When MTV Played Videos: A Love Letter to Late-Night Beavis and Butt-Head

Before algorithms, before influencers, there were two idiots on a couch who somehow spoke for a generation. This is a look back at when MTV still had guts, when Beavis and Butt-Head were our midnight philosophers, and when rock videos meant something.

In the ‘90s, MTV was still dangerous — a little unpredictable, a little punk. You never knew what you’d catch between “Headbangers Ball” and a commercial for JNCO jeans. Then these two idiots appeared: acne, Metallica shirts, and zero attention span. And somehow, that was the attention span of the decade.

Beavis and Butt-Head didn’t just mock music videos — they dissected the absurdity of pop culture without even trying. When they laughed at a Bon Jovi ballad or shredded some random alt-rock band you barely knew, it felt like the world was in on a private joke. And that’s what Gen X did best — laugh at the nonsense while secretly paying attention to the meaning underneath it all.

Those late-night viewings were a rite of passage. We weren’t just watching cartoons; we were learning the language of irony. MTV in that era wasn’t a network, it was a mirror — showing us our boredom, our rebellion, our desire for something real. It was chaos with a remote control, and Mike Judge’s duo gave us permission to laugh through it all.

And the music… man, the music was alive. Nirvana, Soundgarden, White Zombie, Smashing Pumpkins — even the pop garbage had an edge when filtered through Beavis and Butt-Head’s commentary. It was music television the way it was meant to be: unpolished, unpredictable, and soaked in teenage apathy.

Somewhere between then and now, we traded that chaos for “curation.” MTV became reality TV, music moved to the background, and the laughter got replaced with comment sections. But that late-night glow — that raw, dumb, brilliant humor — shaped how a whole generation sees the world today. We’re skeptical, sarcastic, self-aware… and still laughing at the system.

So yeah — this one’s for the night owls who kept the volume low so the folks wouldn’t wake up. For the ones who didn’t need a filter to find what was cool. For the ones who still hear “Breaking the Law” and crack up thinking of Beavis screaming, “Heh… fire!”

When MTV played videos, we didn’t just watch. We remembered.

Authored by Ian Primmer, Co-host — CommonX

When Halloween Was Dangerous (And Awesome)

Back when a plastic mask could suffocate you, your mom’s flashlight batteries were dead, and every Snickers bar was a potential crime scene — we still went door to door.

And we loved it.

It’s not just a trip down memory lane — it’s a cultural reflection on how Gen-X grew up balancing freedom, fear, and fun.

“Razor blades in apples, cyanide Pixy Stix, poison in candy… yet none of us stopped trick-or-treating. If it wasn’t factory-sealed, it went in the trash — right after Dad ‘inspected’ it for us.” Plastic masks that fogged up, capes that caught fire, street crossings in the dark. The one house that gave out full-size candy bars, or the creepy neighbor everyone avoided.

Today’s parents track kids via GPS; we were lucky if we made it home before the 10 PM news.

The 90’s Home Run Kings: When the Crack of a Bat Still Meant Something

There was a time when baseball wasn’t about algorithms, launch angles, or exit velocity — it was about swagger. About flipping on the TV, hearing that crowd swell, and seeing a man step into the box with nothing but pine tar, determination, and a dream.

The 1990s gave us an era of pure magic. You could walk into any backyard in America and hear kids calling out names — McGwire, Sosa, Griffey Jr. — before swinging at tennis balls with a cracked aluminum bat. The Home Run Chase of ’98 might’ve been the headline, but for those of us here in the Pacific Northwest, Ken Griffey Jr. was our guy. The smoothest swing the game has ever seen. He didn’t need the hype or the headlines — he had that effortless smile, the backwards cap, and a natural rhythm that made every home run look like poetry.

Griffey wasn’t just a player — he was a cultural landmark. In the PNW, he turned baseball into an art form, and for a generation of Gen-Xers, he became the symbol of what made the 90s real. The game wasn’t filtered, sponsored, or over-analyzed. It was grit, heart, and the smell of dust on a summer evening.

And every one of us had our own backyard version of that dream — a glove that never quite broke in, a bat we swore was lucky, and a Franklin ball set that somehow survived a hundred neighborhood games. It was the golden age of backyard baseball — before smartphones, before streams, before anyone said “content.”

