With an extensive and amazing track record of unique and imaginative performances featuring his curious instrument and copious amounts of originality, Mike Silverman aka That1Guy has supplanted himself as a true one-of-a-kind talent that rivals any other artist currently in the entertainment industry. Averaging 150-200 shows a year all over North America and Canada, he has been a consistent favorite at such festivals as: Wakarusa, Electric Forest, Big Day out, All Good, Bella, High Sierra, Summer Meltdown, Montreal Jazz Festival, and many more. He was also the ‘Tap Water Award’ winner at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival for best musical act. His legendary collaboration and multiple tours with Buckethead as The Frankenstein Brothers has further cemented his virtuoso story as a creative visionary as well.

His innovation continues to soar with the announcement of a new tour, That1Guy & The Magic Pipe Present: An Evening of Musical Magical Wonder… The Likes of Which Ye Haven’t Yet Seen, kicking off in the early spring of 2013. Along with his pioneering main instrument, The Magic Pipe, a monstrosity of metal, strings, and electronics, facilitates the dynamic live creation of music and magic in ways only That1Guy can conjure, expect to see magic as well now integrated into the already clever performance. With this addition of incorporating magic seamlessly into his live shows, he has legitimately achieved an all inclusive audio/ visual performance unlike anything experienced before. “So much of my music has miraculous qualities to it because it’s hard to tell what’s going on. There are lots of slights of hand and sonic misdirection. It feels like I was meant to do magic”.

Silverman’s back story is very similar to many musicians that have come before him. He grew up a self proclaimed music geek, soaked in the influence of his jazz musician father, and enrolled in San Francisco Conservatory of Music before joining the local jazz scene himself as a sought-after percussive bassist. This is where the similarities end, though, and where That1Guy truly began. “In my case, being a bass player, I just felt very restricted by the instrument itself,” he says. “I’ve always wanted to sound different and have my own sound. I was headed that way on the bass, but for me to fully realize what I was hearing in my head sonically I was going to have to do it my way”. His influential and innovative double bass style eventually evolved into what we see today as That1Guy and ‘The Magic Pipe’.

As his story continues to develop, Billboard has famously noted, “In the case of Mike Silverman’s slamming, futuristic funk act… the normal rules of biology just don’t apply.” In addition, Silverman also has promised new music and videos for the early part of 2013 that will only further validate his status as an industry trailblazer. “I like being my own person”, he says. “I didn’t set out to be a weirdo but I’m starting to embrace it”.

Ultimately, his motivation can be encapsulated as this: “Human beings do our best work when we’re challenged and pushed up against the wall”. He further explains, “By nature, we’re hunters and gathers, spending each day looking for their next meal. It’s easy to be lazy when you don’t have to come up with something creative right away.”

Jaik Willis is a nationally touring independent performer based in Chicago. He has shared bills with artists such as Willie Nelson, Snoop Dogg, Wilco, Bela Fleck, MMW, Del McCoury, NIN, Big Brother & the Holding Company, Leftover Salmon, Justin Townes Earle, Digital Underground, Blueground Undergrass, Garaj Mahal, EOTO,The Schwag, Ekoostik Hookah, Tea Leaf Green, Split Lip Rayfield, and performed on stage with acoustic blues dynamo, Corey Harris, and Chicago blues legend Billy Branch as well. He has performed at innumerable festivals and major venues around the US. In the Summer of 2010 he performed at Bonnaroo (Stevie Wonder & Jay-Z headline), Summer Camp Festival (Govt Mule, Umphrey’s Mcgee, Avett Brothers), Cavefest, Funk You Festival, Cosmic Railroad Family Gathering, Wuhnurth Festival, Michigan Peace Fest, Widow’s Peak Music Fest & dozens of others.