Tesla’s Fremont factory recently hosted a special event where 12-time Grammy Award-winning musician, Jack White, held a free concert to show his appreciation for the company and its workers. The event, which appeared to have been a blast, provided Tesla’s employees with some much-needed downtime as the company’s aggressive push towards profitability this third quarter continues.
It is no secret that Tesla’s workers work hard; likely harder than employees at other automakers. Tesla is not a conventional car company, particularly since Elon Musk’s business sense was honed in Silicon Valley, which features an environment where extended hours and sleepless nights are the norm. Silicon Valley is known for its “work hard, play hard” culture, and Tesla is no different.
Jeremy Hollman, a former SpaceX test engineer, noted in a statement to WIRED, that once, Elon Musk had the factory floor set up like a full-blown carnival for a party. Musk also rented out an entire soccer stadium in 2016 for what the company billed as a simple “Tesla Party.” The event was nothing but understated, as it included free food, drinks, foosball, and live aerial acrobatics. Addressing Tesla’s employees then, Musk stated that the party was an act of gratitude for the employees’ hard work.
Jack White noted in several posts on Twitter that the thought of performing a free concert for Tesla’s workers has been in his mind for a few years now. White also stated that he is a huge supporter of “everything Tesla has been doing since day one.” The musician posted a short video featuring the highlights of his visit to the Fremont factory, including a test drive on the Model 3 Performance with Tesla Chief Designer Franz von Holzhausen. Images uploaded on Tesla’s official Twitter account also show that White was given a tour of the factory. Social media posts from employees and Tesla executives about the event were shared late Friday as well, with Elon Musk and Franz von Holzhausen personally thanking White on Twitter for the free concert.
Thanks for visiting, Jack! 🤘 @thirdmanrecords pic.twitter.com/XprEyU8RvQ
— Tesla (@Tesla) August 18, 2018
Jack White is a decorated singer and songwriter who has been active since 1987. Best known as the lead singer and guitarist of The White Stripes, White had enjoyed critical and commercial success for his work in the industry. He currently has 12 Grammy Awards, and three of his albums hit the No. 1 spot in Billboard charts. Back in 2010, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked White as No. 70 in its list of “The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time,” beating out popular names such as Kurt Cobain (No. 73) and Bruce Springsteen (No. 93). Rolling Stone editor David Fricke ranked White as No. 17 on his list in 2011.
“It’s been a thought of mine for a few years now that I would love to do a free concert for the employees at the Fremont factory. I am a huge fanatic and supporter of everything @Tesla has been doing since day one.” – #JackWhite pic.twitter.com/x6OzJPjpEe
— Third Man Records (@thirdmanrecords) August 17, 2018
White is also known for his philanthropy work. Back in 2009, he donated nearly $170,000 for the renovation of the baseball diamond in southwest Detroit’s Clark Park. In 2013, the Detroit Masonic Temple found itself on the verge of a foreclosure after it was revealed that it owed $142,000 in back taxes — an amount that White paid in full. The National Recording Preservation Foundation also received an inaugural gift of $200,000 from White for the restoration and preservation of deteriorating sound recordings. White also joined Nashville’s Gender Equality Council in 2016.
Watch excerpts of Jack White’s visit and free concert to Tesla’s Fremont factory in the video below.
Thank you @Tesla! pic.twitter.com/wOcujDNWL9
— Third Man Records (@thirdmanrecords) August 18, 2018