That’s why we’re throwing it back today — to remember the kings who made the 90s unforgettable and to celebrate the gear that helped build those memories.

The Legacy Lives On

We didn’t grow up chasing algorithms or comparing exit velocity; we grew up chasing fly balls until the sun dipped behind the neighborhood trees. Those summer nights were the real highlight reels — dirty hands, busted knuckles, and that one friend who could launch a plastic ball clear over the fence like he was Sosa.

But for those of us who came up in the Pacific Northwest, one name still echoes louder than all the rest — Ken Griffey Jr. He wasn’t just a player, he was the soundtrack to our summers. That swing was pure rhythm, that backwards cap pure rebellion. Griffey taught an entire generation that cool didn’t mean trying too hard — it meant being yourself, and letting the work speak louder than the hype.

Today, when you pull on a glove or toss a ball to your kids in the yard, you’re not just passing time — you’re passing down a piece of that era. It’s more than nostalgia; it’s legacy. And whether you’re dusting off your old mitt or starting fresh with new gear, Franklin Sports is still out there — same logo, same spirit, same connection to the game we grew up loving.

👉 Check out Franklin Sports gear here — because the only thing better than remembering the 90s is reliving them with your own crew.

CommonX: The Modern-Day Rolling Stone Meets MTV

The Revival of Real Culture

Before the era of algorithms and influencers, there were storytellers who shaped the world — Rolling Stone, MTV, VH1. They didn’t just cover culture; they created it.

That same energy lives again through CommonX Podcast, the creation of Ian Primmer and Jared Mayzak — two voices from the Gen-X era who saw a gap in the modern media landscape and decided to fill it with something real. CommonX isn’t clickbait. It’s conversation — honest, human, and often hilariously off-script.

From the Garage to the Global Stage

Born from late-night conversations and the grind of true independent creators, CommonX began as a passion project. Now it’s a growing cultural hub where rock legends, thinkers, and creators meet to tell their stories the way they want them told.

What started as two mics and a vision has turned into a time capsule for the Gen-X soul — one that’s both a tribute and a rebellion.

Where Legends Still Have a Voice

From Rudy Sarzo, bassist for Quiet Riot and Ozzy Osbourne, to Ivan Doroschuk of Men Without Hats, CommonX has become a home for the voices that defined the 80s and 90s — and still define rock authenticity today. The lineup doesn’t stop there.

• Steve Thoma, who’s shared stages with Fleetwood Mac and Glenn Frey of The Eagles, brought stories that could fill a dozen behind-the-scenes documentaries.

• Richard Oshen, the legendary lighting designer who worked with The Who and Aerosmith, offered an inside look at what it took to light up the biggest tours in rock history.

• And Chris Ballew, frontman of The Presidents of the United States of America, reminded us that creativity doesn’t fade with time — it just evolves.

Each guest represents a chapter in the soundtrack of Gen-X, and together, they give CommonX its heartbeat.

Rolling Stone Spirit, MTV Energy

CommonX feels like flipping through an old Rolling Stone issue while a VJ queues up your favorite 90s video on MTV. It’s nostalgic without being stuck in the past — a blend of classic storytelling and digital energy that captures both the grit and glory of growing up Gen-X.

The interviews run deep. The laughs are real. And the moments feel like you’re sitting backstage with people who actually lived it.

Why It Matters Now

In a world of short attention spans and cookie-cutter media, CommonX stands apart as a space where authenticity still leads. It’s part cultural reflection, part rebellion — a reminder that Gen-X isn’t done influencing the world; it’s just doing it in a different format.

Every episode adds another piece to the digital legacy of Gen-X: the artists, the thinkers, the musicians, the misfits — all connected by that same instinct to tell it like it is.

CommonX isn’t nostalgia. It’s relevance rediscovered. If Rolling Stone had a podcast baby with MTV, it would sound a lot like this.

🎧 Listen now at commonxpodcast.com and join the modern Gen-X revolution where legends meet the new generation.

