A 95-Year-Old Pop Culture Legend Is Doing Heavy Metal — And He’s Totally Serious

What’s Happening?

A 95-year-old pop culture icon is going to perform a heavy metal set (think: super loud, guitar-powered rock music) at one of America’s biggest rock festivals this September.

Here are the big details:

• He will have 35 musicians playing behind him.
• He is covering famous metal bands: Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest.
• He calls the whole project “chaos with purpose.”
• He really wants you to take this seriously — it is not a joke!

His name is William Shatner. If you think this sounds funny or fake, you haven’t been paying attention to his life.

Important: William Shatner is not doing this as a silly stunt. He has been making surprising music for almost 60 years.

Why This Is Not a Joke

Before you think this is just a funny act, it helps to know his music history.

Shatner’s musical story looks like this:

• In 1968, he made a spoken word album (talking instead of singing) called “The Transformed Man.” People still talk about it nearly 60 years later.
• His version of “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” got more comments than many artists get in a whole career.
• In 1978, he performed Elton John’s “Rocket Man” as a dramatic talk-performance at the Science Fiction Film Awards, with a cigarette in his hand, staring into the distance. It became one of the most replayed clips ever — even before the internet existed!
• In 2004, he released an album called “Has Been,” made with musician Ben Folds. Critics thought they would dislike it, but they ended up praising it.

He has been making music that nobody can predict for almost six decades. A heavy metal album is not a weird left turn — it is the next normal step for someone who never does the expected thing.

The Festival: Riot Fest

Shatner has been added to the Riot Fest lineup.

Here is what you need to know:

• Riot Fest is a three-day festival.
• It runs September 18–20.
• It happens at Douglass Park in Chicago.
• Other big names on the bill include:
  • Tool
  • Twenty One Pilots
  • Pierce The Veil
  • Morrissey
  • Alanis Morissette
  • Patti Smith
  • The Pixies
  • Nas
  • Rise Against
  • Iggy Pop (age 79, the next oldest performer — 16 years younger than Shatner!)

Then someone decided to add a 95-year-old with a full heavy-metal band. That someone was right.

What Shatner Says About It

Here is what Shatner said about the show:

“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. With this incredible band behind me, I expect nothing less than lift-off.”

He also described the music like this:

• “Thunderous guitars”
• “Chaos with purpose”
• “Loud imagination”
• “Honest intensity”
• “Unapologetic exploration”

The album does not have a title or release date yet. But from what Shatner shared:

• He will perform with 35 metal musicians.
• He will cover Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest.
• He will also perform original songs he calls “forged in the same cosmic fire.”

Riot Fest will be the first public preview of what all this sounds like.

Important: This is the first time the public will hear what his heavy metal music actually sounds like.

At 95, He’s Still Going Where No One Has Gone Before

You may know Shatner as Captain Kirk from Star Trek. That character first appeared on NBC on September 8, 1966. Kirk was a man in his thirties, commanding a spaceship, making brave choices, and going where no one had gone before.

The actor who played him just booked a heavy metal festival.

In October 2021, Shatner flew to space at age 90 on Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket. He became the oldest person to do that at the time. After landing, he said looking into space made him see death “deep into my bones.” He called it the most profound experience of his life.

If a 90-year-old goes to space and talks about life and death, then a heavy metal album at 95 makes perfect sense.

Shatner never does what people expect:

1. In 1968, he turned Beatles songs into spoken word.
2. In 1978, he performed “Rocket Man” as a dramatic talk-piece.
3. In 2004, he made an album with Ben Folds nobody could label.
4. In 2021, he flew to space at 90.
5. In 2026, he is doing heavy metal at 95.

He is not going to start being predictable now.

Summary

• William Shatner, age 95, will perform heavy metal at Riot Fest in Chicago (Sept 18–20).
• He will have 35 musicians and cover Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest.
• This is not a joke — he has made surprising music since 1968.
• He also flew to space at 90 and calls music “exploration.”
• Riot Fest is the first place fans will hear this new metal project live.

FAQ

Q: Is William Shatner’s heavy metal set a joke?
A: No. He has been making unexpected music for almost 60 years and wants people to take it seriously.

Q: What bands will he cover at Riot Fest?
A: He will cover Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, plus play his own original songs.

Q: When and where is Riot Fest?
A: It is September 18–20 at Douglass Park in Chicago.

Q: Has Shatner done other surprising things?
A: Yes! He flew to space at age 90 and made spoken-word and rock albums long before this.

Q: Will the metal album be out before the festival?
A: Not yet. The album has no title or release date, and Riot Fest will be the first public preview.