Event takes place September 8th in Indianapolis
Billionaire Indianapolis Colts Owner & CEO Jim Irsay has announced Friday, September 8th as the date of the Colts Kickoff Concert, featuring The Jim Irsay Band & The Jim Irsay Collection, in Indianapolis. Colts fans will also enjoy a special appearance by world-renowned illusionist Criss Angel.
This one-of-a-kind event leading into the Colts 2023 season is free and open to the public, but tickets are required. To reserve a ticket, visit Colts.com/Concert or jimirsaycollection.com. Tickets will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The show will take place from 4-11 pm ET at Lucas Oil Stadium. The night will feature a free concert by The Jim Irsay Band, an all-star band featuring some of the world’s most accomplished musicians, including Kenny Aronoff on drums, Kenny Wayne Shepherd on guitar, Billy Branch on harmonica, Tom Bukovac on guitar, Mike Mills on bass, and more. Special guests for the show will be announced at a later date.
“I am just a steward of the Horseshoe and this collection, so it’s my job to share them with the world and bring a little bit of joy into people’s lives, whether that’s on the football field, in the community or at events like the Colts Kickoff Concert,” Irsay states. “This is our chance to say thank you to Colts fans and to give everyone a night of togetherness and great music. This is also our way of celebrating and giving back to the arts, which provide so much to us as a society and as human beings.”
Guest performers at past shows have included John Mellencamp, Steven Stills (Crosby, Stills & Nash), blues legend Buddy Guy, Ann Wilson (Heart), John Fogerty (Creedence Clearwater Revival), Kevin Cronin (REO Speedwagon), Natalie Merchant (formerly of 10,000 Maniacs), Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), country music superstar Vince Gill, nine-time Grammy nominee John Hiatt, four-time Grammy nominee Robert Randolph and Peter Wolf (J. Geils Band).
The evening also will include an exhibition of pieces from The Jim Irsay Collection, including Irsay’s world-famous guitar and instrument collection, as well as historic and iconic artifacts from American history and popular culture. The exhibit also will include unique Colts artifacts and memorabilia from 40 seasons in Indianapolis.
The collection is highlighted by instruments and items owned and used by the greatest artists in music history, including Bob Dylan, The Beatles, James Brown, Prince, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Elton John, Johnny Cash, Jerry Garcia, Les Paul, David Gilmour, Miles Davis, Jim Morrison, Eddie Van Halen, Pete Townshend, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, John Coltrane, The Edge and other icons, as well as signed photos, handwritten lyrics, and other historic music memorabilia.
Outside of music, the collection includes signed Presidential documents and artifacts, important original documents from American history and other unique artifacts, such as an original “Wanted” poster for John Wilkes Booth, the original manuscript for Alcoholics Anonymous’ Big Book, a 1953 Jackie Robinson bat, Muhammad Ali’s title belt from the 1974 “Rumble in the Jungle,” Jack Kerouac’s original typewritten manuscript for On The Road, Secretariat’s saddle from its historic 1973 Triple Crown wins, and much more.
An active philanthropist, Irsay transformed his collection into a “traveling museum” and has hosted free exhibitions in Nashville, TN, Washington, DC, Austin, Texas, Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Indianapolis, San Francisco, Las Vegas and Boston. He also regularly loans artifacts to museums, nonprofits and other organizations for display and research across the country and around the world.