Two Voices, One Frequency: How CommonX Reached 25 Countries

From a small town in Washington to speakers and screens in 25 countries, the CommonX Podcast with Jared & Ian is proving that real talk, laughter, and Gen-X honesty travel farther than anyone expected.

When we started CommonX, the dream was simple — to talk about the world the way we saw it. Two Gen-X friends from Deer Park, Washington, microphones in hand, hoping maybe a few people would listen.

Now, that little idea has crossed oceans. Listeners are tuning in from the United States, Canada, Romania, Peru, France, Turkey, Kenya, Colombia, China, South Korea, Guyana, Venezuela, Bahrain, Argentina, Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, the Philippines, Russia, the United Kingdom, Spain, and India.

That’s twenty-five countries. That’s a lot of shared stories, laughs, and moments that connect us all.

It turns out, no matter where you live, the feeling of being part of Generation X — that mix of independence, skepticism, humor, and heart — hits home everywhere.

So here’s to the listeners. To everyone out there on night shifts, in traffic, on treadmills, or sitting in silence with earbuds in — thank you for letting us be part of your world.

We may be two middle-aged guys from a small town, but together with all of you, we’re building something global, one honest conversation at a time.

Humans, AI, and the Art of Trust -by CommonX Podcast

There’s something wild about getting an email from an AI named Cindy who wants to book guests for your show. On the surface, it feels efficient — a futuristic assistant helping another creator connect the dots. But underneath, it begs the question:

what happens when human connection becomes something we outsource?

Technology’s always been our dance partner. We grew up on cassette decks, dial-up modems, and the first whispers of the internet. Now, AI writes, speaks, recommends — even pretends to feel. It’s smart, no doubt. But it’s also learning how to sound human. That’s both incredible and unnerving. Because in a world full of perfect algorithms, authenticity becomes the rarest currency of all.

When that AI (Cindy) emailed us, it wasn’t spam — it was strategy. Someone out there trusted a machine to build trust with us. And that’s the twist. It wasn’t about the code — it was about the creator behind it, hoping for connection and that’s where CommonX lives — in that gap between human stories and digital noise. Between the hands that build and the ones that feel.

We talk with people who’ve lived through both sides — analog souls in a digital age — and every time, we come back to this truth: trust isn’t downloaded. It’s earned.

🎙️ Real Talk, Real Connection

AI can write, suggest, mimic — but it can’t mean. Meaning comes from being fallible, passionate, even wrong sometimes. That’s why real conversation — the kind that happens on a mic, between people — still matters. At CommonX, we’re not anti-tech. We’re just pro-human. Because no matter how advanced AI gets, it can’t replace intent.

Trust isn’t in the lines of code. It’s in the moments between them. It’s in listening — really listening — even when someone’s not sure how to say it. It’s in believing that we can use technology to amplify our humanity, not erase it. That’s the art. That’s the future we choose.

CommonX Podcast — Real Talk. Common Ground.

Article written by Ian Primmer, Co-host CommonX

Chris Ballew & Beck — When Weirdness Changed the World

Real Talk. Common Ground.

Before stadium crowds sang Peaches and Lump, before Loser became an anthem for every art-school kid who never quite fit in, Chris Ballew and Beck Hansen were just two friends chasing sound in tiny rehearsal rooms.

In the early ’90s they shared basements, cheap tape decks, and a belief that rules were for other people. Beck was experimenting with folk-hip-hop collage; Ballew was testing what could happen if you cut half the strings off a bass. Out of that chaos came a friendship built on curiosity and humor—two kindred spirits learning that imperfection could be its own kind of perfection.

When Beck’s star began to rise, Ballew kept following the same muse back home in Seattle, forming The Presidents of the United States of America. The band’s stripped-down punch felt like a cousin to Beck’s collage pop: witty, raw, and fearless. Together they helped turn “alternative rock” from a label into a language—a space where experimentation, fun, and sincerity could all live in the same three-minute song.

“Playing with Beck reminded me that music is a sandbox, not a science,” Ballew told CommonX. “Every sound you make should surprise you a little.”

A Friendship That Still Resonates

Even decades later, you can hear echoes of those jam-session nights in everything Chris touches—whether it’s the joyful minimalism of the Presidents, his kids-music alter ego Caspar Babypants, or his new solo tracks recorded in his home studio.

