Onus Playhouse

Reynold is brought to justice for his ghastly crimes and pays the ultimate price, whatever the hell that means!  CASTTom Reynolds - Serene DominicWarden Crosley - Jim DustanJoanna -  Kristen SaggauJemsek - Andrew JemsekVoices of School Children -Anna Maria Sanchez  Narrator -  Kevin Vaughan-BrubakerSongs in this episode include "You're Gonna Know All About Me ( Reprise), " "So Help Me Jesus" and "Detour."All songs were written by Serene Dominic and performed by San Jacinto Prison BandOriginal Cast Album available on Onus RecordsDark Lullaby was directed by Sheri Amour & Serene DominicOriginal Musical Score  by Steve AsettaFashions by Botany 5000    Click here to stream the Original Podcast Cast Album available on Onus RecordsClick here to stream the incidental musical score by Steve Asetta, also on Onus Records.

Reynolds hides out in a town that has gone to the dogs, or rather one dog with pink fur and a rabid following named Fancy.   We'll learn about Bill Fishoff and his family and almost nothing about Psychic Bobby, the telepathic bounty hunter from Wichita Falls.CASTTom Reynolds - Serene Dominic Bill Fishoff - Mark Stinson Honeybell Fishoff  -  Kristen SaggauRiley Fishoff - Chris Doyle Father Merv - Paisley Yanklovich Psychic Bobby - Brodie HubbardDistraught Jogger - Anna Maria SanchezNarrator -  Kevin Vaughan-BrubakerSongs in this episode include "The Day Our Fancy Died" and "The Town Invader."All songs were written by Serene Dominic and performed by San Jacinto Prison BandOriginal Cast Album available on Onus RecordsDark Lullaby was directed by Sheri Amour & Serene DominicOriginal Musical Score  by Steve AsettaFashions by Botany 5000 Click here to stream the Original Podcast Cast Album available on Onus RecordsClick here to stream the incidental musical score by Steve Asetta, also on Onus Records.

Reynolds form an uneasy alliance with Lyndetta and attempt selling Roscoe Des Moines' cream-colored Cadillac. They hole up at the Blue Willow Motel outside of Phoenix and waste no time in pretending to be a -married couple and finding out more about their actual lives.CASTTom Reynolds - Serene DominicLyndetta - Dayna DonovanNarrator -  Kevin Vaughan-BrubakerSongs in this episode include " Peek-A-Boo" and "Why I Don't Deserve You."All songs were written by Serene Dominic and performed by San Jacinto Prison BandLyndetta’s singing was performed by Sheridan WoodOriginal Cast Album available on Onus RecordsDark Lullaby was directed by Sheri Amourr & Serene DominicOriginal Musical Score by Steve AsettaFashions by Botany 5000Click here to stream the Original Podcast Cast Album available on Onus RecordsClick here to stream the incidental musical score by Steve Asetta, also on Onus Records.

Reynolds takes on another man’s identity and comes across another man’s nightmare, in the form of a troublesome dame named Lyndetta. She has Reynold's number and never tires telling him that very number is finally up. CASTTom Reynolds - Serene DominicLyndetta - Dayna Donovan Gas Attendant  -  Anthony LiccesseNarrator -  Kevin Vaughan-BrubakerSongs in this episode include " I Don't Like You, Mister" and "Married Couple."All songs were written by Serene Dominic and performed by San Jacinto Prison BandLyndetta’s singing was performed by Sheridan Wood Original Cast Album available on Onus RecordsDark Lullaby was directed by Sheri Amourr & Serene DominicOriginal Musical Score by Steve AsettaFashions by Botany 5000 Click here to stream the Original Podcast Cast Album available on Onus RecordsClick here to stream the incidental musical score by Steve Asetta, also on Onus Records.

