Michael Stipe still hits

This is the thought process: I am a fan of HBO Max/Bill Lawrence's Rooster. I am also a fan of its main title theme song (so much that it was my May 2026 theme song).

But then Michael Stipe showed up on Kimmel to perform it live with Andrew Watt and Chad Smith (!!!) on drums. Even at 66 the man still has it. That voice! That verve!

So, I fell back down the REM rabbit hole that has swallowed me whole many times through my life since I was the tender age of 9. And what I noticed is that Michael Stipe was the perfect person to reframe middle aged angst on a college campus. Because the 90s college kid listening to bands like REM and Blues Traveler is absolutely Steve Carell in 2026.