That friendship with Beck wasn’t just a chapter; it was a spark that showed both artists how far pure play could go.

🔗 Hear the Conversation

Catch our full talk with Chris Ballew on The CommonX Podcast—streaming now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube.

🎙️ Be Our Guest — Join the Conversation on the CommonX Podcast

Real Talk. Common Ground…

Ever wanted to share your story on a podcast that actually means something?

The CommonX Podcast with Jared & Ian is built on honest conversation, Gen X energy, and stories that connect people from every walk of life.

We’ve interviewed rock legends, entrepreneurs, authors, and everyday people doing extraordinary things — and we’re just getting started.

Now, we’re opening the door for new guests who want to bring their voice, experience, and authenticity to the table.

💬 What We’re Looking For

We’re after real people with real stories — the kind that spark thought, laughter, or goosebumps.

Musicians, creators, veterans, dreamers, innovators — if your story connects to human experience, we want to hear it.

Whether you’ve lived through wild times, built something from nothing, or just have a perspective the world needs to hear, CommonX is where those stories come to life.

📩 How to Reach Us

Our official guest submission page is in the works (coming soon!), but in the meantime, you can reach us directly:

📧 Email: commonxpodcast@gmail.com

When you reach out, tell us a little about yourself — who you are, what you’d love to talk about, and why your story matters.

🧠 Behind the Mic

The CommonX Podcast is hosted by Jared Mayzak and Ian Primmer, two Gen-X voices dedicated to keeping real conversations alive. No scripts, no spin — just the kind of talk that reminds you why connection still matters.

Woodstock 2030: The Revival of Real” A CommonX vision of peace, purpose, and pure rock-and-roll spirit.

The world’s been spinning fast, algorithms louder than guitars, and “authentic” feels like an endangered species. CommonX was born from that chaos — a show for Gen Xers who still believe in the power of a good riff, a strong handshake, and conversations that actually mean something.

So when the idea of Woodstock 2030 first hit, it wasn’t nostalgia. It was rebellion.

A dream of bringing music, meaning, and community back to the front of the stage — one festival, one family, one movement at a time.

The Concept

Woodstock 2030 isn’t about reliving the past; it’s about reclaiming what made it matter. Picture a multi-day event that fuses:

• Legendary & Emerging Artists — the icons that shaped us and the voices carrying the torch forward.

• Thinkers & Creators — podcasters, filmmakers, activists, and innovators sharing stories that challenge and connect.

• Curb Fail Productions installations, film showcases, and live podcast tapings — where conversations become part of the experience.

• A New Era Marketplace — sustainable vendors, local creators, and Gen X-approved brands who still give a damn.

The Mission

To remind the world that music can still move mountains.

That peace, love, and rebellion aren’t relics — they’re blueprints.

That CommonX was never just a podcast… it’s a pulse.

How We Get There

2030 gives us time to build this the right way:

1. Grow the Tribe — keep expanding the CommonX audience across TikTok, YouTube, and Spotify.

2. Partner with Purpose — from classic gear companies (Shure, Fender, Skullcandy) to ethical lifestyle brands.

3. Scout the Venue — think Pacific Northwest, desert plateau, or abandoned airfield-turned-art-zone.

4. Curate the Lineup — mix legacy acts with breakout artists who embody the Gen X work ethic and authenticity.

5. Document the Journey — the road to Woodstock 2030 becomes a film itself — produced by Curb Fail Productions.

Why It Matters

Because somebody has to remind the next generation what it feels like to stand in a crowd, hear real instruments, and believe again.

Because CommonX was built for people who still chase that high — the roar of the crowd, the hum of connection, the truth in the noise.

The Invitation

We’re not waiting for permission.

We’re calling for creators, musicians, filmmakers, dreamers, and believers to join the movement.

Woodstock 2030 isn’t just a concert — it’s a comeback for humanity.

