Michael Stipe made a surprise concert return in Brooklyn, performing R.E.M. songs and releasing a new single on the same day.

Michael Stipe made a surprise live return at a Brooklyn concert on March 8, 2026, joining actor Michael Shannon and musician Jason Narducy during their 40th-anniversary tour celebrating R.E.M.’s fourth album, performing “The Great Beyond” and “These Days” — songs he hadn’t played publicly since 2008. The appearance followed similar collaborations in 2025, including a joint show in Athens, Georgia, where original R.E.M. members reunited. On the same day, Stipe released his first new single in three years, “I Play the Fool,” co-written with producer Andrew Watt and featuring Travis Barker and Josh Klinghoffer, serving as the theme for Steve Carell’s new HBO series.