Riot Fest Day 3: William Shatner, Patti Smith deliver inspiring sets on final day of the festival

After heavy rains pummeled the Chicago area overnight and Sunday, organizers delayed the start of Riot Fest by a few hours as crews tried to clean up the grounds at Douglass Park.

But with continued rain throughout the day, the park grew muddier and muddier, making it difficult for festgoers to navigate from stage to stage. People were seen getting stuck in the mud, and shoes were left behind in the sludge.

Mother and daughter Sue and Shannon Staszak came to the festival to see Patti Smith and Elvis Costello.

“I don’t care about rain, but this is epic mud,” Sue said, adding, “I worry for other people when I see them slip. It’s the mother in me.”

The weather prompted the cancellation of other events in the area Sunday, including the Chicago River Swim, but Riot Fest pressed on with the final day. Sunday’s anticipated acts included the debut of 95-year-old William Shatner and his metal band The *uckers, ’90s icon Alanis Morissette and Chicago-born Patti Smith.

Read on for reviews of some of Sunday’s standout sets.

William Shatner

At 95 years old, “Star Trek” legend William Shatner has explored his latest new frontier — fronting a metal band at a music festival.

The actor/commercial guru debuted the project at Riot Fest Sunday, giving some fans a sneak peek at a sanctioned aftershow at Park West Saturday night. And it was everything fans could’ve hoped for — a mix of dramatic flair, his nonsensical banter and some solid music curation.

He was backed by The *Uckers, a hair metal motley crew featuring guitarist and musical director Marcus Nand (also of Mike Tramp, Candice Night), bassist Phil Soussan (Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol), guitarist Britt Lightning (Vixen, Cactus) and drummer Fred Aching (Kings of Thrash, Dead Groove, Fraxures).

The set offered ubiquitous metal covers of classics like Ozzy Osbourne’s “Crazy Train.” Shatner didn’t sing as much as he delivered spoken word diatribes that drew on his theater background. It’s also not far off from what he’s done musically in the past.

Shatner’s performance on Sunday sent a positive message — you can always find ways to “live long and prosper” and achieve your wildest dreams no matter your age.

Patti Smith

“I was born in a blizzard in Chicago, so I guess I’m a bad weather girl,” Patti Smith said at the top of her set, trying to give the crowd any kind of explanation for Sunday’s unstoppable rain that turned Douglass Park into a shell of itself by the evening performance.

It was difficult to find any patch of grass to stand on within the growing mud explosion. Attendees were seen getting stuck in pits trying to make their way to the Rise Stage, though making it felt like a victory to take in the glory of the punk poet.

Unsurprisingly she had one of the most political sets of the weekend, opening strongly with “People Have the Power.”

“In 1986, Fred ‘Sonic’ Smith and I wrote this song for the future and the future is now,” she said to introduce the anthemic classic. “Chicago, don’t forget it, use your voice!”

Later, Smith dedicated “Pissing in a River” to the beleaguered Lake Ontario and also took a few moments to discuss Palestinians ahead of a reverent “Peaceable Kingdom.”

“Twenty-three years ago we wrote this song for the Palestinian people. That was 23 years ago and we had at that time some hope that the world would ban together and people would do the right thing,” she said, calling the conflict “one of the great heartbreaks of our time,” adding, “We will always hope for the Palestinian people and this song is for them.”

The hourlong set was a masterful display of Smith’s powerful messages and creative songwriting. Smith and Her Band, including the venerable Lenny Kaye, who just celebrated his new solo album with a show at Metro Friday night, also added in a fired-up “Gloria,” “Break It Up” written with late Television front man Tom Verlaine (and dedicated to Jim Morrison) and the eloquent “Dancing Barefoot” (dedicated to “the girls”). There was even an apropos cover of The Who’s “My Generation” that summed up the feelings of Riot Fest weekend and the cross-generational slew of bands, but also its dissident foundation.

“My generation had dreams man, we did the best we could but we also brought you know who in the Oval Office,” Smith lamented. “He’s the same age as me, can you believe that s—?!”

But it was the beloved track “Because the Night” that brought Smith and her platform full circle. “In these times we must make our numbers grow and stick together,” she said ahead of the song, “so we can somehow make a better f—— world.”

Sincere Engineer

Chicago music continued to have a strong presence at Riot Fest as Sincere Engineer took the stage Sunday afternoon. It marked the fourth time the homegrown punk band has played the event, with previous outings in 2019, 2022 and 2024.

Like clockwork, the four-piece’s latest appearance was all about corn dogs. Since releasing the 2017 song “Corn Dog Sonnet No. 7,” the foodstuff has become a de facto mascot for the band. Most of the time, there’s at least one person who comes dressed up in a meat-and-bun costume (sans ketchup, where possible) and fans routinely engage in a corn dog mosh pit while holding the carnival food or associated signage.

But this year took the obsession to a whole new level, as DoorDash crew members handed out free corn dogs just as Sincere Engineer launched into the song.

“I’ve also never played in a raincoat or boots before,” singer Deanna Belos added about another new milestone for the band, driven by the day’s abysmal weather.

“This feels strange. It looks like we are all at the Bass Pro Shop. … Do I look like Oasis in this jacket?” she joked, referencing the outerwear favored by the British band’s singer Liam Gallagher.

Belos’ candor and fun-natured attitude is just one of the attributes that have drawn fans to Sincere Engineer’s orbit over the past 10 years the band has been active. In 2025, the group released its anniversary documentary, “Nobody’s Gonna Do It for You,” which covered its consistent rise as part of Chicago’s new punk wave.

Hard-edged songs like “Twist My Tongue” and “Anemia” have also put Sincere Engineer on the map. They wisely added both to the set along with cuts from 2026 album “Probable Claws,” which continues to give them a strong grip. Strong enough to keep holding on to the corn dog lore.

Largemouth

Largemouth lived up to their name, as the teen punk rockers christened the final day of Riot Fest, shortly after the rain delay lifted and gates opened at 2 p.m.

“If you’re scared, you should’ve stayed the f— home!” screamed 16-year-old singer Jorgie Santopoalo to start the set. There was no fear to be found on the faces of the few dozen who raced from the main entrance to catch the set, dodging pools of water and mud pits along the way.

Along with his brothers, 15-year-old bassist Jeremy and 11-year-old drummer Oliver, Largemouth is the youngest band to play Riot Fest this year. Especially if you add in the small baby their dad/manager Isaiah brought out at one point, making the kid’s hands clap into the microphone.

The group, rounded out by 16-year-old percussionist Oliver Mendoza and 18-year-old Diangelo Esquivel, was one of the four community bands booked by Riot Fest to represent talent from the event’s backyard in North Lawndale and Little Village. Largemouth won the final spot in a battle of the bands contest during a 24th Ward end-of-summer celebration held in early August. Members are from a little bit of everywhere, however, including the northwest suburbs.

Their musical blend offers a wide range, too, with Nirvana, Motorhead and a bit of hardcore bubbling up on songs like “Keep a Secret.” On others, the five-piece introduced a jazzy mix and more traditional Latin sounds, furthered by the addition of Mendoza on congas. All of it got the small but mighty crowd moshing and covered in mud, marking another big moment for the young band.

Contributing: Sofie Hernandez-Simeonidis