Sesame Street Wisdom...

This morning while getting my daughter ready for school we were watching Sesame Street. They we're introducing the letter "k."

Cookie Monster said he knew a word that started with "K" and it was "Kowabunga"
When the little blonde girl (don't know her name.. just a puppet kid) said that wasn't a word Cookie Monster actually said...

"It a bit esoteric, but it poetic in it own right."

Sweet.

KYLE - Plum Creek Front Porch Days - TODAY!

Plum Creek Front Porch Days Kyle, TX

May 7, 2006 come out to the Plum Creek Subdivision in Kyle, TX as we're celebrating the Fifth Annual Front Porch Days Celebration. Plum Creek is a 2,200-acre master-planned community located in the city of Kyle, Texas just 25 minutes south of Austin (down IH-35).

Sunday kicks off with the First Annual 5K Fun Run/Walk and Childrens 1K Fun Run. The day continues with the first EVER Plum Creek Music Festival (including Austins Ryan T. Briggs, Wendy Colonna, Six Easy Pieces and many more), radio remotes, inflatable games, a petting zoo, food, arts and crafts, contests, a presentation by a rose specialist, and much much more.

For more information about this, download the Official Program at http://www.plumcreektx.com.

Plum Creek Subdivision in Kyle to Host Community-Wide Garage Sale

When rain clears up, there should be some amazing bargains...

Plum Creek Subdivision in Kyle to Host Community-Wide Garage Sale

People who take advantage of garage sales are a special breed, they will get up before the rooster and comb over the paper to find the best ones. What if some of the best bargains in the area could be centralized in one place? Well, for the last five years, the community of Plum Creek in Kyle, Texas have been doing just that. This Saturday May 6, 2006 is the day for Plum Creek’s Fifth Annual Community-Wide Garage Sale.

Plum Creek is a 2,200-acremaster-planned community located in the city of Kyle, Texas just 10 minutes north of San Marcos (up IH-35). At this point, the subdivision is 1/4 developed and that means over 1,000 homes will potentially be having a garage sale.

Who knows what fantastic treasures will be found? Dressers? Beds? DVDs? Children’s clothes? Toys? The potential is limitless. “People have all kinds of stuff for sale - toys, clothing, furniture, books, blacklight posters - you can't go down the street without finding something of interest,” Kyle City Council (District 3) member and Plum Creek resident David Salazar said. “My wife Esperanza, who is a school teacher, has come home with some great children’s books.”

The great bargains are but one reason to come out to the community-wide garage sale. Another reason it is such a hit is it gives folks who are considering a move to the area a chance to talk with the residents of Plum Creek in an informal setting. It also gives residents of the neighborhood a chance to catch up on each other’s lives. “Few people aside from politicians and salespeople routinely make the effort to go door-to-door to meet people,” Salazar said. Events like this offer us great opportunities to meet other people in the community who we may not come across in the course of our busy lives.”

This garage sale is also special because it kicks off the Fifth Annual Front Porch Days Celebration as well. For more information on Front Porch Days, download the Official Program at http://www.plumcreektx.com.

So, come on out to Plum Creek’s Community-wide garage sale. Spend a few dollars and get a few treasures… It all takes place in one neighborhood and in one morning, Saturday, May 6, 2006 from 8:00a.m. – 1:00p.m.

FIRST EVER PLUM CREEK MUSIC FESTIVAL KYLE, TX

FEATURING RYAN T. BRIGGS, WENDY COLONNA, AND OTHER LOCAL AND REGIONAL BANDS

FIRST EVER PLUM CREEK MUSIC FESTIVAL – KYLE, TX

Three stages, ten bands/performers, two radio stations, and one neighborhood makes for a fantastic time. The First Ever Plum Creek Music Festival is going to take place on Sunday, May 7 from 11:00a.m. - 5:00p.m. in the Neighborhood of Plum Creek.

