Move over Kirk Hammett. Captain Kirk wants to be the next heavy metal star — and he’s kicking things off at Riot Fest. Festival organizers have announced that 95-year-old entertainment icon and apparent metalhead William Shatner will debut his newly assembled band The *uckers on Sept. 20 at Douglass Park on the final day of the fest, joining a lineup that includes Twenty One Pilots, Tool, Alanis Morissette, Patti Smith and Morrissey.
The appearance is timed with Shatner’s forthcoming album on Cleopatra Records that is reported to include covers of Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, in addition to several original tunes. Backing him up will be an assembly of metal musicians including guitarists Marcus Nand (Mike Tramp, Candice Night) and Britt Lightning (Vixen, Cactus), bassist Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol) and drummer Fred Aching (Kings of Thrash, Dead Groove, Fraxures).
The Riot Fest performance also promises to “reimagine songs from across Shatner’s musical catalog,” which includes several albums, starting with 1968’s “The Transformed Man” that kicked off the “Star Trek” actor’s music/spoken word career. After a dry spell, Shatner returned with his second album, “Has Been” in 2004, arranged by Ben Folds and featuring guest stars like Henry Rollins and Adrian Belew. He’s also previously recorded tracks with Joe Walsh, Zakk Wylde, Wayne Kramer and fellow Riot Fest 2026 performer Iggy Pop.
“I’ve always believed that music, like space, is about exploration,” Shatner said in a statement. “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.”
Shatner is just the latest curveball from Riot Fest’s bag of tricks. In 2025, the festival goaded John Stamos into appearing at the event with the Beach Boys after years of basically stalking the actor. This year’s edition also features local luminary Tom Skilling, who’s coming out of retirement to report the weather all weekend long.
Find more information and tickets at riotfest.org.