Michael Stipe, Andrew Watt Perform "I Played the Fool" on Kimmel
Michael Stipe and producer Andrew Watt performed "I Played the Fool" on Jimmy Kimmel Live, joined by Chad Smith on drums and Josh Klinghoffer on keys.
Michael Stipe stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Tuesday night to perform his recently released song “I Played the Fool” alongside producer Andrew Watt . The track serves as the theme song to the HBO series Rooster , starring Steve Carell.
The recorded version features Stipe and Watt joined by Josh Klinghoffer (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Pearl Jam) on guitar and piano, and Travis Barker on drums. For this live performance, Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith stepped behind the kit while Klinghoffer manned the keys.
Even at 66, Stipe’s voice remains strong and clear as he sings, “A sea change came/ It knocked me down/ I’m setting up the punchline now/ Look who tried too hard to play it cool.”
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“I Played the Fool” dropped in early March and was followed by Stipe’s more recent solo song “The Rest of Ever,” which he debuted on Colbert in late April. During his interview with Colbert, Stipe announced “The Rest of Ever” is from his upcoming debut solo album, which will be out at the end of the year.
It’s unclear whether “I Played the Fool” will appear on the upcoming LP, but stay tuned for details.
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_Originally reported by [Consequence](https://consequence.net/2026/06/michael-stipe-i-played-the-fool-kimmel-andrew-watt/)._
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