That 1 Guy provides unique entertainment for audiences
Candace Ramirez
Issue date: 3/1/10 Section: Entertainment
The advantage to living in "Music City" is that on any given night, a good show is being played in any number of local venues.
Within a month, practically every musical genre could be covered.
Even so, it sometimes feels like we've seen everything this town can offer.
That's when a magical man in two hats comes along to mesmerize audiences using nothing but a boot, a saw, some metal pipes, and a few well placed magic tricks.
Tuesday night, I went down to Nashville's 3rd and Lindsley to see a performance by That 1 Guy, also known as Mike Silverman.
This Berkeley, California based one-man band enrolled in San Francisco Conservatory of Music after much influence from his jazz musician father.
He then went on to become an established percussive bassist.
"In my case, being a bass player, I just felt very restricted by the instrument itself. I've always wanted to sound different and have my own sound. I was headed that way on the bass, but for me to fully realize what I was hearing in my head sonically, I was going to have to do it my way," said Silverman.
To achieve his original sound, Silverman built what he calls, "The Magic Pipes."
"Standing at seven feet tall, the collection of swiveling pipes, metal gears, bass strings and electronic buttons form the shape of a harp, but is played like a futuristic gutbucket," according to that1guy.com.
Silverman has also fashioned an instrument called, "The Magic Boot," a wired cowboy boot which is played as a percussive instrument, and "The Magic Saw," a musical saw that is played with a violin bow.
With his collection of oddball instruments, Silverman managed to put on a strangely powerful show for the nearly packed venue.
Playing through songs from his four studio albums, he enticed the crowd to dance, sing along, and echo his occasional howls of, "Awoo!"
During the performance of his Zappa-esque hit song, "Weasel Pot Pie," the audience offered Silverman some assistance in coming up with rhymes for the lyric, "cinnamon scones."
"This is a group project. We're all in this together," joked Silverman amidst shouts of, "Twilight Zones?" "Al Capones?"
Between songs, Silverman performed quick magic tricks, from plays of light, to card tricks.
Though wearing short sleeves, he was somehow able to produce an entire deck of cards from his mouth, which he then generously tossed to the crowd.
"I didn't put anybody's eye out, did I?" he asked before charging into the next song.
After the show, Silverman hung around to chat with audience members, eager to get an autograph, and perhaps touch "The Magic Pipes."
That 1 Guy has a full tour schedule, and will be playing Arkansas music festival Wakarusa June 3-6.
To listen to That 1 Guy, visit www.that1guy.com.
Within a month, practically every musical genre could be covered.
Even so, it sometimes feels like we've seen everything this town can offer.
That's when a magical man in two hats comes along to mesmerize audiences using nothing but a boot, a saw, some metal pipes, and a few well placed magic tricks.
Tuesday night, I went down to Nashville's 3rd and Lindsley to see a performance by That 1 Guy, also known as Mike Silverman.
This Berkeley, California based one-man band enrolled in San Francisco Conservatory of Music after much influence from his jazz musician father.
He then went on to become an established percussive bassist.
"In my case, being a bass player, I just felt very restricted by the instrument itself. I've always wanted to sound different and have my own sound. I was headed that way on the bass, but for me to fully realize what I was hearing in my head sonically, I was going to have to do it my way," said Silverman.
To achieve his original sound, Silverman built what he calls, "The Magic Pipes."
"Standing at seven feet tall, the collection of swiveling pipes, metal gears, bass strings and electronic buttons form the shape of a harp, but is played like a futuristic gutbucket," according to that1guy.com.
Silverman has also fashioned an instrument called, "The Magic Boot," a wired cowboy boot which is played as a percussive instrument, and "The Magic Saw," a musical saw that is played with a violin bow.
With his collection of oddball instruments, Silverman managed to put on a strangely powerful show for the nearly packed venue.
Playing through songs from his four studio albums, he enticed the crowd to dance, sing along, and echo his occasional howls of, "Awoo!"
During the performance of his Zappa-esque hit song, "Weasel Pot Pie," the audience offered Silverman some assistance in coming up with rhymes for the lyric, "cinnamon scones."
"This is a group project. We're all in this together," joked Silverman amidst shouts of, "Twilight Zones?" "Al Capones?"
Between songs, Silverman performed quick magic tricks, from plays of light, to card tricks.
Though wearing short sleeves, he was somehow able to produce an entire deck of cards from his mouth, which he then generously tossed to the crowd.
"I didn't put anybody's eye out, did I?" he asked before charging into the next song.
After the show, Silverman hung around to chat with audience members, eager to get an autograph, and perhaps touch "The Magic Pipes."
That 1 Guy has a full tour schedule, and will be playing Arkansas music festival Wakarusa June 3-6.
To listen to That 1 Guy, visit www.that1guy.com.