Reynolds blows his job playing third siranghi from the left at a new Indian Restaurant called The Jolly Raja. Then he decides to go to Pasadena to be with Joanna again and takes an ill-fated ride with Roscoe Des Moines, a conspicuous King of the Road as ever there was one. And along the way, he learns no one will believe a penniless hitch-hiker.Tom Reynolds - Serene DominicJoanna -  Kristen SaggauMr. Punabi - Ernesto MoncadaMr. Sunniver - Kevin Vaughn Brubaker Roscoe Des Moines - JoobsNarrator -  Kevin Vaughan-BrubakerSongs in this episode include "I Prefer, " "When the Woman In Your Heart Is the Woman In Your Arms" and "Please Let Me Back In Your Life."All songs were written by Serene Dominic and performed by San Jacinto Prison Band"When the Woman In Your Heart Is the Woman In Your Arms" was written by Serene Dominic and Ernesto Moncada Original Cast Album available on Onus RecordsDark Lullaby was directed by Sheri Amourr & Serene DominicOriginal Musical Score by Steve AsettaFashions by Botany 5000Click here to stream the Original Podcast Cast Album available on Onus RecordsClick here to stream the incidental musical score by Steve Asetta, also on Onus Records. 

How do you steel yourself against a random universe that seems determined to turn you into an accidental killing machine? Onus Playhouse attempts to answer that question with Dark Lullaby, the Serene Dominic musical directed for the stage by Sheri Amourr for four performances in downtown Phoenix  in  2018. Our story begins in 1989 at San Jacinto Federal Prison, which periodically invites troubled teens from Lymon Juvenile Detention Facility to listen to Death Row prisoners' hard luck storied in an attempt to discourage them from a life of crime. And music. Enter Tom Reynolds, a once-gainfully employed guitar player now fronting a death row prison band. Reynolds recounts how trying to get to the West Coast to reunite with his actress girlfriend Joanna, led to a string of accidental murders.Songs in this episode include "San Jacinto Death Row Prison Band," "Titillation" and "You're Gonna Know All About Me." Cast:Tom Reynolds - Serene DominicWarden Oliver Crosley - Jim DustanStinson - Mark Stinson Pasco  -  Anthony LiccesseJemsek - Andrew JemsekJoanna -  Kristen SaggauTed Shackleford - Matt StrangwayesScary Foot Fetish Prisoner - TR PressNarrator -  Kevin Vaughan-BrubakerJoanna’s singing was performed by Lisa MarmurAll songs were written by Serene Dominic and performed by San Jacinto Prison BandOriginal Cast Album available on Onus RecordsDark Lullaby was directed by Sheri Amourr & Serene DominicOriginal Musical Score by Steve AsettaAlso available on Onus RecordsFashions by Botany 5000 Click here to stream the Original Podcast Cast Album available on Onus RecordsClick here to stream the incidental musical score by Steve Asetta, also on Onus Records.

In this second part of this episode, Serene speaks frankly about his worst-ever album or least loved album anyway. Cutting Tailor Modern is the sixth of eight albums he recorded for the RPM Challenge in the month of February, 2015 (where you record a whole album in 28 days).  It didn't get released so much as it escaped, with Serene trying to get other people to record the individual songs as Onus Records' Single of the Weekend instead of pushing a latest album under people's noses.Among the topics discussed in this next  batch of songs: royalty free sax,  loss of faith, U2,  the six or seven stages of grief,  Donovan, Levi Stubbs Jr. and Richard Nixon's farewell speech to the White House staff.Songs include "E.T.A.," "The Fight In Me," "I Am the Perpetrator," "What's 1 More Soul 2 the Devil?"  "Shoulda Never Left,"  "Passionless" and  "Come On Richard."Click here to stream the entire Cutting Tailor Modern album.Click here to read the backstory of The Dee Cups and hear their identical version of   "I Am the Perpetrator."Click here to read the backstory of Donna Fortunata and hear Margo Brookover's version of "What's 1 More Soul 2 the Devil?."Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:00 MST on facebook.com/serenedominicClick here to learn about the history and  guidelines of The RPM Challenge.Click here to take part in The Rpm Challenge.*