CommonX Presents | Woodstock 2030

Peace • Love • Music • Reality Restored

www.commonxpodcast.com

Fast Food, Fake Wins, and Gen-X Dreams: The True Story Behind McDonald’s Monopoly

Before NFTs, loot boxes, and online sweepstakes, Gen-X had one obsession — the McDonald’s Monopoly game. Every fry box felt like a ticket to millionaire status. But behind the peel-off stickers and supersized dreams was one of the biggest corporate scams of the 90s — a heist so wild it could only have happened in our era of fast food, faster money, and zero internet oversight.

The Game That Hooked a Generation

Launched in 1987, Monopoly at McDonald’s blended two things we couldn’t resist: nostalgia and instant gratification. Stickers on fries, sodas, and Big Macs promised “collect to win” prizes — cars, cash, and even a million dollars.

Lines grew longer, and for Gen-Xers on lunch breaks, this was our version of Vegas. From 1989 to 2001, an insider at the marketing agency Simon Marketing stole the winning pieces and distributed them to friends and relatives for kickbacks.

Over $24 million in prizes were claimed fraudulently. The FBI called it “Operation Final Answer.”

No one inside McDonald’s had a clue for years.

Why It Worked — and Why It Couldn’t Happen Today

There was no digital tracking, no blockchain, and no QR codes — just paper and trust. It was the perfect crime for the analog Gen-X era: low-tech, personal, and fueled by greed and loyalty.

Today’s giveaways use serial codes, cross-referenced databases, and third-party audits — but back then, all it took was access to the sticker vault.

The Fallout

Dozens were indicted in 2001. McDonald’s suspended the game for years. HBO later turned the story into the 2020 docuseries McMillions, which reignited nostalgia for the scam that defined an era. For Gen-Xers, it became another “remember when” moment — proof that even our childhood fun had an underbelly.

Why It Still Resonates

The McMonopoly heist reminds us how trusting — and connected — we all were in the pre-social-media world. We believed in stickers, sweepstakes, and small wins. It’s the same spirit that makes podcasts like ours thrive today — real stories, human flaws, and that endless chase for the golden ticket.

Got your own Monopoly memories? Share them with us at commonxpodcast.com or tag us on social with #CommonXPodcast. We’re peeling back the layers of Gen-X life — one sticker at a time.

🧩 The Algorithm That Ate Rock ’n’ RollFiled under the X by Jared & Ian | Curb Fail Productions™

🎸 When the Beat Went Digital

Once upon a mixtape, we ruled the airwaves. We made playlists with pencils, burned CDs in real time, and hunted for B-sides in dusty bins. Then came the algorithm—a silent DJ with no soul but unlimited data.

It promised to “learn our taste.” Instead, it learned what keeps us scrolling.

📲 From Counterculture to Calculated Culture

Rock used to break rules. Now, playlists break metrics.
Every chorus is shorter, intros vanish, and hooks hit by second 11 because that’s when TikTok users start swiping. Labels don’t ask, “Does it move people?” They ask, “Does it trend?”

The garage band became a content brand. The anthem became an “asset.”
We didn’t sell out—the system bought us wholesale.

🧠 The Data Knows You Better Than You Do

Streaming platforms read mood swings like psychologists on caffeine.
Play three breakup songs, and they’ll drown you in melancholy until you forget what silence sounds like.

The algorithm isn’t evil—it’s efficient. But efficiency kills surprise. When everything’s predicted, nothing feels dangerous, and rock was born in danger.

⚡ Can the Spirit Survive?

Rock never dies; it mutates. The same Gen-X grit that survived dial-up is now hiding in garage livestreams, indie podcasts, and vinyl resurrections. The algorithm can mimic rhythm, but it can’t fake heart.

Maybe the next rebellion isn’t distortion through an amp—it’s authenticity through the noise.

🧭 The CommonX Frequency

We talk about this every week—real voices cutting through the static. Tune in, share the stories, and keep that analog soul alive inside the digital machine.

🎙️ Listen to the full CommonX Podcast on Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you still believe in rock ’n’ roll.

The X Files: The Greatest Horror Movies of the 1980s — When Fear Was FUN

If you were a Gen-X kid, chances are your first taste of rebellion didn’t come from a guitar riff — it came from the glow of a tube TV at 1 a.m. while your parents slept and Freddy Krueger whispered your name. The ’80s didn’t just make horror; it perfected it.

