That 1 Guy May 16, 2009

Berkeley, CA-based Mike Silverman, better known by his alter ego That 1 Guy, is a classically trained upright bassist who won several jazz scholarships and competitions. Mike became one of the most original and in-demand upright bass players in the '90s progressive jazz scene. Silverman's self-taught percussive technique--banging the strings and the instrument's body--led him to develop the Magic Pipe. Eventually frustrated by the inability to get all the sounds in his head from the upright bass, he built a system of electronically wired, steel plumbing, shaped somewhat like a harp, with a thick bass string wired from top to bottom and a hole that billows smoke during the climax of his live shows. Adding an electric cowboy boot plugged in and played like an African talking drum and an electrified musical handsaw, Silverman evolved into That 1 Guy, playing everything with his hands and feet.