Dear Listener,
We were having such a good time, too! 'OZ was just broadcasting away from Denver with four straight nights of live music. We were supposed to go straight to the Detroit Jazz Festival over Labor Day Weekend, and then straight to Minneapolis for the Friends of New Orleans kick-off concert for the Republican National Convention.
Then, we got word of an unwanted interloper lurking in the Caribbean — Gustav. Gustav Mahler? Gustav Flaubert? Groovy Gustav? I've never even met anybody named Gustav.
We immediately went into capital "W" Weather Mode and turned both our trucks around to a secure location back home, sent engineers scurrying in two different directions — each loaded with laptops and hundreds of hours of pre-recorded primo WWOZ shows — and battened down our studios before heading out of town. This turned out to be quite a different kind of pirouette.
The city had shut down our French Market studios by midnight, Friday, August 29th. So WWOZ engineer Tony Guillory took control of the airwaves from his bunker in Lafayette until we lost power in New Orleans Monday morning, after which WWOZ could only be heard on-line. When conditions in Lafayette worsened, we threw our operations to Will Kirchheimer, our second technician safely nestled in Greenville, South Carolina!
Then, on Wednesday, when power was restored to the transmitter, Tony recaptured control until we were able to return to normal operations at our studios on Sunday, September 7th. Thus, WWOZ managed to stay on the air as long as the city had electricity, and never did lose its web stream during the entire storm.
Too much fun! Who would ever believe that we would look forward to a calmer time, such as this coming October where we just (ha! ha!) have a 10-day on-air membership drive book-ended by some live, local broadcasts, including Voodoo Fest from October 24th to 26th.
We look forward to seeing you out there at the coolest VIP backstage area I've ever encountered — sofas and barbeque, maybe even some Mango Freeze. Which reminds me that the new WWOZ Mango Freeze cups are going to start appearing in Whole Foods in the next few weeks.
Keep your eyes peeled and your ears filled with great music,
David Freedman
General Manager
Hurricanes Gustav and Ike
While we are relieved that New Orleans came out relatively unscathed by Hurricane Gustav, there are many communities in Southeast Louisiana that suffered extensive flooding and wind damage.
We all need to support our neighbors who bore the brunt of Gustav and Ike's wrath. We can never forget how wonderful our friends in Texas were to New Orleans when we needed their help.
Read more about how you can help Gulf Coast communities in need
WWOZ at Voodoo Fest
WWOZ is excited to announce that we will once again be broadcasting live from the Voodoo Music Experience, October 24 to 26 in City Park. The all-ages festival has become a mecca for modern music-lovers, presenting more than 130 acts on six stages.
Have your best Voodoo Music Experience ever with a WWOZ Voodoo VIP pass. The pass gets you into our hospitality area which is the place to be, with great food, cool people, and more.
Read more about this year's lineup and WWOZ's Voodoo VIP passes
Order your WWOZ Voodoo VIP pass
Highlights from Denver
WWOZ partnered with KUVO radio in Denver to broadcast four nights of phenomenal live concerts in August during the Democratic National Convention.
Highlights included the Friends of New Orleans All Star Jam-Balaya that featured over 40 of New Orleans' finest musicians at the kick-off for the Democratic National Convention. The event brought much-needed awareness of the ongoing efforts to rebuild our region.
Read about more highlights on our blog
Volunteer for the Fall Membership Drive!
WWOZ's Fall Membership Drive starts soon, from Monday, October 6 to Thursday, October 16. We are especially looking for volunteers to staff the phone bank and on-air membership drive co-producers — that second voice that works with the show host on the air. These are fun ways to be part of the magic of our Membership Drives, and to help keep WWOZ going!
Find out how to volunteer for the Fall Membership Drive
Congo Square in October
The New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation turns its focus to Congo Square next month, with panel discussions, dance concerts, art exhibits and a music festival that all explore the historical role of Congo Square in the development of American culture.
Read more about the Congo Square events
Bayou-Style Fried Crabs
Check out this recipe for Bayou-Style Deep-Fried Hard-Shell Crabs from Louisiana Cookin' magazine. If you like what you see, then check out Louisiana Cookin' and subscribe to the magazine with the promotion code wwoz08. This way Louisiana Cookin' will donate $5 of your subscription fee to WWOZ. It's another way to help keep the music alive at WWOZ while enjoying some delectable New Orleans recipes.
WWOZ Contest
As a way to help you discover more hidden corners of our website, WWOZ is offering a chance to win a free two-night stay at one of New Orleans Fine Hotels' eight historic locations to listeners who participate in a scavenger hunt on the site. Have fun searching the site, and good luck to all!
Find out how to enter the contest
WWOZ Quick Links
Playlists Online
Are you interested in an artist we played on the air? You can search playlists by song title, band name, CD title or label.
WWOZ Swamp Shop
The 'OZ Swamp Shop is open and chock full of WWOZ gear.
New Orleans Music Calendar
There's live music in locations all around New Orleans. We've got a music calendar online.
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