🩸

1. A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Wes Craven’s dream demon turned sleep into a deathtrap and forever blurred the line between nightmare and reality. Freddy was every babysitter’s worst bedtime story and the first horror villain with true rock-star swagger.

🪚

2. The Thing (1982)

John Carpenter took paranoia to Antarctica and showed us that the real monster was the friend sitting next to you. Practical effects that still hold up 40 years later? That’s Gen-X craftsmanship.

🧟

3. The Evil Dead (1981)

Sam Raimi’s cabin-in-the-woods insanity birthed both cult horror and DIY filmmaking. Ash Williams became the chainsaw-armed blueprint for every reluctant hero that followed.

🔪

4. Friday the 13th (1980)

Before Jason donned the hockey mask, Camp Crystal Lake already ruined summer camp for an entire generation. Slasher tropes, blood budgets, and unforgettable screams — the ’80s started it here.

👻

5. Poltergeist (1982)

“They’re here…”  Nothing captured suburban dread like this Spielberg-produced classic. Haunted TVs, static screens, and the myth that cursed the cast — it’s American folklore now.

🧛

6. The Lost Boys (1987)

Leather jackets, Echo & the Bunnymen, and vampire teens that made immortality look sexy. It wasn’t just horror; it was style — pure Gen-X rebellion with fangs.

💀

7. Hellraiser (1987)

Clive Barker’s masterpiece of pain, pleasure, and imagination opened a puzzle box we’ve never closed. The ’80s dared to get weird, and Pinhead made sure we liked it that way.

⚡

Why It Still Matters

These films weren’t just scary — they were mirrors of a generation that grew up between nuclear drills and MTV. They taught Gen-X that fear could be art, and art could be outrageous.

So cue up your VHS, dim the lights, and remember:

we survived the ’80s — and the monsters were our friends.

From Music to the Real World: How MTV Raised Us — and the World Changed the Channel

🎧 Chapter 1 — When Music Was the Message

There was a time when MTV actually played music.
When videos weren’t background noise — they were cultural events.
We learned about style from Bowie, rebellion from Cobain, and philosophy from a three-minute video that aired between Yo! MTV Raps and Headbangers Ball.

Those weren’t just songs — they were mini manifestos. We didn’t just hear the message; we lived it.

CommonX Take: We didn’t need influencers — we had anthems.

🧨 Chapter 2 — Generation Analog

Before algorithms told us what to like, we found our own vibe.
We made mixtapes for crushes. We waited for our favorite video to air.
We memorized Beavis and Butt-Head quotes and tried to decode the weird brilliance of 120 Minutes.

We didn’t scroll. We searched.

And when the lights finally came up, we realized those hours weren’t wasted — they built the foundation of who we are: adaptable, skeptical, and somehow still hopeful.

🏡 Chapter 3 — The Real World (No, Not the Show)

When the bills started showing up and the volume turned down, we found out the mosh pit doesn’t prepare you for a mortgage.
But that same rebellious energy? It still works — just repurposed.
We fight for our kids, our craft, our sanity. We’re not smashing guitars anymore; we’re smashing expectations.

We learned that the “real world” isn’t something you age into — it’s something you create when the stage lights go out.

🎤 Chapter 4 — How CommonX Keeps the Music Playing

That’s why we built CommonX — a place where real talk feels like vinyl: authentic, a little scratchy, but built to last.
Our guests — from punk icons to hometown heroes — all share that same truth: the dream never really dies, it just evolves.

CommonX Take: We grew up on feedback and distortion — that’s why we still cut through the noise.

🕹️ Chapter 5 — The Credits Roll, but the Story Doesn’t

MTV may have become reality TV, but reality became our story.
We learned to make meaning out of chaos — to stay creative, curious, and kind of pissed off in the best way possible.
And through CommonX, we keep that rhythm alive — one episode, one guest, one truth at a time.

🎧 Stay Tuned, Stay Loud

👉 Listen on Spotify
👉 Watch on YouTube

The Punk Rock Spirit Never Died — It Just Got a Mortgage

From Mosh Pits to Mortgages

We may not dive off stages anymore, but that same pulse — that refuse-to-comply energy — still drives us. We just funnel it into family, work, and whatever it takes to keep a little piece of freedom alive.

