Mayor LaToya Cantrell was happy to learn that Dick Clark Productions and ABC today announced that Big Freedia will host the 5th annual local celebration from Jax Brewery on “Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021.” The New Orleans native and “Queen of Bounce” will give viewers a look at the arts, culture, and locals that define New Orleans. There will also be a performance of “Auld Lang Syne” by multi-Grammy®-winning R&B artist, Maroon 5 keyboardist and native New Orleanian PJ Morton, all leading up to the countdown and traditional fleur-de-lis drop at midnight from the top of Jax Brewery across from Jackson Square. The most-watched New Year’s Eve celebration nationwide, which features iconic performances of the year’s biggest songs, airs live December 31 at 8 p. m. ET / 7 p. m. CT on ABC.
“We are beyond excited that Big Freedia and PJ Morton, two of New Orleans’ brightest musical lights, will be shining for our city and before the entire world as we ring in the new year. Even though we won’t be watching this performance in person, we will be watching from the safety of our homes as ‘Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2021′ rings in the new year with that special New Orleans flavor,” said Mayor LaToya Cantrell. “We’re also excited that this event will employ nearly 70 local crew members, many of whom have been shut out of production jobs due to the pandemic, and that the world will remember that New Orleans will be the safest place to visit and enjoy our music and culture in 2021.”
The City helped to finance the production by using $500,000 from monies that were taken from the hospitality industry, specifically to fund and develop the Cultural Economy sector. This was a consequence of the Cantrell’s letter to Dick Clark Productions asking that Lauren Daigle be removed from the Rockin’ Eve show, Cantrell was outraged by Daigle’s participation in a live performance with Christian musician Sean Feucht, which violated city permitting laws, and took local musicians by surprise. Lieut. Governor Billy Nungesser pulled a half million dollar support (that was to be paid from state tourism advertising budget) from the Rockin’ Eve show’s production costs because Daigle was not included on he bill (Nungesser was under the impression that Cantrell’s letter soured the Daigle deal). Turns out that Daigle wasn’t even supposed to perform. So, to save the worldwide exposure the New Year’s Eve show provides, the City paid for $500,000 production costs from a fund that is supposedly dedicated to helping local musicians, artists and culture bearers. More than a few local musicians, as well as Councilman Kristen Palmer, (District C), have voiced their complaints about using funding meant to support local culture bearers and giving it to a production company for the New Year’s event, although there will be local production jobs generated by the show.
