Concert celebrating 65 years of WAKY Radio in Louisville will benefit LMPD Officer Nick Wilt

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A local radio station is celebrating its 65th year on air, and plans to celebrate with the community.

WAKY Radio's 65th Anniversary Concert will be held at the Iroquois Amphitheater on Sunday, Sept.17, 2023. This year, the concert will benefit Louisville Metro Police Officer Nick Wilt.

"Our goal is to donate all monies from ticket sales to the LMPD Foundation for Officer Wilt and his family," WAKY owner Bill Walters said in a written statement.

Music by Caribou at 3 p.m. and The Crashers at 4:30 p.m. will rock the stage. Both music acts are donating their time and talents to the concert, and the Iroquois Amphitheater is donating the venue and personnel to help celebrate an iconic local radio station.

Shane Eisenberg with the Crashers joined WAKY's Mark Strauss on WDRB Mornings Tuesday for a sneak peak at what's in store.

"We're really excited to be part of this concert," Eisenberg said. "We've been real busy playing, doing a lot of summer festivals. With this one being for the officer, we decided to be a part of this."

Strauss said the concert commemorates 65 years of WAKY Radio, but it's also about helping LMPD Officer Wilt.

"Our goal was to make sure that all of the ticket sales went to Officer Wilt," he said. "So we went to the Metro Parks and Iroquois Amphitheater, and they donated the venue. The Crashers donated their time, Caribou is donating their time. And Stock Yards Bank stepped up to cover some incremental expenses. So we've met our goal: all ticket sales will go to Officer Wilt and his family."

Eisenberg said concert goers can expect a great show.

"If you have never seen the crashers, we're a high energy band. We're excited to be teaming up with Caribou. They've been brothers of ours for a long time, a musical family. We're excited to be a part of this event. This is our first time playing at Iroquois Amphitheater, so it is fun new for us as well. So we're really excited about that."

The concert will be a family-friendly event.

"WAKY has been a part of the community for 65 years, and we were looking for a special way to celebrate those 65 years of providing Rock n' Roll radio to Metro Louisville," Walters said. "Presenting a concert that would also be of great benefit to Officer Wilt's recovery seemed to be the absolute right thing to do. Officer Wilt helped us. Now, let's help him."

Officer Nick Wilt was severely wounded while responding to protect others during a mass shooting at Old National Bank on April 10, and his long road to recovery continues.

Tickets are $25 each plus a service fee and are available through Ticketmaster.com now or at the Iroquois Amphitheater box office. To purchase tickets, click here.

The benefit concert is supported by Stock Yards Bank & Trust Co.