William Shatner To Make His Heavy Metal Debut At Riot Fest

DOUGLASS PARK — Riot Fest announced a new surprise guest Thursday: Canadian actor William Shatner.

The 95-year-old “Star Trek” actor will debuting his new heavy metal band The *uckers in Douglass Park on Sunday, Sept. 20.

Entering its 21st year, the fest returns Sept. 18-20 to Douglass Park in North Lawndale, featuring more than 100 artists across various stages.

Twenty One Pilots, Tool, Pierce The Veil and Alanis Morissette are among this year’s headliners. The three-day lineup also includes an eclectic mix of performances from bands like Alkaline Trio, Elvis Costello and The Imposters, Pixies, Sex Pistols, Bad Religion and more.

While this year’s lineup includes septuagenarians Patti Smith and Iggy Pop, Shatner will be the most senior act on the bill, and presumably in Riot Fest history.

News of Shatner’s debut comes “after years of writing letters” to him, Riot Fest said on Instagram. Similar persistence brought “Full House” actor John Stamos onto the Riot Fest stage last year after years of online harassment.

Alongside Shatner, The *uckers includes guitarists Marcus Nand and Britt Lightning, Phil Soussan on bass and Fred Aching on drums.

“Backed by an all-star lineup of acclaimed rock musicians, the performance will reimagine songs from across Shatner’s musical catalog while previewing material from his forthcoming heavy metal album,” Riot Fest shared in a press release Thursday.

“I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration,” William Shatner said in the release. “Riot Fest is exactly the kind of place where anything can happen. We’re bringing volume, intensity, and a few surprises. I can’t wait to share this experience with the fans.”

While best known as Captain James T. Kirk from the “Star Trek” franchise in both TV and film, Shatner has ventured into musical performance previously with several albums in his discography. He most famously released spoken-word versions of songs like “Hey Mr. Tambourine Man” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” on the 1968 album “The Transformed Man.” In 2024, he released the album “So Fragile, So Blue,” a live recording of a 2022 Ben Folds Declassified series concert with the National Symphony Orchestra.

In 2021, then-90-year-old Shatner became the oldest person to travel into space, on an 11-minute suborbital flight, reaching an altitude of about 66 miles.

Riot Fest has also released a Spotify playlist with hits from this year’s headliners, which can be listened to here. Find the full Riot Fest schedule here. 

Three-day passes begin at $339.98 for general admission. Single- and two-day tickets start at $99.98. Buy tickets here.