Chattanooga Times Free Press music reporter Casey Phillips spoke with funk/jazz/experimental one-man band Mike Silverman, aka That 1 Guy, about the origins of his instrument, The Magic Pipe, his concerns about opening for Ani DiFranco and his quest to discover new sounds.
CP: Why, when you have such a unique custom instrument, did you choose to name yourself something as bland and unassuming as “That 1 Guy”?
T1G: Well you know, the name came first as sort of my identity as what I would do as a solo performer. It was more as a joke than anything, initially. I had this idea to be a one-man band, and I thought “That 1 Guy” was the perfect name for it. I didn’t know what I was going to do. It was more of a loose concept than anything. It started as a dare a club owner had given me initially where I had played with my old band.
It always sort of stuck. Sometimes, it’s felt more appropriate than other times, in terms of the name, but I’ve always liked it. It’s always been vague and bland enough to fit with what I do as my instrument and my music have evolved. I just think it seems to fit in an ambiguous way.
CP: What do you use to carry around a freakish looking, seven-foot-tall conglomeration of kitchen plumbing like the Magic Pipe? Do you have a special case?