There will be the Plum Creek Stage in Plum Creek Square (11:00a.m. - 1:00p.m.) where there will be some performances by area kids and an Austin acoustic band. Both parks - The Electric Stage at McNaughton and Acoustic Stage at Haupt) will have live music from 1:00p.m. - 5:00p.m. with Haupt Park having Majic 95.5 between 11:00a.m. - 1:00p.m. and McNaughton having Mix 94.7 between 3:00p.m. - 5:00p.m.

PLUM CREEK STAGE
11:00a.m.-1:00p.m. Plum Creek Square
Sponsored by Plum Creek Development
11:00a.m. – 11:25a.m.: Brooke Lowden School
of Dance
11:30a.m. – 11:55 a.m.: Academy of Martial Arts
12:00noon – 1:00p.m.: Jaime Joseph Band - jaimejoseph.com

LUCKY CUP COFFEEHOUSE STAGE
5:00p.m.: Spencer Thomas


HAUPT PARK
1:00p.m. – 5:00p.m. Live Music - “The Acoustic Stage”
Sponsored by Plum Creek School of Music
1:00p.m – 1:45p.m.: Bruce Falgren
2:00p.m – 3:00p.m.: Jenny Hollub - jennyhollub.com
3:15p.m – 5:00p.m.: Ryan T. Briggs - ryantbriggs.com

MCNAUGHTON PARK
1:00p.m. – 5:00p.m. Live Music - “The Electric Stage”
Sponsored by the Fellowship at Plum Creek
and Sean Claes Publicity
1:00p.m – 1:45p.m.: Wendy Colonna - wendycolonna.com
2:00p.m – 3:00p.m:. Six Easy Pieces - myspace.com/sixeasypieces
3:15p.m – 5:00p.m.: MindSpin

The Plum Creek Music Festival will be part of Plum Creek’s Front Porch Days. For more information about this, download the Official Program at plumcreektx.com

A Survey thing... 10 Music Artists

LIST 10 MUSICAL ARTISTS YOU LIKE (DO THIS BEFORE READING THE QUESTIONS BELOW):

1. Edwin McCain MySpace Profile, http://www.edwin.com/
2. Los Lobos - MySpace Profile, http://www.loslobos.org/
3. Darrell Scott - MySpace Profile, http://www.darrellscott.com/
4. Terri Hendrix - MySpace Profile, http://www.terrihendrix.com/
5. Black Crowes - MySpace Profile, http://www.blackcrowes.com
6. Full Service - MySpace Profile, http://www.fullservicemusic.com/
7. Nooner - MySpace Profile, http://noonerrock.com/
8. George Strait - MySpace Profile, http://www.georgestrait.com/
9. KISS - (no official link)
10. Hank Williams III - MySpace Profile, http://www.hank3.com/


-What was the first song you ever heard by 6?
The first one I can really recall hearing is Late January

What is your favorite album by number 8?
Strait Out Of The Box the man cant record a bad song.

-What is your favorite lyric of 5?
You can lead a horse to water
But faith is another matter
So dont you surrender
Cause sometimes salvation
In the eye of the storm
- Sometimes Salvation

-How many times have you seen 4 live?
Too many to count. Ive watched Terri Hendrix for 10 years.from playing a open mic night in 1996 to the Old Settlers Music Festival to SXSW (2006) and The Texas Music History Unplugged (most recent photos on my homepage.)

-What is your favorite song by 7?
Party People it straight-up rocks.

-Is there a song of 3 that makes you sad?
Hes written some fantastic sad songs Six OClock In The Morning
Some men have a god
That keeps them from harm
Some men have a bottle
At the end of their arm.