In the first part of this two-part episode, Serene speaks frankly about his worst-ever album or least loved album anyway. Cutting Tailor Modern is the sixth of eight albums he recorded for the RPM Challenge in the month of February, 2015 (where you record a whole album in 28 days).  It didn't get released so much as it escaped, with Serene trying to get other people to record the individual songs as Onus Records' Single of the Weekend instead of pushing a latest album under people's noses.Shell-shocked from a sudden breakup and the loss of a patriarch several months before, Serene goes on a multi-song pity jag.  Among the topics discussed in this first  batch of songs: popping caps and taking Phil Collins at face value, a dance craze for the hesitant, Elvis Presley's last bowel movement and  fading songs out. Songs include "Primitive Man (I Ask You)," "C'mon Do the Hesitation," "I've Known Her to Be That Way," "(You're In) Girlfriend Heaven (Now)"  "Ginger Come Running,"   and  "Our Ship Has Sailed."Click here to stream the entire Cutting Tailor Modern albumClick here to read the backstory of The Braille Building and hear David Jensen's version of "I've Known Her to Be That Way."Click here to read the backstory of Morbos ("The Sunnyslope Surrealist") and hear his identical version of "Ginger Come Running."Click here to Zack Phillips' version of "Our Ship Has Sailed."Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:00 MST on facebook.com/serenedominicClick here to learn about the history and  guidelines of The RPM Challenge.Click here to take part in The Rpm Challenge.

In this solo episode, Serene talks about For Your Extreme Convenience, the fifth of eight albums he recorded for the RPM Challenger in the month of February, 2014. In this album, every song either takes place in an office or is work related. Song subjects include office lovers going against their employee handbook that prohibits them from content writing, writing songs for soon-to-be-ex girfriends, working for your baby, brownnosing, getting jumped, paying the cost to be the boss and spending the night in the doghouse.Songs include "Content," "Mañana," "Working Man," "Sweet Interference/3 PM Sugar Crash,"  "I Got Jumped," "Can I Be Forgiven Now" and "Turndown Night Service."Click here to stream the entire For Your Extreme Convenience albumClick here to hear Adrian Evans of Sugar High's cover version of "Anti Stress Zen Garden"Click here to read Serene's 1994 interview with The Moody Blues' John Lodge, whose landmark Days of Future Passed album was a big influence on For Your Extreme Convenience.Click here to subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:00 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic

In this solo episode, Serene talks about For Your Extreme Convenience, the fifth of eight albums he recorded for the RPM Challenger in the month of February, 2014. In this album, every song either takes place in an office or is work related. Song subjects include office lovers going against their employee handbook that prohibits them from dating, office pranksters, rush hour, desktop anti-stress zen gardens and Power Point!Songs include "Snoozebar/Days of Futile Tasks," "Anti-Stress Zen Garden," Filibuster," "The Office Lovers,"  "Selfie"  and   "Come Power Pointing With Me"Click here to stream the entire For Your Extreme Convenience albumClick here to hear Adrian Evans of Sugar High's cover version of "Anti Stress Zen Garden"Click here to read Serene's 1994 interview with The Moody Blues' John Lodge, whose landmark Days of Future Passed album was a big influence on For Your Extreme Convenience.Click here to subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:00 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic

Reynolds takes an ill-fated ride with Roscoe Des Moines, a conspicuous King of the Road is as ever there was one. And along the way, he learns no one will believe a penniless hitch-hiker.CASTTom Reynolds - Serene DominicRoscoe Des Moines - JoobsJoanna -  Kristen SaggauMr. Punabi - Ernesto MoncadaNarrator -  Kevin Vaughan-BrubakerSongs in this episode include "Cream Colored Cadillac, " "All That Gorgeous Going To Waste" and "Down to the Ravine."All songs were written by Serene Dominic and performed by San Jacinto Prison BandOriginal Cast Album available on Onus RecordsDark Lullaby was directed by Sheri Amourr & Serene DominicOriginal Musical Score  by Steve AsettaFashions by Botany 5000  Click here to stream the Original Podcast Cast Album available on Onus RecordsClick here to stream the incidental musical score by Steve Asetta, also on Onus Records.

