Marc Dobson performs as the One Man Band as a group of students dance to his music, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND – Marc Dobson has a unique setup as the One Man Band: he plays 9.1 instruments attached to his body all at once.
The instruments are his singing, harmonica, guitar, sub-guitar (the 0.1), bass drum, snare drum, hi-hat, crash cymbal, splash cymbal, and hi-hat tambourine.
Dobson said he first performed as the One Man Band in 2017.
“This is year 7,” he said. He has been performing for a living since 1989. He took courses toward a bachelor’s degree in music and participated in high school band.
Dobson can often be spotted walking down Main Street at the State Fair, performing while an assistant pulls a cart with amplifiers and other gear behind him.
“I play popular music. I don’t stick to one genre,” he said. “I walk into a room, stereotype the room, and try to play the music that will fit the people sitting in the room.”
“I enjoy the relationship I’ve built with the Nebraska State Fair,” he said. “The community owns this Fair.”
The music he plays targets songs that people of every age should recognize covering the 1960s through today with a mix of rock, country, and pop.
Dobson makes frequent stops when he is performing, working on engaging the audience in his music.
