That 1 Guy
Encyclopedia
Mike Silverman, better known as That 1 Guy, is an American musician based in Las Vegas, Nevada
. He frequently performs and records as a one-man band
, singing and using a variety of homemade musical instrument
s.
player who attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
and developed a career in the progressive jazz
scene in the 1990s, performing live and as a studio musician. He developed his own style of playing and gained a reputation as a one-man rhythm section, incorporating traditional and slap-bass playing with percussive elements using the body of the instrument. When he began to feel limited by his instrument and a heavy schedule of playing and recording for other people, he started to devise a new instrument that would allow him the range to create his own music. At first he sought out professional help in building his instrument, but decided to make it himself because of the projected cost. The end result was the Magic Pipe, a 7 feet (2.1 m) collection of steel plumbing pipes and joints, orchestral bass strings, and electronics.
under the stage name That 1 Guy, first playing his upright bass, and later singing and beatboxing
while playing his Magic Pipe, musical saw
, various percussive elements, and utilizing digital looping and sampling to perform his songs. His musical influences include Drums and Tuba, Rush
, Frank Zappa
, Captain Beefheart
, and Dr. Seuss
, both in terms of his lyrics and his quirky homemade instruments. He has also been influenced by Tom Waits
, and was invited to play saw (and subsequently bass) on tracks for Waits’ Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
album.
He has a cult following in the United States of America, as well as in Australia
, which he has toured several times, including performances at major festivals such as Big Day Out
, Pyramid Rock Festival
, and Woodford Folk Festival
. He has also played many shows alongside avant-garde
guitarist
Buckethead
, with whom he released a collaborative album under the name Frankenstein Brothers in 2008.
He has received little mainstream recognition, but did garner attention after the use of his song "Buttmachine" (from his second album, The Moon is Disgusting
) on Showtime’s original comedy series Weeds
, season 3, episode 9. He started a tour throughout the United States of America in early 2009, and is scheduled to perform at festivals in Canada and France later in 2009.
string. The harp-shaped instrument is roughly seven feet tall and features 13 trigger points, which can be mapped to various musical sound effects or samples
. The front pipe uses a low C string, while the rear pipe's string is used to achieve more tenor ranged notes. The pipes themselves are employed to produce various percussive sounds while That 1 Guy slaps, plucks, or bows
the strings, as well as occasionally utilizing a drum stick to sound the strings and the pipes at the same time. The creation of the Magic Pipe was based on Silverman’s double bass
experience, as well as borrowing from the concepts of the gutbucket
and the diddley bow
.
, which is wired and fed through the Magic Pipe’s audio lines. It is then played as a percussive instrument by tapping on the sole while pinching the boot’s opening to achieve different sounds, similar to an African talking drum.
, which is wired into the main effects box. It utilizes a small adhesive speaker and is played percussively as well as with a violin bow. It sounds similar to a theremin
when played and renditions of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" have been performed on numerous occasions.
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. He frequently performs and records as a one-man band
One-man band
A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of musical instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical contraptions. The simplest type of "one-man band" — a singer accompanying themselves on acoustic guitar and harmonica mounted in a metal "harp rack" below the...
, singing and using a variety of homemade musical instrument
Musical instrument
A musical instrument is a device created or adapted for the purpose of making musical sounds. In principle, any object that produces sound can serve as a musical instrument—it is through purpose that the object becomes a musical instrument. The history of musical instruments dates back to the...
s.
Early career
Silverman is a classically trained double bassDouble bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
player who attended the San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music
San Francisco Conservatory of Music, formerly the California Conservatory of Music, founded in 1917, is a music school, with an enrollment of about 400 students. It was launched by Ada Clement and Lillian Hodgehead in the remodeled home of Lillian's parents on Sacramento Street. It was called the...
and developed a career in the progressive jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
scene in the 1990s, performing live and as a studio musician. He developed his own style of playing and gained a reputation as a one-man rhythm section, incorporating traditional and slap-bass playing with percussive elements using the body of the instrument. When he began to feel limited by his instrument and a heavy schedule of playing and recording for other people, he started to devise a new instrument that would allow him the range to create his own music. At first he sought out professional help in building his instrument, but decided to make it himself because of the projected cost. The end result was the Magic Pipe, a 7 feet (2.1 m) collection of steel plumbing pipes and joints, orchestral bass strings, and electronics.