I have a child that calls me Dad
I long to give her what I never had
Like waking up and feeling glad
It's six oclock in the morning



-What is your favorite lyric of 2?
Whats my favorite Los Lobos Lyric? Wow Um Probably from One Time One Night In America:

A wise man was telling stories to me
about the places he had been to and the things that he had seen

A quiet voice is singing something to me
An age old song 'bout the home of the brave and this land here of the free,
One time one night in America

-What is your favorite song by 9?
Goin Blind off their first album
or Domino off Revenge

-How did you get into 3?
I think I had Aloha From Nashville for a few years before I actually put it in the CD player. My wife had it too and told me I should give it a listen I didnt take that CD out of my CD player for about 6 months. It should be required listening to all. Its one of me 2 desert island CDs.

-What is your favorite song by 4?
Quiet Me

-How many times have you seen 9 live?
Two times.. and they were both totally amazing. Say what you want.. KISS puts on the best live show in the land.

-What is a good memory concerning 2?
I hung out with Conrad Lozano a couple of months ago and got to meet them all amazing. I sing Sabor A Mi to my wife. I took my sister to a Los Lobos concert hardly ever spent time with her as an adult its a good memory.

- Is there a song by 8 that makes you sad?
I dont know Nobody In His Right Mind Would Have Left Her is one I guess

What is your favorite song by 1?
How Strange It Seems is rockin and I always have loved Solitude.

-How did you become a fan of 10?
I was in Old Town Spring (outside of Houston, TX) shopping with some friends and they shop owner was playing the CD so I found out who it was bought the CD.

The seanclaesDOTcom Update

The SeanclaesDOTcom Update

Latest Interview:


SINIS Rocks the Cantina! Austin rock band SINIS broke up in 2002 has decided to come together in the name of sloppy-rock with a killer stage show for a 2 night stand at the Flamingo Cantina on May 5 and 6, 2006. I had a chance to sit down with Krank Von Shaft and Johnny Thundernips to talk about their favorite subject them.
This story is running in the April 2006 issue of INsite (http://www.insiteaustin.com)

CD Reviews
Ive archived all of the 2005 reviews and posted new reviews:
Deep Eddy Records Presents - Big Wave Riders
Exile To Naples- You Belong To Me
Shelly Knight and the Livin' Dead - S/T
Brandon Rhyder- Conviction
Tee Double- The Growth

Live Music Photos
- Iungo Online Magazine Launch Party @ Ruta Maya (San Antonio)
- Texas Music History Unplugged 6 @ Texas State University San Marcos
- SXSW-Week photos lots and lots of pictures

Notes From The Cubicle
This is my Blog I update it at least once a week

Sean Claes Archives
Visit and say hello...
My Interviews archive holds everything Ive done up to December 2005
My CD Review Archive now holds my CD Reviews up to December 2005
SeanclaesDOTcom Links links to many of the publications Ive written for in the pastand present.

I run sound for God....

I've always wanted to learn how to run a sound board... being an entertainment writer and loving to be around music, I thought..what better way to get involved than by helping make the sound work better... so when the music director at my church announced last Sunday that she needed someone interested in running the sound for the church I jumped at the chance. Now, this is just a small step. The church had a capacity of about 120 and the choir is about 10 people on a good day.... but hey... I'm sure Phil Spector got his start at a church... right?

Last night I went to the first choir practice. I got used to the sound board and found that my main job would be to "press play" on the CD player for the big Easter service choir recital. Then make sure no feedback happens and the music doesn't overpower the choir... easy enough. I did it in about 2 minutes and I had time to sit and think.

I've been an entertainment writer for over 10 years. It's part of my "job" to listen to bands and dissect lyrics but I'd never done that for church music...

I started to listen to the words of the music. Wow... I know it sounds odd, but I never thought of "church music" as something with amazing lyrical content. I grew up singing "Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me" but I never thought about the meaning... it was just something that I did. Going through the motions I guess. I mean I've got my faith in God and we have a relationship that is special to me but I hadn't sat back and listened to the words before.

