That 1 Guy
'What guy'? The inevitable question always comes up when That One Guy pops into town. Let's make this clear: That One Guy is the name of a kick-ass one-man band. There are many aspects that separate this musical act from others besides the line-up; one thing in particular is his unique musical apparatus, The Magic Pipe. Imagine, if you will, a massive plumber's pipe, six or seven feet tall, equipped with a long-ass bass string and a series of MIDI triggers routed to various sequencers and samplers. Now picture the top of the pipe elbowing downward, housing another bass string tuned to a higher pitch. "I'd say it (looks) like an elephant with a parrot sitting on its head," elaborated Silverman. Placed in front of the Pipe are two kick pedals that trigger drum loops, and surrounding the rig is an impressive array of effects pedals. I swear, Inspector Gadget has nothing on this musical mastermind. "I built it in a kinda jam. I was supposed to do this really big gig at the Troubadour. I was opening up for Fantômas, and I just couldn't tighten up my sound; there was a lot of different things I couldn't do. I had a few textures, but I needed more. I also couldn't turn up loud enough, 'cause all my stuff was feeding back. I couldn't push it as hard as I wanted to, so I built the pipe 'cause I needed to." After a whirlwind trip to Home Depot and a little brainstorming, The Magic Pipe came to fruition. The show is a big part of his music, but it is clear that there's more behind That One Guy than simply a big ol' mess of gear. "I had a ton of ideas back in the day to make the show bigger and crazier, but I've come around full circle because I'm really enjoying playing music on the instrument and you can really get lost in that stuff. If you're not really careful all the time, it goes in the wrong direction." His songs do nothing to envelop him in the world of pop conformity. Cameo covers aside, That One Guy prides himself on the ability to make music that meshes the diversity and technicality of his set-up with the core simplicity of a catchy, quirky song. Silverman learned the lesson that a good song should be "so simple that it stands on its own." "I record everything I think of; rhythmic ideas are the first things that hit me, and possibly melodic ideas. If I find a riff or an idea, I stockpile it 'till I have some time to work on it, and when I work on it, it inspires something else like a lyrical rhythm or melody. Once I start demo-ing things, it becomes really easy to finish the song." That One Guy's music lies somewhere between the not-too-distant future and the long forgotten past. Combining elements such as funk, rock, jazz, and sparse electronica may get you an interesting sound, but filter those influences through certain minds and you get something totally original. Growing up on the Bee Gee's version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" may have also had some impact. "I saw the movie on Showtime and I loved it. This weird Bee Gees disco and Peter Frampton version of Beatles cuts, that was a total big influence on me in a weird way." Last year, That One Guy captured his sound on the self-recorded, self-produced album, Songs in the Key of Beotch. With swirling samples, amusing lyrics and multiple layers of music and rhythm happening all at once, it's hard to believe the album was recorded live in the studio. "People who haven't seen me play yet definitely always ask. Most people don't understand it. When they get to see it they realize it's all live. It's hard for me to explain it to them." That One Guy's musical exploits have recently been taking him places far and wide, including a brief stint in Hong Kong. Like he's done so many times before, he took the audience by surprise. "It was hard to judge their reaction at first; they were very curious, checking it out, but they were really genuinely into it," recalled Silverman. "By the second gig they were getting a lot more expressive, getting kinda wild and stuff, screaming, but for the first gig they were kinda subdued, checking it out. Getting his massive load of equipment overseas was a feat in itself. "Basically, every single piece of gear I have is too heavy to fly with, and I would have had to pay over-weight on everything. I completely deconstructed my rig and rebuilt it into these suitcases so I could carry some of them on and check some of them in. It was actually a total nightmare. I'm never going to do that again; I'm building a travel rig as we speak, just for flying purposes." Luckily, That One Guy understood the glories of caffeine. "I didn't sleep for three days straight. I kept rebuilding; I kept drinking Red Bulls, man. It really worked well for a long time, but then I just completely started freaking out. You gotta be careful with that shit." It is obvious from Silverman's laid-back attitude and keen sense of humor that he's a good spirit, and not in music for stardom and throngs of scantily clad seventeen-year-old girls (not that that's a bad thing). That One Guy exists for one reason: Mike Silverman needs it to exist. "It all stems from necessity. It's like somebody built a house 'cause they need something to live in. Music to me is the same way — it has to serve a purpose. Not like change the world or anything, but some kind of expression. It allows you to express something that you can't get out in words, or it reaches somebody on the same level." - Maurice Spencer Tellman
