Overview
- Riot Fest announced that William Shatner will perform with his new heavy metal band The *uckers on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, at Douglass Park in Chicago.
- Organizers and Cleopatra Records say the live set will both reimagine songs from Shatner’s past catalog and preview material from his forthcoming metal album.
- The *uckers’ Riot Fest lineup is confirmed as Marcus Nand (musical director/guitar), Britt Lightning (guitar), Phil Soussan (bass) and Fred Aching (drums).
- Cleopatra Records has named contributors including Zakk Wylde, Rob Halford, Ritchie Blackmore, Henry Rollins, Edgar Froese and Wayne Kramer, though the full track list, official album title and release date have not been formally released.
- Shatner’s widely shared, playful rider — which requests items such as fire breathers, a DeLorean and adoptable puppies — has amplified publicity for the appearance and frames the project as a theatrical, spectacle‑driven reinvention of his musical legacy.