Will Ferrell and his celebrity twin, Chad Smith of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, finally gave us the drum-off/cowbell-off they promised onThe Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon. The geniuses of this video began with Ferrell’s participation in an “Ask Me Anything” session on Reddit where a fan noted Ferrell’s resemblance to drummer Chad Smith.
In response Ferrell stated, “A lot of people think that it’s me playing for the Red Hot Chili Peppers. But that would be an insult to Chad Smith. The truth of the matter is there is no Will Ferrell. Only Chad Smith.”
Chad Smith responded by challenging him to a drum-off:
The duo performed a “traditional” drum-off on Jimmy Fallon’s The Tonight Show, wherein each competitor performed three drum solos. The competition seemed to be predictably leaning in Chad Smith’s favor until Ferrell pulled out his cow bell. The lights dimmed and they were joined by the rest of The Red Hot Chili Peppers who performed “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” by Blue Öyster Cult (a reference to Ferrell’s famous SNL skit).
At the end of it all, Ferrell was awarded a gold cowbell trophy. Ferrell later jokingly commented about the battle over Instagram by saying, “Chad was reduced to tears off-stage.”