The bonus episode of this Onus Playhouse podcast highlights the hidden tracks and outtakes of  the Serene Dominic album, Speculation, recorded in the month of February 2013 and tinkered with until he stopped and released it, if you can call it that, on August 13, 2013. Songs include "Wearing Out My Welcome," "Juggernaut," "I Love You More Than The Town," "The Loner's Code,"  "Much Too Much Woman"  and a mercifully brief snippet of the acapella version of  "Music"Click here to stream the entire Speculation albumClick here to watch "The Amnesia Record Club" video directed by Running Wild FilmsClick here to see the photographic evidence of Serene's 2015 record collection collapsing onto itself!!Click here to subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:00 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic

The latest episode of this Onus Playhouse podcast highlights more of  the Serene Dominic album, Speculation, released August 13, 2013. In Part 2, Serene and co-host Steve Asetta  run down the next seven songs of a record Serene used to delight  in telling people is a better album than Rumours. Find out what Speculation track our hosts  consider Less Killer and More Filler, what delivery system  Serene first discovered  and fell in love with Miss Wanda Jackson,  what two songwriting exercises Serene utilizes to clear the  cobwebs and what town back east Serene considers a shithole. Songs include "1791 (ye olde delivery system...)," "The Girl Singer," "Woulda Coulda," "Designated Driver," "Edison"  and "You Sexy, Sexy Sex Fiend You!" Plus a bonus cut, "Wearing Out My Welcome."Click here to stream the entire Speculation albumClick here to watch "The Amnesia Record Club" video directed by Running Wild FilmsClick here to see the photographic evidence of Serene's 2015 record collection collapsing onto itself!!Click here to subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:00 MST on facebook.com/serenedominicEpisode is LivePublished: Mar. 13, 2021 @ 5AM EditUnpublishAdd a TranscriptGet episode better indexed by search engines.Add Chapter MarkersListeners can tap through & see what’s coming up.Create a Visual SoundbiteBest way to share to social media for engagement.Share Episode OnFacebookTwitter

The latest episode of this Onus Playhouse podcast highlights another Serene Dominic album, Speculation, released August 13, 2013. In Part 1, Serene and co-host Steve Asetta  run down the first six songs of  the Speculation album, a record Serene used to delight  in telling people is a better album than Rumours, a view  no one drawing breath has ever shared. But it is nay bad and its conceptual theme placing  music front and center as the subject of every song  has never been attempted, unless there's a Johnny Mann Singers album we haven't heard about. Serene and Steve kibitz about record clubs that expanded our record collections, the RCA Record Club and their poor quality "Dynaflex" vinyl and file sharing sites like Limewire and Frostwire that ultimately ruined the record industry. Find out what mislabeled record club edition of an album was a life changing moment for Serene or Steve and which one was just a major annoyance. And learn what happened the first time Serene sang into a live microphone.Songs include "2791 (a new delivery system...)," "The Amnesia Record Club," "If U Didn't Want Me To Look @ It (U Shouldn't Have Shown It 2 Me)," "You Can Love a Song," "I Can't Sing Boston"  and "Music (I Want to Thank You)."Click here to stream the entire Speculation albumClick here to watch "The Amnesia Record Club" video directed by Running Wild FilmsClick here to see the photographic evidence of Serene's 2015 record collection collapsing onto itself!!Click here to subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:00 MST on facebook.com/serenedominicEpisode is LivePublished: Jan. 10, 2021 @ 5AM EditUnpublishAdd a TranscriptGet episode better indexed by search engines.Add Chapter MarkersListeners can tap through & see what’s coming up.Create a Visual SoundbiteBest way to share to social media for engagement.Share Episode OnFacebookTwitterLinkedInMore OptionsEmail Link to Episode CopyDirect Link to MP3 Copy

