Riot Fest has revealed a humorous list of supposed demands from actor and musician William Shatner ahead of his metal band’s debut at the festival in September. The festival jokingly called on fans to help fulfill the star’s extravagant requests.
The post outlined an extensive rider attributed to Shatner, covering everything from city-wide tributes to on-stage spectacles.
“Hey Chicago, we just received a personal video message from William Shatner,” Riot Fest wrote in the caption of their post. “His rider… is a lot. But we’re committed to showing him what he means to us and we’re going to need your help. We don’t want years of letter-writing to go to waste. Anybody willing to lend a hand?”
The rider was split into two sections — demands from the city of Chicago and demands from Riot Fest itself. On the Chicago side, Shatner reportedly requested the city name a boat in his honor, a billboard featuring himself and a fan, food named after him, a chance to deliver the weather report alongside veteran meteorologist Tom Skilling, and an appearance singing “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” at a Chicago baseball game.
As for Riot Fest’s obligations, the list was equally theatrical: fire breathers — “many of them” — along with an intro video created by GWAR, and a DeLorean to replace the standard artist golf cart.
The full rider goes even further. Beyond the DeLorean and fire breathers, Riot Fest is also on the hook for four feet of Polish sausage, a bowl of sauerkraut, and eight pallets of Faygo — specifically noted as “not to be shared with Insane Clown Posse.” Additional demands include a dressing room themed as “Shatner’s Shag Shack,” an assortment of adoptable puppies from a local animal rescue nonprofit, white tube socks, underwear, and a Montreal Canadiens jersey signed by John Stamos.
The rider, while playful in tone, underscores just how seriously both Shatner and Riot Fest are treating this milestone performance. It is one that has been years in the making and carries genuine weight in the rock and metal world.
Shatner, 95, will take the stage at Douglass Park on Sunday, September 20. He will perform with his newly formed heavy metal band, The *uckers. The set is expected to reimagine songs from Shatner’s existing musical catalog while also previewing material from his forthcoming heavy metal album. The album is said to feature guest appearances from the likes of Rob Halford of Judas Priest.
The band behind Shatner is no collection of unknowns. The *uckers features guitarist Marcus Nand, who has previously worked with Mike Tramp and Candice Night; bassist Phil Soussan, a veteran of Ozzy Osbourne’s and Billy Idol’s bands; guitarist Britt Lightning, formerly of Vixen; and drummer Fred Achin. The lineup signals that Shatner’s metal venture is a serious artistic undertaking, not merely a celebrity novelty act.
Festival founder Mike “Riot Mike” Petryshyn confirmed that Riot Fest spent more than a decade trying to secure Shatner for a performance. His September appearance marks the culmination of a remarkably persistent courtship between one of pop culture’s most enduring icons and one of Chicago’s most beloved music festivals.
