Google Plus Hangout leads to Diner Hamburger – Internet Friendship – From The Mind of McFarland music blog.
I have arrived home safely from my tour! I actually got back last Wednesday, but after a month and a half on the road, playing 30 shows in 15 states, I needed a few days off before I dove back into internetland. The fact that I drove straight through from Denver to Asheville didn’t help matters either – I made the 1,500 mile drive in 28 hours, with only brief breaks for a few naps and a quick shower at an Anytime Fitness. Before hitting the road at midnight, I got to experience a wonderful result of the modern age – how over the course of a year, a Google Plus hangout lead to an online friend buying me a diner hamburger.
When Google Plus (for those of you not familiar, G+ is Google’s answer to Facebook – a social networking site with a strong focus on privacy and media sharing) was first launched in early 2011, I was an early adopter and a bit of an evangelist. I loved how clean the interface was, unsullied by farmville, and brand spam. I also saw in the Hangouts feature – live group video chat – a huge potential as a musician for sharing my music online through virtual concerts and the like. Leading up to the release of my full-length album Waking Up Is A Letdown, I broadcast my rehearsals for the album release show over Google Plus Hangouts, where anyone could pop in, watch me re-learn my own songs, and chat about whatever.
In one of these hangouts, I happened to meet a man named Jonathon. He had just moved into a new apartment and if I recall was attempting to video chat through the internet connection on his phone. In spite of a less than ideal connection, we succeeded in chatting about music, and he showed me a bit of his instrument collection.
About 4 months ago, I made a post about my music being on Spotify, and in a tongue-in-cheek commentary on their pay structure commented that if I got 1,000 listens, I could buy a cheeseburger! Jonathon asked if there might be a more direct method of cheeseburger delivery, that did not involve purchasing a plane ticket. I suggested he might purchase my album on Bandcamp, which he promptly did! In the spirit of the transaction, the next day I went to the local 5 Guys and bought myself a tasty burger.
My final show of the tour was at a place called Bushwacker’s in Denver, and Jonathon was there. We were talking before I got on stage, and he told me that after the show he wanted to take me to the Denver Diner. At first I just thought it was a nice gesture to transition an internet friendship to a real-life one. A little later he reminded me of the online conversation, and I couldn’t help but grin.
I had a lot of fun at that final show, and after packing up my equipment for the last time on this tour, I followed Jonathon to the Denver Diner, a classic diner and apparently a bit of a local institution. The best part?
On their menu was an item labeled “Just a Cheeseburger”.
And it was delicious.
-MMcF
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Unleaded rhythmic alt-pop fuels singer/songwriter and two-wheel troubadour Michael McFarland’s engine. Michael McFarland in the simplest summary? Writer, Rocker, Biker, Geek.
For Michael’s Music, Cd’s, Downloads, Merchandise, live show schedule, music blogs, music videos, and everything else you want to know about McFarland, visit the Michael McFarland Website at http://michaelmcfmusic.com/