That 1 Guy
Since then, Mike has developed a career as a one-man bandOne-man band
A one-man band is a musician who plays a number of musical instruments simultaneously using their hands, feet, limbs, and various mechanical contraptions. The simplest type of "one-man band" — a singer accompanying themselves on acoustic guitar and harmonica mounted in a metal "harp rack" below the...
under the stage name That 1 Guy, first playing his upright bass, and later singing and beatboxing
Beatboxing
Beatboxing is a form of vocal percussion primarily involving the art of producing drum beats, rhythm, and musical sounds using one's mouth, lips, tongue, and voice. It may also involve singing, vocal imitation of turntablism, and the simulation of horns, strings, and other musical instruments...
while playing his Magic Pipe, musical saw
Musical saw
A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is the application of a hand saw as a musical instrument. The sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin...
, various percussive elements, and utilizing digital looping and sampling to perform his songs. His musical influences include Drums and Tuba, Rush
Rush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
, Frank Zappa
Frank Zappa
Frank Vincent Zappa was an American composer, singer-songwriter, electric guitarist, record producer and film director. In a career spanning more than 30 years, Zappa wrote rock, jazz, orchestral and musique concrète works. He also directed feature-length films and music videos, and designed...
, Captain Beefheart
Captain Beefheart
Don Van Vliet January 15, 1941 December 17, 2010) was an American musician, singer-songwriter and artist best known by the stage name Captain Beefheart. His musical work was conducted with a rotating ensemble of musicians called The Magic Band, active between 1965 and 1982, with whom he recorded 12...
, and Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss
Theodor Seuss Geisel was an American writer, poet, and cartoonist most widely known for his children's books written under the pen names Dr. Seuss, Theo LeSieg and, in one case, Rosetta Stone....
, both in terms of his lyrics and his quirky homemade instruments. He has also been influenced by Tom Waits
Tom Waits
Thomas Alan "Tom" Waits is an American singer-songwriter, composer, and actor. Waits has a distinctive voice, described by critic Daniel Durchholz as sounding "like it was soaked in a vat of bourbon, left hanging in the smokehouse for a few months, and then taken outside and run over with a car."...
, and was invited to play saw (and subsequently bass) on tracks for Waits’ Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards
Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards is a limited edition three CD set by Tom Waits, released by the ANTI- label on November 17, 2006 in Europe and on November 21, 2006 in the United States.The set is a collection of 24 rare and 30 brand new songs...
album.
He has a cult following in the United States of America, as well as in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, which he has toured several times, including performances at major festivals such as Big Day Out
Big Day Out
The Big Day Out is an annual music festival held in several cities in Australia and New Zealand in late January. It started in Sydney in 1992, spread to Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth by 1993, with the Gold Coast and Auckland joining in 1994...
, Pyramid Rock Festival
Pyramid Rock Festival
The Pyramid Rock Festival is a New Year's Eve camp-out rock music festival at Pyramid Rock, Phillip Island, Victoria, Australia.Beginning in 2004, it runs over two nights with two stages - the Main Stage, and the Pharaoh's Annex...
, and Woodford Folk Festival
Woodford Folk Festival
The Woodford Folk Festival is an annual music festival held near the small country town of Woodford, 72 km north of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is one of the biggest annual cultural events of its type in Australia....
. He has also played many shows alongside avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Buckethead
Buckethead
Brian Carroll , better known by his stage name Buckethead, is a guitarist and multi instrumentalist who has worked within several genres of music. He has released 34 studio albums, four special releases and one EP. He has performed on over 50 more albums by other artists...
, with whom he released a collaborative album under the name Frankenstein Brothers in 2008.
He has received little mainstream recognition, but did garner attention after the use of his song "Buttmachine" (from his second album, The Moon is Disgusting
The Moon Is Disgusting
The Moon Is Disgusting, released in 2007, is the second album released by artist That 1 Guy.-Track listing:#"The Moon Is Disgusting" – 5:44#"Bananas" – 4:31#"Mash" – 3:21#"Oranges" – 1:58#"Jigsaw" – 2:57#"Mustaches" – 3:13#"Dig" – 3:51...