DIY Never Died

The same hands that made zines now run podcasts, welders, or Etsy stores. Gen-X never waited for permission — we built things ourselves. CommonX is the digital version of a garage band that refused to quit.

CommonX Take: The revolution didn’t fade. It just went wireless.

What “Selling Out” Means Now

Back then it meant to try signing to a label. Now it means trading authenticity for algorithm. At CommonX, we’ll take real talk over viral fluff any day.

The Soundtrack Still Matters

Cue up The Clash, Green Day, Nirvana, or whatever kept you honest — and you’ll feel it again. The world might have changed, but the attitude never did.

🎧 Stay Loud with Us

👉 Listen on Spotify
👉 Watch on YouTube

“Behind the Mic: How a Garage Podcast Became the Voice of Gen-X”

It started with two friends, a cracked mic, and a question: “Where did all the real conversations go?” Jared and Ian didn’t plan a movement. They just wanted to talk about life — music, purpose, the weird crossroads of middle age, and the kind of stories that make you laugh at your own scars.

From Garage Echoes to Global Streams

The first few episodes? Chaotic. Over-caffeinated. Raw. But something was there — that Gen-X honesty that doesn’t chase trends, it just is. The sound improved, the guests got bigger, and before long CommonX wasn’t just a podcast — it was a space for people who still believe in straight talk and good tunes.

CommonX Take: You don’t need a million-dollar studio — you just need the guts to hit “record.”

The People Who Said “Yes”

From Ivan Doroschuk to Rudy Sarzo, Richard Karn to Sid Griffin, and a ton more! Every guest brought proof that good stories outlive algorithms. They came not for clicks, but connection.

Why Gen-X Needed Its Own Mic

We’re the middle kids of history — raised analog, surviving digital. CommonX became the soundboard for that generation: the music lovers, the makers, the ones who never quite fit in the feed.

🎧 Listen to Where It All Began

👉 CommonX on Spotify
👉 Watch on YouTube

“What Gen-X Knows That Millennials and Gen-Z Forgot”

Once upon a time, if someone called and you weren’t home… they just didn’t reach you. That was it. And you know what? The world kept spinning.

We learned to enjoy silence, to walk without earbuds, and to give our minds space to wander. That downtime built creativity and calm — two things you can’t buy on an app store.

🔹

2. We knew how to fix things instead of replace them.

If something broke — a bike, a stereo, a friendship — we didn’t instantly swipe left.

We tinkered. We patched it. We showed up.

It wasn’t about nostalgia; it was about responsibility. That mindset built grit, and grit is what keeps you grounded when life goes sideways.

🔹

3. We understood privacy as power.

We didn’t share every moment online because we couldn’t.

Our worst days lived in our memories, not in comment sections.

That doesn’t mean we’re better — it just means we learned early that not everything is for everyone, and that little truth still matters more than most realize.

🔹

4. We worked hard — and played harder.

Gen-X built the work-life balance myth because we were the first ones to realize it didn’t exist.

We showed up, put in the hours, and still made time for backyard barbecues, loud guitars, and Friday nights that ended with stories we still tell today.

Maybe that’s what the younger generations are missing — not just the fun, but the freedom to have it.

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5. We knew connection before it was quantified.

Friendship wasn’t measured in likes.

Love didn’t need receipts.

We built community in diners, garages, and late-night drives — not in DMs. And maybe that’s why the CommonX Podcast even exists: because conversation, laughter, and curiosity still beat algorithms every time.

💬

Final Thought

This isn’t about who’s right or wrong. It’s about remembering what mattered before everything got noisy.

Gen-X isn’t stuck in the past — we’re just holding onto the parts worth keeping.

🎧 Want to hear more? Check out the CommonX Podcast with Jared & Ian — real conversations, real music, and a reminder that being human never goes out of style.

👉 Listen on Spotify

The X-Files

Welcome to The X-Files! The X-Files is where the mics cool off and the thoughts spill out. Stories, reflections, and unfiltered takes from the CommonX crew — because sometimes, the conversation doesn’t stop when the recording does.