One of the lyrics that blew me away in particular was "And though He taught me how to live/ I'm the one who taught Him how to die / And I'm the one to blame /I caused all His pain /He gave Himself the day He wore my crown"
(From "The Day He Wore My Crown")

Wow... I'm 33 years old and before yesterday I don't think I really understood the meaning behind Easter. It's easy to say "Jesus died for my sins." But when you think about it it's an amazing thing... here's this person who I've never met in the flesh who lived before I was even a concept of a life and he died for me.

I guess it's easy for skeptics to dismiss this thought... I never dismissed it, but I never thought about it either. last night I thought about it. It amazed me.

So, I'm the sound man for God. If you'd like to come to the Kyle United Methodist Church next Sunday you can see me work. Maybe you'll hear something you'd never heard before. Hopefully not feedback...The choir sounds amazing and that's not because of me pressing a button.

Corporate Coffee Sucks!!!

.... he says while drinking a wonderful Caramel Macchiato from Starbucks... damn gift cards... Mmmm... this is good.

Seattle's Best has a damn good Latte...

(the attempt to save oneself)... Ruta Maya has the best drip coffee in town... The Hideout ain't no slouches at good coffee either.

So I suck corporate coffee! Um.. I mean... never mind.
Drink what you want... they'll make more.

A few random questions...

Just a few questions that are running around in my head...

- Is it pronounced REsearch, reSEARCH, or raasearch?

- Those little clear single-serve orange juices... do any of them actually taste like orange juice?

- I had a root canal on Monday. The dentist said it's just a "little" root canal. Is there really such a thing as a "little" root canal?

- Why is it the people that make the most money are the ones that get the most free? I mean when rich people get stuff for free it's called a "fringe benefit." When poor people get stuff for free they're "sponging off the government" or stealing. What is worse? Getting a free chicken to feed your family or getting a free limo-ride to a show? Who's the real a-hole?

- Are Converse tennis shoes supposed to kill your feet after wearing them for more than a few hours or am I just not wearing them right? Do these things have an age limit on them? I think I'm over my "able to wear Converse" age limit.

- Why does Advil taste like candy?

- If a woodchuck can't "chuck" wood.. why is it called that?

Iungo Launch Party 3/31 (Friday)

More on Iungo....just in case you need graphics...

A new International Online Magazine called Iungo is coming. I am the Music Editor.

The music section of the premiere issue will offer features on Fall Out Boy, Nooner (Austin), Full Service (Austin), and an exclusive interview with OK Go conducted during SXSW-week.

A sample of other sections of Iungo include:
Visual Art
Interview with Ricky Armendariz (Blue Star Art Gallery)
Interview with Ben Mata (Mata Works)
 
Performance Art
RemiXX Retrospective (Steve Bailey, Jump-Start Theater)
Mardi Gras post Katrina (Jose Torres Tama, New Orleans)
Point of View on Art Consumption (Victoria Garcia de Marquez)
 
Literary Arts
Anthony Flores, poems from "Hold Your Tongue" Poet
Anel Flores - excerpts from AriaAsada, a novel
 
Music
Nooner - Interview (Sean Claes)
Full Service - Interview (Sean Claes)
Fall Out Boy - Interview (Briana Reinertsen)
OK Go - Video Interview Exclusive to Iungo
 
Film
Gustavo Stebbner - two short films (New York)
Dora Pena - The Business of Art (Natl Association of Latino Independent Producers)
 
Applied Arts
Jason Limon - Interview (Desiree Yanes)
Claire Rocher - Haute Couture report (Paris)
Art and Technology - Caroline Ha (London)
 
Culture
Community Efficacy through Progressive Theater (Joel Settles) 
Ron Garcia - Branding your Art (San Antonio)


Iungo will host a launch party this Friday at Ruta Maya in San Antonio. Austin band Full Service will be playing an all-acoustic set at the launch party. Anthony Flores will be performing some of his awesome poetry (emphasis on performing...he's great). There will be more entertainment and of course there will be viewing stations to witness first-hand the new Online Magazine.

Click graphic below to visit Iungo online or join Iungo on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/iungo



iungo
LIFE • ART