Serene and Steve tackle the last six songs (plus a hidden track - aww, the wonders of the compact disc) of  the Winter Trance Party album, a song cycle that originally set out to be the soundtrack to a children's story Serene wrote about a bunch of kids that communicate with the dead rock stars, specifically those who perished during  of the Winter Dance Party of 1959 when a charter plane crashed in a frozen cornfield and took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. While the morose children's story never got turned into an app as originally intended (the paid app was going to include the album for free),  he did succeed in crafting  a suitably psychedelic chill down album. Serene and Steve go into length about the death of Tanya Roberts, the Everly Brothers' most morbid disk, how Nino Rota's score for 'The Godfather' was declared ineligible,  Serene's Catholic School gym shorts, James Brown's star turn in Ski Party, Steve defining what Calabash means to beer drinkers, Joe Meek's morbid fascination with Buddy Holly  and Why old master painters put their ugly mugs in to their Madonna and Child paintings.Songs include "Don't Lost That Rock, Child! ," "Suspend Your Disbelief," "Cold Day in December," "I Rebelled Last Night," "Take Your Little Heart and Go," "Calabash"  and "Goodbyes in The Snow."Click here to stream the entire Winter Trance Party album!Click here to watch all the Winter Trance Party and subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Check out the Buddy Holly biography Serene was reading during the making of this album!Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:30 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic

Serene and Steve survey the first six songs of  the  Winter Trance Party album, a song cycle that originally set out to be the soundtrack to a children's story Serene wrote about a bunch of kids that communicate with the dead rock stars, specifically those who perished during  of the Winter Dance Party of 1959when a charter plane crashed in a frozen cornfield and took the lives of Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. While the morose children's story never got turned into an app as originally intended (the paid app was going to include the album for free),  he did succeed in crafting  a suitably psychedelic chill down album. Serene and Steve go into length about the Winter Dance Party and go off on some tangents involving defense attorney Melvin  Belli, Peter Pan records, The Million Dollar Movie and Sy Sperling., the President of Hair Club for MenSongs include "Friendly Angel Revisited," "Winter Trance Party," "Crazed Shape Shifter," "Rezo Para Donna," "Heartbreaking Machine"  and "Carbon Footprint Man."Click here to stream the entire Winter Trance Party album!Click here to watch all the Winter Trance Party and subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Check out the Buddy Holly biography Serene was reading during the making of this album!Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:30 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic

Here Serene and Steve run down the final six songs of Serene's figurative double album, the  24 Originals Happening Now album, which was modeled after a 1967 TV record album offer called  24 Original Happening Hits. This miracle of science crammed 24 songs onto two sides of vinyl by severely editing and prematurely fading out all your favorites. Musical genres covered on this last installment  include 80s technopop, Steampunk (or at least what Serene think's steampunk would sound like if it were an actual musical genre), progressive rock, Britrock R&B, muzak and garage rock.  We'll learn the backstories of fictional musical acts like Mr. Catherine to U, Weather Gnome, Watson The Telly and The Makeup Sect. And as usual, we'll expound on topics like TV technical difficulties of yesteryear, fluttering eyelids and snobbery while Nino, Steve's faithful dog makes some really unsettling sounds that pass without comment.Songs include "Lies About the World," "Queensbury Rules,"  "Eye Throb," "Strength Was Always Your Weakness," "Please Stand By"  and "Real Revolting"Click here to watch all 24 Original Happening Now Videos and subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Click here to stream the entire 24 Originals Happening Now! album.Click here to  stream a Spotify playlist of the 24 Original Happening Hits! collection that inspired this album (only one song had to be substituted).Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:30 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic 

