew was not given some love to soften the blow.

Voters were not amused.

Round 3: August 7
Voters united, voting relentlessly for SoReal Cru to force judges to once again face sending home one of their favorites. SoReal Cru became the biggest vote getter and was guaranteed a spot in the final battle. You could see that the judges were frustrated, as they had to choose between Super Crew and Fanny Pak. Earlier in the night, Shane said he felt that Fanny Pak was going to win this season. I’m sure it hurt for him to have to tell them that it was time to go home.

So what now?

Is the fighting over or just beginning?

Can the show producers trust America to vote right without manipulation?

Will the judges be sent to professional judging school so they can make sense?

Can the voting system be changed so that one person can only cast one vote? Will it?

Can, and more importantly, will America learn to vote right?

Finally, what is the definition of a right vote in a popularity contest?

I can’t believe how fast this season went by! Only one week left. I hope America voted my way right - Go Super Cr3w!!

I just wanted to take a moment to say a big Thank You to all those who read Something for Nothing. Nothing could make me happier than when I see a search on Google like this one. That means I’m offering something of value to the world and that makes me happy.

This SYTYCD, ABDC and Nashville Star summer season, this blog has set traffic records that have blown me away. It amazes me how many people have click through to read what’s been written on this blog. This blog started on a whim and has grown into a bit of a passion for me. However, I haven’t done it alone. This summer I brought on an incredible writer named Rocky. Not only has she written some incredible posts, but she’s also given me a lot of motivation to take this blog to the next level.

This Fall I’m planning to really take this blog to the next level by creating a TV blog network. I plan on starting out small and growing it organically. I’m always looking for people that are passionate about a TV show and interested in writing about it. If you are, then leave a comment on this post and I’ll get in touch with you.

Thanks to the hundreds of thousands of readers of this blog. You make this fun and interesting. I hope you’ll continue coming back, comment more and stay with me as I expand this blog like you haven’t seen before.

Thanks,
John Lynn
Editor, Something for Nothing