The electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickup truck made an unexpected guest appearance at my recent backyard birthday party.

Why it matters: It turns out the Lightning's two-way charging system has other uses beyond powering job sites or campsites. My musician friends used the truck to haul their band gear to the party and then plugged their amps and sound system into its multiple power outlets.

The big question: Could the Lightning power a fun night of rock ‘n’ roll and still leave enough juice for the band to drive home afterwards?

The context: The Exhaust Tones, a band formed by a bunch of auto writers in Detroit, have played my backyard venue before.

Details: They pulled the pickup halfway into my garage — leaving the bed available as a drum riser — then plugged two giant PA speakers, three monitors, four amps, a 12-channel mixing board and a guitar pedal into the bed.

The bottom line: Three hours of rock and roll consumed barely a trickle of the truck's stored power.

Go deeper: Read Tom's full account in Autoweek.