Ledisi Joined Batiste Onstage as Big Game Weekend Festival Reveled in New Orleans' 9th Ward Community

NEW ORLEANS, Feb. 9, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Desire Area of New Orleans' 9th Ward was alive with music and a message of love and unity as He Gets Us and Jon Batiste — the 2025 Super Bowl LIX National Anthem performer — came together to host the first Love Riot Festival on Saturday, Feb. 8. Batiste put on a rousing nearly two-hour set for thousands in attendance punctuated by performances with fellow big game pregame artist Ledisi, local favorites Dee-1 and TBC Brass Band, Flavor Flav, and more. He Gets Us Presents Jon Batiste's Love Riot Festival was free to attend to the New Orleans community and friends. All attendees received a free meal and access to connect with local community partners and support services.

"I am so grateful to He Gets Us for bringing us together to create this moment of selfless love using music to make people's lives better," said Batiste. "The resilience of this city is what makes it the best place on Earth. Love Riot Festival was a healing, uplifting day of musicians, artists, and the community all coming together to celebrate humanity and the power of rising above our differences and serving others."

Ledisi joined Batiste onstage for an impassioned rendition of "Come Together", a day prior to each performing at the big game pregame ceremonies. Throughout the festival, Jon Batiste, friends and special guests delivered vibrant sets featuring Ledisi, Ninth Ward Churches Community Choir, Craig Adams, Gospel Soul Children, Big Chief Monk Boudreaux and J'Wan Boudreaux, Jamison Ross, Tarriona "Tank" Ball, GameOva Skip, Cyril Neville and Ivan Neville and Omari Neville, Shannon Powell, TBC Brass Band, Dee-1, Flavor Flav, DJ Tre, Sess 4-5, BMIKE, Jon's father Michael Batiste and cousin Jamal Batiste, and the George Washington Carver High School Marching Band.

A symbolic moment of community resilience unfolded as the Love Riot Festival concluded with Batiste hopping offstage to join the Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club in a Love Riot march through the festival grounds in honor of the 9th Ward's annual second line halted by violence last November.

"Love Riot Festival and Jon Batiste and He Gets Us coming to the 9th Ward to shine a spotlight on our community is a real-life embodiment of what Jesus said greatness is: serving others," said Oscar Brown, director at Thrive New Orleans and Nine Times club member.

Families and students from George Washington Carver High School and the 9th Ward community received free food and groceries prior to the festival, thanks to support from local farmers and community partners Giving Hope Foundation and Thrive New Orleans. Community leaders and 9th Ward pastors opened the festival with a message to the crowd, inviting all people to consider the question: "What does greatness look like?" 

The He Gets Us project — which was acquired by the nonprofit startup Come Near in 2024 — will air a commercial titled "What is Greatness?" in this year's big game to launch a campaign that explores the definition of greatness Jesus spoke and modeled. 

"We want to show the contrast between how culture often defines greatness through wealth, achievement, and power and what Jesus said and showed true greatness is," said Ken Calwell, CEO. "Love Riot Festival with Jon Batiste and the 9th Ward community and the stories people will see in our commercial are ways to celebrate the everyday acts of Jesus-inspired greatness of real people and invite reflection on what his example could mean for each of us." 

For more information about He Gets Us, visit hegetsus.com.

Press Contact: press@hegetsus.com

Press Visuals including Love Riot Festival B-Roll and photos available on Dropbox here.

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SOURCE He Gets Us Presents Jon Batiste's Love Riot Festival