Transmissions are expensive and they seem to go in the worst situations. David Greenberger and his wife were driving back to Saratoga Springs when theirs went near the Henrietta exit. They holed up at a MicroTel Inn, rented a car at RentAwreck and found their way to Craig Autometric on East Avenue where their car had been towed. They had some dinner at 2 Vine and spotted a poster for Margaret Explosion at the Little Theater. They were there when we showed up. Jenna Weintraub from the Horse Lovers played some beautiful saw on few tunes.
Ten or fifteen years ago Chuck Cuminale, aka Colorblind James, gave a us a small stack of David’s magazine, The Duplex Planet. We loved it. Chuck was contributing to the Refrigerator at the time and David sent us one of his cds. He has worked with Terry Adams, Robyn Hitchcock, Dave Alvin, Drew Friedman and David Hidalgo and Louie Perez of Los Lobos. Coincidentally, our friends Pete and Shelley had crossed paths with David and we sent David a Margaret Explosion cd with Pete on it. David liked it and contacted us about the possibility of doing a recording project some day.
David was a regular contributor to National Public Radio’s “All Things Considered” so you may have already heard him. He has a new cd called “Cherry Ping Apple Blossom Time”. Milwaukee musician, Paul Cebar, supplies the music and David reads dialog from elderly Milwaukeeans with memory loss. There are 38 delightful tracks on the cd and you can download them all from Thrill Jockey for $10.
3 Comments
Man, that guy is great. Love the Duplex Planet comics so much.
He read at All Of Us/Writers & Books a while back & really won
the crowd over, too. Very grateful to him for remembering &
recording the thoughts of so many interesting people.
That’s “Cherry Picking Apple Blossom Time,” FWIW. Big fan of Duplex Planet, and last saw David when he toured with Chandler Travis. They played at Jazzberry’s on East Avenue before it folded and turned into Milestones.
There’s a Duplex Planet group on Facebook; sign up and Barbara will periodically post deals on back issues, CD’s etc. Picked up the Fifty Back Issues w/free copy of The Duplex Planet Radio Hour 2 CD set deal a few months ago; I see it is still available through their website (along with otherr items) here: http://www.duplexplanet.com/giftshop.html
It being July 1st, I don’t think David would mind me reposting the July poem he sent out to the Duplex Planet Group on Facebook:
Subject: JULY by Ernest Noyes Brookings
Here it is, the July poem by Ernie:
July
by Ernest Noyes Brookings (1898-1987)
July seventh month of each fiscal year
Birthdays twelfth Abraham Lincoln, twenty-second George Washington
In colonial days Puritans enjoyed lager beer
At one time crossed the Delaware River thought “Goshington!”
In addition he led colonial troops to battle red coat British
On July 4, 1776 Independence, free from all slavery bond
One thought — can any of you speak Yiddish?
Could freedom be attainable by waving a wand?
Generally a month of vacation and late roses
All citizens and families enjoy the thorny flower
Which grow on vines on trellises, water with hoses
They are on vines in garden bushes, not on top of tower
Their color red and yellow, on thorny long vine
As the season advances lose their petals, result faded petal
Not being children they have no voice and can not whine
Being plants none of their parts are made of metal
Outside Central Congregation Church
After cleaning the yard of rubbish and trash
We pray God help us to continue work with no shirk
Consider your existence without any brown hash
At a seaside summer resort
Where patrons were playing games
Several were heard to retort —
Look at the beautiful dames.
(this poem first appeared in The Duplex Planet #50, 1983)