William Shatner is boldly going where no man has gone before.
No, not space (he’s done that). The “Star Trek” star is going to debut his heavy metal rock band, cheekily named The *uckers (yes apostrophe included), at Riot Fest on Sunday, September 20.
“I am going to be doing a live performance of my new live heavy metal spectacle to Douglas Park in Chicago,” Shatner wrote on Instagram. “This is an event you definitely will be telling your grandchildren about! I hope to see you there.”
The 95-year-old also shared a statement in a press release for Riot Fest, saying, “I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration. 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.”
The *uckers also features an all-star lineup of musicians including Marcus Nand on guitar and as musical director, Phil Soussan on bass, Britt Lightning on guitar and Fred Aching on drums.
The performance will reimagine songs from Shatner’s musical catalog (he has released 15 albums throughout his career) as well as material from an upcoming album, titled “What the F is Heavy Metal.”
Shatner shared some jokey requests for his tour rider, including that his dressing room be themed as “Shatner’s Shag Shack,” and that he requires “four feet of Polish sausage,” “One (1) Montreal Canadians hockey sweater signed by John Stamos,” and “Eight (8) pallets of Faygo (Not to be shared with the Insane Clown Posse.)”
“Nothing unreasonable here as far as I can see. Hopefully you can find @johnstamos- I have heard he’s hard to pin down. You have a couple months here to get this together. I know Chicagoans can make me happy,” he teased in the caption.
The reference to John Stamos is a nod to the “Full House” star making his Riot Fest debut last year. Riot Fest has a history of playfully teasing celebs into performing alongside more full-time musicians and had been courting Stamos of 12 years.
Stamos performed with Mike Love, Bruce Johnston, and the Beach Boys touring band.
After the performance, Stamos celebrated on Instagram, writing, “For over a decade @riot_fest has been goofing on me in the sweetest way, and honestly—I loved it. Thank you for all the playful ribbing, for keeping me humble, and for letting me be part of this wild family. It’s such an honor to finally stand here with THE LEGENDARY @thebeachboys I’m grateful, I’m flattered.”
He added, “So here’s to 12 years of jokes, 12 years of love, and hopefully at least 12 more. Thank you, Riot Fest—I’m truly honored to be here.”
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