The “one man band” has come a long way from the bass-drum-toting dork with cymbals tied to his knees. Mike Silverman, aka That 1 Guy, has taken the whole premise to a new and beautiful extreme. A classically trained bassist, Silverman has constructed a clever and perplexing musical wand known as “The Magic Pipe,” a contraption that stands around 7 feet high and offers That 1 Guy a highly versatile form of expression. The pipe features two strings, one long bass string that runs nearly the length of the pipe’s base and one cello string, centered on the pipe’s movable arm. Located at strategic points are buttons that, when slapped, cue samples that are controlled by a pedal switch. Rounding out his act with an electric bass drum, That 1 Guy stands on that one leg and flails wildly, his extremities coaxing funky, effects-laden music out of his pipe using fingers, feet, hands, arms and credit cards. That 1 Guy’s debut album, Songs In The Key Of Beotch, is a scorcher, featuring beatbox rhythms, complicated rhyme schemes and, of course, the possessed bass lines and beats of the pipe. Steaming originals paired with well-chosen covers (look out for his rendition of Cameo’s “Word Up”) make That 1 Guy one of the most captivating solo acts touring today. And just when you think you’ve seen it all, the pipe itself comes to life, belching smoke like a steel dragon, coaxing its human minion into continuing his epileptic massage. He opens for Drums and Tuba Monday, Nov. 18 at Go! Room 4 in Carrboro. For more info, log on to www.that1guy.com. –Zach Hanner
