Saturday Night, TikTok, and Finding the Good in Social Media
Saturday night. I'm home with my aging Beagle, scrolling TikTok, when I end up in Michael Starr's live. And yes, THAT Michael Starr, the lead singer of Steel Panther. Later, I find myself hanging out in Cheetoz the Klown's live.
And you know what? Sometimes the best nights are the ones you never planned.
If you know me, you know music has pretty much been the soundtrack to my entire life. I've spent decades going to concerts, meeting musicians, supporting bands, and making memories I wouldn't trade for anything. So naturally, when I come across musicians hanging out on TikTok, I'm going to stop and see what's going on.
Michael Starr is one of those people who makes you want to stick around.
Here's a guy who's spent years touring, performing in front of thousands of people, and entertaining fans all over the world. Yet his love for music and having a good time never seems to get old. He's funny, energetic, sarcastic, and still seems to genuinely enjoy what he does.
But there's something else I really appreciate about his livestreams.
Michael brings his superfans up into the boxes to talk with him. These are people who have spent their hard-earned money buying concert tickets, purchasing merch, traveling to shows, and supporting his music over the years. And now they have an opportunity to sit there and have an actual conversation with the guy they've been watching on stage.
How cool is that?
Instead of just seeing fans as faces in a crowd, he's getting to know some of the people who have supported him and Steel Panther. He gets to hear their stories, joke around with them, and learn a little about the people on the other side of the stage.
I've been around live music long enough to know how important that relationship between musicians and their fans really is. Without people buying tickets, purchasing merch, sharing music, and showing up to concerts, there wouldn't be much of a music industry.
So when I see an artist taking time to connect with the very people who helped make that career possible, I respect that.
And the best part? It doesn't feel like some stiff, formal meet-and-greet. It's just people having fun, laughing, and talking music.
Then there's Cheetoz the Klown.
Now, Cheetoz might be a little scary to some people, but to me, he's my break from everyday life. He's funny, sarcastic, quick-witted, and has a way of making me laugh when I don't even realize how much I need it.
Behind that creepy clown face is someone who brings a whole lot of laughter and positivity to people. His love for music comes through in his livestreams, and when you mix that with his humor and smart-ass personality, you never quite know what's going to happen next.
And that's half the fun.
Life gives us enough serious crap to deal with. Sometimes I just want to laugh, forget about everything for a while, and enjoy myself.
Saturday night, Cheetoz co-hosted Michael Starr's live, and watching those two together was comedy gold. The sarcasm, the quick wit, the music, the back-and-forth. I was sitting there laughing at my phone like an idiot.
No regrets.
And the music? Well, that's a whole other thing.
Music has always been my escape. It's been there through the good, the bad, and the downright ugly parts of my life. Hearing songs from my younger years takes me right back to being young, wild, and free.
That's one of the things I love about being Gen X.
A song comes on, and suddenly you're back in a moment you haven't thought about in years. You remember the people, the places, the concerts, and sometimes even the trouble you probably shouldn't have been getting into.
At 57, I'll take every chance I get to feel a little of that again.
But Saturday night got me thinking about something else.
We hear all the time about how terrible social media is. How it divides people, spreads negativity, starts arguments, and brings out the worst in humanity.
And I'm not going to sit here and pretend that isn't true.
I've seen plenty of it myself. Sometimes I swear people get on these apps just to see who they can piss off that day.
But there's another side to social media that I don't think gets talked about nearly enough.
The good side. The side where complete strangers can make you feel like you're part of something.
I send these guys hearts every day, sometimes toss a gift their way, and hang out in the chat. Some of the people in there started out as complete strangers, but now I recognize their names and enjoy seeing them show up.
It's become a familiar little corner of TikTok that makes an ordinary night a lot more fun.
You don't have to be somebody important. You don't have to know anyone personally. You can just show up, listen to some great music, laugh at ridiculous jokes, throw a little sarcasm around, and for a while feel like you're hanging out with a bunch of friends.
Nobody is asking you what you do for a living, how much money you make, or whether your life is perfect.
You're just there enjoying the moment.
And I wonder sometimes if the creators themselves really understand what they bring to people's lives.
To them, it might just be another livestream. They're playing music, cracking jokes, talking to people, or just being their usual sarcastic selves.
But on the other side of that screen could be someone who had an absolutely horrible day. Someone dealing with grief, depression, anxiety, loneliness, or just the everyday crap life throws at us.
Maybe that person hasn't laughed all day. Maybe they don't have anyone to talk to that night. Maybe they're sitting at home with their dog, like me, and just want to forget about the world for a little while.
And then somebody goes live, says something completely ridiculous, plays a song that brings back a hundred memories, and suddenly that person is smiling.
That's not nothing.
That's actually something pretty special.
I've always believed music has a way of bringing people together. I've experienced it in concert crowds, backstage conversations, and friendships that started because two people loved the same band.
Now here I am, almost 58 years old, finding some of those same connections through a little screen in my hand.
Who would've thought?
And no, I'm not saying social media replaces real friendships or spending time with people face-to-face. But connections made online can still mean something.
The laughter is real. The friendships that sometimes develop are real. And the comfort someone gets from feeling included is real, too.
We spend so much time talking about the people who use social media to tear others down that sometimes we forget about the ones who use it to lift people up.
And I think those people deserve a little recognition, too.
And If Michael or Cheetoz Ever Happen to Read This...
I just want to say thank you.
Michael, I think it's pretty damn cool that you take the time to bring your superfans into your livestreams and actually get to know them. You've spent years entertaining people on stage, and now you're giving those same people a chance to interact with you in a completely different way.
That's something I respect, especially knowing how much the support of fans means in the music industry.
Keep that love for music and that sense of fun. It's contagious, and it's refreshing to see.
And Cheetoz, behind that creepy clown face and smart-ass mouth is someone who makes my everyday life a little brighter. Your humor, sarcasm, and love for music are appreciated more than you probably know.
You might scare the hell out of some people, but you make me laugh, and I'll take that any day.
Neither of you has to know me personally to have made a difference in my day.
And I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who feels that way.
So keep doing what you're doing. Keep playing the music, cracking the jokes, interacting with people, and being your wonderfully sarcastic selves.
Because somewhere out there, someone is having a better day because of it.
And from one sarcastic, music-loving Gen Xer to a couple of others, thanks for reminding me that growing older doesn't mean we have to stop having fun.
One Last Thought
Social media can absolutely bring out the worst in people. But sometimes, if you find the right corner of it, you get to see some of the best.
As for me? I spent my Saturday night hanging out with my Beagle, listening to music, laughing at a couple of sarcastic rockers, and enjoying the company of people I've never even met.
Not exactly the wild Saturday nights of my younger years, but you know what?
If this is what a Saturday night at 57 looks like, I think I'm doing just fine.
And sometimes, that's more than enough.
Music, life, and everything in between.
Comments