William Shatner, the 95-year-old actor famous for playing Captain James T. Kirk on “Star Trek,” is gearing up to debut his heavy metal rock band, The *uckers, this fall.
The group — comprised of veteran rockers Marcus Nand, Phillip Soussan, Britt Lightning and Fred Aching in addition to Shatner— is slated to perform at Riot Fest on Sunday, Sept. 20 at Chicago’s Douglass Park, marking what will be their first in-person concert, according to a press release.
“This is an event you definitely will be telling your grandchildren about!” Shatner wrote in an Instagram post, which also features an image of the actor with a guitar raised above his head. “I hope to see you there.”
The fest, which runs from Sept. 18-20, is set to feature more than 100 different artists and performers. In addition to Shatner’s band, other bands set to take the stage include Twenty One Pilots, Iggy Pop, Pixies, Tool, Morrissey, Nas, Pierce the Veil, Alanis Morissette, Twin Peaks among many others.
“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.”
Riot Fest founder Mike “Riot Mike” Petryshyn celebrated landing the Canadian actor, a collaboration he said has been a long time coming.
“After years of persistently — and perhaps annoyingly —writing letters to William Shatner about performing at Riot Fest, it appears that he was finally compelled,” he said. “I for one cannot wait to see Shatner get heavy.”