William Shatner's Wild Rider Demands for Riot Fest Metal Debut: Fire Breathers, DeLorean, and Sauerkraut

At 95 years old, William Shatner is preparing for his heavy metal music debut at Chicago’s Riot Fest in September with the kind of rock-star attitude that would make legends jealous. The Star Trek icon posted a backstage rider on X that’s equal parts hilarious and absurd, listing demands that include fire breathers performing during his set, a DeLorean replacing his golf cart, eight pallets of Faygo soda, and a bowl of sauerkraut. He also requested a Chicago boat named in his honor, a Montreal Canadiens sweater signed by John Stamos, and the opportunity to perform the weather with local meteorologist Tom Skilling. Shatner claims there’s nothing unreasonable about the list and gave organizers a few months to make it happen.

What makes this story even better is that there’s genuine substance behind the comedy. Shatner’s metal debut album features 35 metal virtuosos covering legendary bands like Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, and Judas Priest, showing his serious commitment to exploring heavy music. The album represents years of passion for the genre and brings real musical talent to the project. Shatner has always championed music as a form of exploration, much like space, and Riot Fest is the perfect venue for bringing that philosophy to life.

The persistence of Riot Fest co-founder Mike Petryshyn adds another layer to this story. He spent years writing letters to Shatner trying to convince him to perform at the festival. That kind of dedication finally paid off, and when Shatner agreed, he came ready to make a statement. Between the absurdist humor of his rider and the legitimate metal credentials of his project, Shatner’s proving that age is just a number when you’ve got style and substance. Are you planning to catch this performance at Riot Fest, or will you be watching from home?