Grammy Award-winning musician Jon Batiste is teaming up with the nonprofit organization behind the “He Gets Us” TV ads for a free festival to benefit New Orleans before it hosts Sunday’s Super Bowl LIX.
Saturday’s “He Gets Us Presents Jon Batiste’s Love Riot Festival” promises a “festival experience of music, love, hope and action.” Event partners are planning a range of charitable projects, including free food and gifts of pianos to local schools.
“Being of service by bringing love, light and healing through music is something I am called to do,” said Batiste, who will perform the National Anthem before Sunday’s kickoff.
“At its core, that is what the Love Riot festival is all about. Radical love, celebration and cultural expression through music making and community service. Get ready to dance in the streets and sing to the heavens!” he said in a statement.
Batiste is a Louisiana native who gained fame as the bandleader for the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Bestselling Christian recording artist and fellow native Lauren Daigle also will perform during the pregame entertainment.
The Love Riot Festival is a sort of coming-out party for Come Near, a little known one-year-old nonprofit that acquired the He Gets Us project from the Servant Foundation, which is best known for its provocative TV ads intended to “(re)introduce people to Jesus and inviting them to explore his life and teachings in today’s context.”
Ken Calwell
“Come Near is in its infancy as a startup, but we’re quickly expanding our network of partners and collaborators,” said the group’s CEO, Ken Calwell, a former marketing executive for Wendy’s, Domino’s Pizza, Papa Murphy’s and Compassion International.
“Our DNA as an idea and innovation studio is already exploring additional audience-inspired projects as we develop our foundation and build an incredible team,” Calwell said, citing leaders from Nike, Meta, Amazon, Domino’s, Ford and the country’s leading creative and branding agencies.
Come Near says it has other projects in the works designed “to raise the public conversation about Jesus because we believe he has merit for all people today, regardless of their beliefs.”
“We’re leaning into expertise, wisdom from partners and collaborators, and cultural and audience insights to guide our next steps,” Calwell said. He said updates can be found here in the coming months.
He Gets Us ads have aired during the Super Bowl broadcasts since 2023. The ad running this year is titled “What is Greatness?” The group says its goal is “inviting the audience to explore what Jesus showed and said greatness is and the contrast to how culture defines greatness today.” The group also hopes the ad will “raise the public conversation about Jesus.”
“We’ve been challenged and inspired by how Jesus said greatness is defined not by our achievements, wealth or power, but by how we love and serve others, and we wanted to invite people to experience that alongside Jon Batiste in New Orleans,” Calwell said.
Participating groups include Eternal Seeds, Giving Hope Foundation, Nine Times Social Aid & Pleasure Club, Sing for Hope, Sprout, and Thrive New Orleans.
The Love Festival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and will be held on the grounds of George Washington Carver High School in the city’s Ninth Ward. Free tickets are available at liveriotfestival.com.
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