A Word from Executive Producer, Mike Jason
I am pleased to announce that The Big Easy Cruise is expanding our relationship with famed community-supported radio station, WWOZ, and further supporting their commitment to the music and culture of New Orleans and Louisiana.
WWOZ has been an integral part of StarVista LIVE’s Big Easy Cruise, and they were literally the first stop we made when we decided to launch the Cruise, offering advice and support each and every year.
We, in turn, have sponsored an artist at their Piano Night in April the past few years, donated a cabin for their Groove Gala in September, and support the station with underwriting. However, we recognize that we need to do more to support their mission. This year, we plan to hold a fundraising auction during our January 2027 cruise, and hope to hold a VIP reception and cocktail party at the WWOZ offices during next year’s French Quarter Fest, all while actively promoting WWOZ and its events to our growing number of guests.
WWOZ lost its annual federal funding, worth about $400k, following the shutdown of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Without this financial support, the New Orleans community radio station is forced to independently cover the costly broadcast and streaming music licensing fees that the CPB previously handled. We hope to help a bit.
In many ways, WWOZ helped provide us with the blueprint for what it means to make a commitment to the music and culture of the community. More to come on their September Groove Gala and other activities.
We are deep into the planning of the 2027 cruise, with 100+ live performances, 30 or so interactive events, and the food, culture, and community of fans. We have lots of artists back (including Keb' Mo ', who is featured in this newsletter) as well as some new-to-the-cruise artists that we are excited to see. I am looking forward to seeing you all onboard soon!
- Mike Jason, Executive Producer