By Maren Whitlock | PopTech Report | August 2, 2025

It started as a joke.
A light jab on stage. A quick laugh at Elon Musk’s expense. But within 72 hours, the tables turned — and the entire internet went from mocking to marveling at something no one saw coming: Elon Musk playing guitar — and playing it beautifully.

🎤 The Mockery Heard ‘Round the World

It all began during a live performance at the L.A. Tech & Music Festival, where world-famous guitarist Derek Wolfe — known for his genre-bending solos and sharp tongue — made an unscripted comment while warming up the crowd.

“We’ve got AI writing songs, Teslas driving themselves, and billionaires who think tweeting is an art form. Hey Elon — let me know when you invent a guitar that plays itself, so you can finally stay on beat.”

The audience laughed. The clip went viral within hours.

• 🎥 @BackstageBeats: “Wolfe just roasted Elon and the entire tech bro army 😂🔥”
• 🧠 @RockChronicles: “Can Elon even strum a chord, though? Doubt it.”

Within 24 hours, “Elon Musk” was trending — not for rockets, EVs, or robots, but for being the butt of a musician’s joke.

🧵 But Then… Elon Replied

The next day, Musk responded on X (formerly Twitter), in classic Elon fashion — brief, cryptic, and a little mischievous.

“Challenge accepted. Saturday. Live.”

The internet exploded.

Was this a joke? A PR stunt? Would Musk actually perform?

🎬 The Setup: A Surprise Tesla CyberStage Event

True to his word, Musk announced a pop-up live stream event on Tesla’s YouTube channel, titled:
“Strings of Steel: Live from the CyberStage.”

No further explanation. No promo. Just a black-and-white poster of a Tesla Cybertruck, a guitar, and the words “We’re all electric now.”

When the stream went live Saturday evening, over 6.2 million viewers tuned in.

🎸 The Performance: A Moment of Unexpected Grace

The camera faded in on a dimly lit rooftop in Austin, Texas — Tesla HQ in the background glowing faintly.

There, standing alone with a matte black Fender Stratocaster, was Elon Musk.

Wearing a simple black T-shirt and jeans, no intro, no words — just a deep breath and a nod to the audio engineer.

Then, he began to play.

And to everyone’s shock… he was good. Really good.

🎶 The Song That Silenced the Mockery

Musk opened with a slow, bluesy rendition of Pink Floyd’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” — not the full band version, just a haunting, instrumental guitar solo, played with surprising nuance and emotional depth.

Then, without missing a beat, he transitioned into an original instrumental piece — something moody, cinematic, and complex, weaving in minor scales and ambient delays.

The crowd online went silent.

• 💬 @TechnoSkeptic: “I can’t believe I’m saying this… but this dude can actually PLAY.”
• 🔥 @GuitarLegends: “Elon’s tone is better than half the indie scene right now. I said what I said.”

😮 Derek Wolfe Responds — And Apologizes

Moments after the stream ended, Derek Wolfe posted a video to his Instagram story, looking slightly stunned.

“Okay. I’ll say it. Elon Musk just made me eat my words. That wasn’t just decent — that was soulful. Mad respect, man.”

He later reposted the performance clip with the caption:

“Elon, next time — let’s jam instead of jab.”

 

 

🤖 Why This Mattered More Than It Should Have

On the surface, it was a minor cultural blip: a tech billionaire responding to criticism with a surprise performance.

But underneath, it tapped into something deeper about perception, performance, and pressure.

For years, Musk has been both admired and attacked. Worshiped as a visionary. Criticized as erratic. Celebrated for changing industries — but mocked for his eccentric online persona.

This moment reminded the public that even the most visible, untouchable figures can surprise us in the most human ways.

“We’ve seen Elon launch rockets and build robots,” said culture analyst Mariana Chen.
“But we’ve rarely seen him vulnerable. There’s no AI to hide behind when you’re holding a guitar in front of millions.”

🎵 Is This the Start of Musk’s “Music Era”?

Don’t expect an album just yet, but sources close to Musk say he’s been playing guitar privately for over 15 years — mostly blues, classic rock, and flamenco.

Insiders also hint he’s been collaborating with Grimes (his ex and mother of two of his children) on ambient compositions using AI-generated backing orchestras.

Tesla has even filed a patent earlier this year for a digital audio interface built into Cybertrucks — fueling speculation that “CyberConcerts” may become a future feature.

💭 Final Thoughts

What began as a joke at Elon Musk’s expense ended as one of the most unexpectedly sincere moments in recent tech culture.

It wasn’t a flex. It wasn’t a product launch. It was a man with a guitar, letting the world hear something real — something without code, currency, or calculation.

And for once, Elon didn’t silence the world with a tweet or a Tesla…

He did it with six strings and soul.

**“Mock me with words,” he seemed to say,
“I’ll answer with music.”