Here Serene and Steve run down side 2 of Serene's figurative double album, the  24 Originals Happening Now album, which was modeled after a 1967 TV record album offer called  24 Original Happening Hits. This miracle of science crammed 24 songs onto two sides of vinyl by severely editing and prematurely fading out all your favorites (at least Australians saw the sense in deleting four tracks to accommodate 20 Original Happening Hits with the proper song lengths in future reiterations). Musical genres covered on side 2  include Motown ("My Secret Life" is presented here for the first time in its 2020 supermix), Bakersfield country, disco, Merseybeat, electro clash and charity records. Conversational tangents include Cyndi Lauper's jewelry, the danceability of Brook Benton records, Yankees bat day swag and the 1964 World's Fair.Songs include "My Secret Life," "What Are You In For?"  "Mutha Earth," "Agony," "Maintenance"  and "Let's See Other People."Click here to watch all 24 Original Happening Now Videos and subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Click here to stream the entire 24 Originals Happening Now! album.Click here to  stream a Spotify playlist of the 24 Original Happening Hits! collection that inspired this album (only one song had to be substituted).Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:30 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic

Here Serene and Steve run down side 3 of Serene's figurative double album, the  24 Originals Happening Now album, which was modeled after a 1967 TV record album offer called  24 Original Happening Hits. This miracle of science crammed 24 songs onto two sides of vinyl by severely editing and prematurely fading out all your favorites. Musical genres covered on this baker's half dozen  include bubblegum, Philly Soul, goodtime music, grunge, countrypolitan and psychedelia.  Edited out for your protection, the pair wasted a lot of time looking up minutia on the internet about such subjects as  "did Ian Whitcomb write 'This Sporting Life" and "did Tom Waits ever cover a Buck Owens record." Existential questions posed by this podcast  include the meaning of "wolf tickets," how did Cole Summers get his first DUI in Marin County and should Ethel Merman's disco album be designated as a weapon of war.Songs include "Your Heart Ain't Saying," "I've Got So Much To Forgive,"  "If Tallulah Were Mine," "Tight Wad," "Scranton"  and "Yellow Shampoo."Click here to watch all 24 Original Happening Now Videos and subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Click here to stream the entire 24 Originals Happening Now! album.Click here to  stream a Spotify playlist of the 24 Original Happening Hits! collection that inspired this album (only one song had to be substituted).Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:30 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic 

Here Serene and Steve run down the first six songs of what would figuratively be  a double album on vinyl, the  24 Originals Happening Now album, which was modeled after a 1967 TV record album offer called  24 Original Happening Hits. This miracle of science crammed 24 songs onto two sides of vinyl by severely editing and prematurely fading out all your favorites, which K-Tel also did later on. Serene has a back history for each of the 24 made up groups he concocted for each selection.  Musical genres covered on Side 1  include jangle-pop (Serene actually tried getting  "Unfriend Me" to the Gin Blossoms with no success), Britrock, indie rock, glitter, lounge and white-boy reggae. Other topics of discussion include Esteban, the merits of the  Kia Spectra EX,  the question of whether  Phil Spector is allowed  to wear wigs in jail and how a movie might have killed off friends with benefits for everyone.Songs include "Unfriend Me," "The Lights Go Down and Out" "Independent Thought," "Sarsaparilla Lillian," "That Lounging"  and "FWB (Friends With Benefits)."Click here to watch all 24 Original Happening Now Videos and subscribe to the Serene Dominic YouTube channel!Click here to stream the entire 24 Originals Happening Now! album.Click here to  stream a Spotify playlist of the 24 Original Happening Hits! collection that inspired this album (only one song had to be substituted).Catch Serene Dominic's weekly livecast "The Human Torch Floor Show" every Thursday at 8:30 MST on facebook.com/serenedominic