) on Showtime’s original comedy series Weeds
Weeds (TV series)
Weeds is an American television comedy created by Jenji Kohan and produced by Tilted Productions in association with Lionsgate Television. The central character is Nancy Botwin , a widowed mother of two boys who begins selling marijuana to support her family after her husband dies suddenly of a...
, season 3, episode 9. He started a tour throughout the United States of America in early 2009, and is scheduled to perform at festivals in Canada and France later in 2009.
The Magic Pipe
The Magic Pipe, also known by his close friends as 'The Broken Bowflex', is a homemade, electronically rigged pair of steel pipes, connected by adjustable joints, with each pipe hosting an orchestral bassDouble bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
string. The harp-shaped instrument is roughly seven feet tall and features 13 trigger points, which can be mapped to various musical sound effects or samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
. The front pipe uses a low C string, while the rear pipe's string is used to achieve more tenor ranged notes. The pipes themselves are employed to produce various percussive sounds while That 1 Guy slaps, plucks, or bows
Bow (music)
In music, a bow is moved across some part of a musical instrument, causing vibration which the instrument emits as sound. The vast majority of bows are used with string instruments, although some bows are used with musical saws and other bowed idiophones....
the strings, as well as occasionally utilizing a drum stick to sound the strings and the pipes at the same time. The creation of the Magic Pipe was based on Silverman’s double bass
Double bass
The double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
experience, as well as borrowing from the concepts of the gutbucket
Washtub bass
The washtub bass, or "gutbucket", is a stringed instrument used in American folk music that uses a metal washtub as a resonator. Although it is possible for a washtub bass to have four or more strings and tuning pegs, traditional washtub basses have a single string whose pitch is adjusted by...
and the diddley bow
Diddley bow
The diddley bow is a string instrument of African origin made popular in America, probably developed from instruments found on the Ghana coast of west Africa. The diddley bow is rarely heard outside the rural south...
.
The Magic Boot
The Magic Boot is a scorpion-emblazoned cowboy bootCowboy boot
Cowboy boots refer to a specific style of riding boot, historically worn by cowboys. They have a Cuban heel, rounded to pointed toe, high shaft, and, traditionally, no lacing...
, which is wired and fed through the Magic Pipe’s audio lines. It is then played as a percussive instrument by tapping on the sole while pinching the boot’s opening to achieve different sounds, similar to an African talking drum.
The Magic Saw
The Magic Saw is a musical sawMusical saw
A musical saw, also called a singing saw, is the application of a hand saw as a musical instrument. The sound creates an ethereal tone, very similar to the theremin...
, which is wired into the main effects box. It utilizes a small adhesive speaker and is played percussively as well as with a violin bow. It sounds similar to a theremin
Theremin
The theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
when played and renditions of "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" have been performed on numerous occasions.
Studio albums
- Let's Hear That 1 GuyLet's Hear That 1 GuyLet's Hear That 1 Guy, released in 2009, is a re-release of the very first recording by artist That 1 Guy.The cover is a replication of the original hand-drawn crayon cover by That 1 Guy.-Track listing:...
- Songs in the Key of BeotchSongs in the Key of BeotchSongs in the Key of Beotch, released in 2000, is the second album to be released by artist That 1 Guy, via Righteous Babe Records. It was re-released in 2004 with new cover art.- Track listing :# "One" – 2:09# "Weasel Potpie" – 3:04# "Halfassed" – 3:42...
(2000, re-released 2004) - The Moon Is DisgustingThe Moon Is DisgustingThe Moon Is Disgusting, released in 2007, is the second album released by artist That 1 Guy.-Track listing:#"The Moon Is Disgusting" – 5:44#"Bananas" – 4:31#"Mash" – 3:21#"Oranges" – 1:58#"Jigsaw" – 2:57#"Mustaches" – 3:13#"Dig" – 3:51...
(2007) - Mustaches Remix EP (2009)
- Packs a Wallop!Packs a Wallop!Packs a Wallop!, released in 2010, is the third album released by artist That 1 Guy.-Track listing:#"Modern Man" – 4:58#"Packs a Wallop" – 4:16#"Step into Striped Light" – 3:36#"Luck Bean" – 2:49#"Suckatash" – 4:12#"Laser Beans" – 4:04...
(2010)
External links
- That 1 Guy official website
- Righteous Babe Records page
- Interview with That 1 Guy on Amped Up TV (VIDEO)
- 2007 Mike Silverman interview with Jon Niccum