David Greenberger is “A King in Milwaukee”

Maybe you know David Greenberger as a music writer for Metroland magazine.

Maybe you know him from his National Public Radio commentaries.

Maybe you know him as the creator and editor of Duplex Planet, one of the most wonderful magazines in the whole universe.

And maybe you don’t know him at all.

But now you can get to know him better. One of our favorite Nippertown artists-in-residence, Greenberger is the subject of a 30-minute documentary film, “A King in Milwaukee,” co-directed by Brad Lichtenstein and Nicole Brown for 371 Productions. The film will have its broadcast premiere on Wednesday (November 18) – but unfortunately, only in Milwaukee, on Milwaukee Public Television.

Here’s a too-short clip:

It sure would be great if some public television station around here decided to pick up the show and broadcast it, wouldn’t it? (Are you listening WMHT? Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, hint, hint, say no more…)

The documentary will also be followed by “Cherry Picking Apple Blossom Time,” a one-hour concert performed by Greenberger and the Paul Cebar Stage Ensemble, which was filmed in May at Milwaukee’s historic Pabst Theater.

Here’s a clip from a rehearsal for the concert:

“Cherry Picking Apple Blossom Time” was created during Greenberger’s three-month artist residency with the University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee’s Center on Age & Community and the Peck School of the Arts. David met and spoke with about sixty elderly Milwaukeeans who have various levels of memory loss.

He then developed these into monologues that were recorded in collaboration with guitarist-composer-bandleader Paul Cebar, members of his band and other musicians from Milwaukee and Chicago. This resulted in the CD “Cherry Picking Apple Blossom Time,” released earlier this year. You can read out review of the CD, which is available at the Duplex Planet Gift Shop.