That 1 Guy Plays Club Cafe; ‘The Royale’ Continues Run at City Theatre (Wed., 2/8/17)

1) That 1 Guy is just that—one guy. His real name is Mike Silverman, and his homemade instruments, such as The Magic Pipe, redefine the concept of the one-man band. Sprinkle in some esoteric lyrics and a churning baritone, and you’ve got one guy who could give Beck a run for his money in originality and sheer weirdness. Although based in Las Vegas, he tours relentlessly; he is a fixture on the international festival circuit (Electric Forest, Big Day Out, and the Montreal Jazz Festival to name a few). 2014’s Poseidon’s Deep Water Adventure Friends is his latest album, the first of a four-part “magicland” series according to Bandcamp, which also describes the LP as a “dense deep water journey of discovery.” His collaborations with guitarist Buckethead as the Frankenstein Brothers have certified That 1 Guy as one of the most freakish men in music today. Freakishly awesome, that is. 8 p.m. Club Cafe, 56-58 S. 12th St., South Side. (CM)

Ensemble from ‘The Royale’: L to R: Tony II Lorrich, Bria Walker, (down) Andrew William Smith, (up) Bernard Gilbert, Desean Kevin Terry, Siddiq Saunderson, and Tim Edward Rhoze. photo: Kristi Jan Hoover.

2) Jack Johnson, the first black boxer to win the world heavyweight championship (a title he held from 1908 to 1915), was a complex man living in difficult times. He cultivated superb skills and discipline in the ring but reveled in the high life outside it. He broke society’s color line by his romances with white women, thus further infuriating white Americans who rooted for a “great white hope” to come along and defeat him. Johnson’s tumultuous story was the basis for a Pulitzer Prize-winning play of the 1960s, ironically titled The Great White Hope—and now there’s a new Johnson-inspired play. Marco Ramirez’s The Royale, which premiered in Los Angeles four years ago, gets its first Pittsburgh staging at City Theatre. Whereas The Great White Hope was a sprawling, scene-shifting production with a big cast, The Royale gives its subject a more intimate fictionalized treatment. It builds dramatic tension and reveals character through up-close personal exchanges within the boxer’s inner circle. The fight scenes are done in a stylized manner that’s quite unlike typical stage fighting. The Royale has been praised for its fresh creativity; City Theatre aims to score a knockout with the play. 1 and 5:30 p.m. There are a limited amount of pay-what-you-want tickets available for the 1 p.m. show beginning two hours before start. Call the box office to check on availability. Performances continue through February 12. 1300 Bingham St., South Side. (MV)

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