William Shatner, the actor best known for his role as Captain Kirk in “Star Trek,” made a striking musical debut with his heavy metal band, The *uckers, at Chicago’s Riot Fest on Sunday, September 20. Despite persistent rain and muddy conditions that caused a three-hour delay and shortened the event’s evening schedule, Shatner delivered a 35-minute set that captivated an enthusiastic audience.
Dressed in a black leather jacket zipped to the neck, the 95-year-old performer led the band through a mix of three classic heavy metal covers—Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train,” Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades,” and Metallica’s “Enter Sandman”—along with three original songs. Shatner acknowledged the challenging weather with humor, telling the crowd, “Oh boy! The rain and the wind is perfect. I’m so glad you’re here, folks. Braved the elements to see us.”
On stage with Shatner were guitarist Marcus Nand, guitarist and bassist Phil Soussan, known for his work with Ozzy Osbourne and other groups, guitarist Britt Lightning of Vixen, and drummer Fred Aching. Fans responded with enthusiasm, many raising the Vulcan salute—a hand gesture iconic to “Star Trek”—both before and after the performance.
Among the attendees was Chris Heinze from Twin Cities, Minnesota, who said he traveled to Chicago solely to see Shatner perform. “This is the epitome of all epitomes. He’s 95 years old. He’s immortal. I want to maybe get his sweat in my body so I can live longer,” Heinze remarked with a smile before the set began. Similarly, local fan Erik Emmick described Shatner as “iconic” and expressed amazement that he continues to perform at his age, suggesting the event might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see Shatner live.
The *uckers’ performance follows recent personal health victories for Shatner and his family. Shatner announced earlier this year that both he and his daughter Melanie Shatner, 62, are now cancer-free after his diagnosis with stage 4 malignant melanoma in June 2023 and Melanie’s battle with stage 4 breast cancer since 2022.
At Riot Fest, Shatner revealed that The *uckers’ debut album, titled “What the F Is Heavy Metal,” is scheduled for release this winter. He shared that the concept for the band originated from a suggestion by his label, Cleopatra Records, which prompted him to ask the question that gave the album its name.
In an interview with CNN earlier in July, Shatner also mentioned plans to perform for 30 minutes at a music festival “in the desert” in spring 2027, which CNN confirmed to be Coachella, though the festival lineup for that year had not been released as of mid-September.