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Thursday, May 8, 2025
Lincoln Hall
Over $111K fundraised

Overall Winner: Res Musicata (DLA Piper) for Greater Chicago Food Depository & Legal Aid Chicago
Judges’ Choice Award: Flood Bros. (Circuit Court of Cook County) for Digs with Dignity
Hustle & Heart Award: Fauxly (Foley & Lardner) for Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago
Music Matters Recipient: Girls Rock! Chicago

We love you, Chicago! Last night was the perfect end to the spring tour as four bands of legal pros-turned-rock stars graced the stage to rock for good. Wowing the crowd with diverse sets of current hits and beloved classics, local lawyers and their bandmates brought a world of talent to Lincoln Hall and raised $111K in the process!

The evening began with a fiery opening performance by special guests, GIRLROT, featuring young musicians from Girls Rock! Chicago. The organization received our 2025 Chicago Music Matters grant for their contributions to youth music education and we were thrilled to have one of their bands, GIRLROT, take the stage. The four young performer's talent shone on angsty covers by ‘90s standouts Veruca Salt and The Cranberries, but it was their original songs that truly showcased the artistic expression and creativity that Girls Rock! Chicago inspires.

Following the impressive opening performance, four competing bands followed, battling for rock victory by putting their own twist on songs by artists from Adele to Led Zeppelin to Chapell Roan.

Law Rocks newcomer, RES MUSICATA, took the stage by storm with sequined singers performing choreographed moves, a brass section, and an appearance by a pink-pony-headed guitarist, ending on a rollicking cover of Tina Turner's "Proud Mary". Next up, the talented FLOOD BROS. captured the crowd with their musical prowess and tight set, featuring stellar versions of "I Melt With You" by Modern English and the perennial crowdpleaser, "American Girl" by Tom Petty. Returning favorite, FLOOD WATERS, showed off their talented instrumentalists and amazing vocals on Heart’s “Barracuda” and Pat Benatar's "Heartbreaker. Closing the night, FAUXLY entered the stage with a powerhouse take on Eminem's "Lose Yourself" and kept the energy high in the room with hits by Fall Out Boy and Weezer.

We’d like to thank our 2025 bands, the fans and firms that supported them (and us!), our amazing Rock Panel of Judges, the Lincoln Hall team, and the generous sponsors who made the evening possible. We couldn’t do it without you!

Please consider making a contribution to support Law Rocks World Tour and ensure we keep rocking the globe for years to come!

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Featured

Special Guests - GIRLROT

Band Members & instrumentation:

Amber Phillips (she/her) - guitar

Clara Degenholtz (she/her) - drums

El Pillajo (she/her) - bass

Sage Sysavathly (they/he) - guitar

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Fauxly

Featuring legal talent from Foley & Lardner
Rocking for Boys and Girls Clubs of Chicago

With roots across the nation, and a home base in Chicago, Fauxly is a no compromise rock band. After a few stints on the road, two-time Law Rocks Hustle and Heart Award winners, Fauxly are back home in Chicago with another set of modern classics from the 1990’s and 2000’s that will get you off your feet and on the floor. Individually, Fauxly’s members have honed their talents on a variety of stages across the world; from Carnegie Hall and the Kennedy Center, to the House of Blues in Chicago, the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles, to the German variety show “Wetten Das,” Sophia University in Tokyo, Japan, and countless bars, basements, and backyards in between.

Fauxly features:

Chris Ward – Vocals and Guitar
Zack Sikora – Guitar
Matt Winther – Guitar
Mike Noonan – Bass
Chris Rasmussen – Drums

We’re ready to let what’s left of our hair down and rock out for a great cause. The money we’re raising goes to the Boys and Girls Club of America, but the spirits we’re raising will be yours!

Flood Bros.

Featuring legal talent from Circuit Court of Cook County
Rocking for Digs with Dignity

The Floods: 20+ years of Classic Rock, New Wave, and many, many curveballs - from Navy Pier's Grand Ballroom to all the now-shuttered bars and clubs on the Northside - Jim - Steve - John - Mikey

Flood Waters

Featuring legal talent from McGuireWoods
Rocking for Kovler Diabetes Center

Straight out of Elmhurst, Flood Waters has been rocking the Chicago area since 2014. The band initially joined forces in School of Rock’s “Adult Program” and quickly decided to go out on their own to perform across the Chicago area. The band has played at venues as diverse as the legendary Double Door, City Winery, Lincoln Hall, and Aurora’s RiverEdge Park along with numerous venues in their hometown. Flood Waters performs a great cross-section of the classics from the 1970s to today, including The Cars, The Pretenders, Tom Petty, Fleetwood Mac, and more. Flood Waters showcases the talents of two attorneys: Amy Manning (vocals, partner at McGuireWoods) and Morgan Moran (bass, Senior Director at Astella Pharma). Rounding out the band are Amy McConnell (vocals), Michael Stavridis (guitar), Brian Mehta (drums), and Andy DeMotte (keys). Flood Waters regularly takes part in local philanthropic activities, including several appearances at the Chicago Bar Association’s annual “Lawyers Rock” benefit as well as ongoing events hosted by the American Diabetes Association.

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Res Musicata

Featuring legal talent from DLA Piper
Rocking for Greater Chicago Food Depository & Legal Aid Chicago

Res Musicata is a startup band that showcases three lawyers and a senior paralegal from DLA Piper (John Lyons –guitar and vocals, Mariah DiGrino – piano and vocals, Lisa Gillespie – vocals, Rich Klawiter -- vocals). Rounding out the band, members from Not for Profit (www.nfpband.com ) , a band that John co-founded in 2007 and volunteers its musical talents to raise money for a variety of charitable causes, will back up the DLA Piper lawyers (John’s wife, Angie -- vocals, Tim Thompson -- musical director, keyboards and guitar, Rich Steiner -- bass, Dan Katz -- drums, Mitch Goldman -- trumpet, Robb Calabro -- sax, Norm Friede -- trombone, and Holly Aaronson -- bari sax). The members of Res Musicata have performed in a number of venues including House of Blues, Park West, the Arcada Theater, Durty Nellies, Bowery Electric, Mrs. Fish, Summerfest, Abbey Road Studios, Des Plaines Theater, and other venues. Res Musicata performs an eclectic mix of material ranging from Motown, classic and alternative rock, country, and pop.

For the third year, Law Rocks is awarding a Music Matters grant in each city to benefit a local organization that supports music education, particularly for underserved youth. We are thrilled to be awarding our 2025 Chicago Music Matters grant to Girls Rock! Chicago.

Learn more in our Nonprofit Spotlight on Girls Rock! Chicago.

We are proud the Fourth Annual Law Rocks Chicago 2025 bands raised funds for the following organizations:

Featured

Host - Valerie Ojeda

This proud Chicago native is best known for her vocal versatility, boundless energy and magnetic charisma on stage.

During the week, Valerie Ojeda travels the country, working as an On-Camera Host, Event Emcee, Trade Show Presenter and Automotive Product Specialist, representing top companies like Panasonic, Microsoft and 3M and Honda, just to name a few.

On weekends, she manages and sings lead vocals for the wildly successful cover band, “Anthem Road,” playing in casinos, resorts, conventions, wineries, private parties and outdoor festivals, throughout the country. Anthem Road has shared the stage with such iconic 80’s bands as Berlin and Warrant, as well as some of the top tribute bands in the world. Valerie’s favorite musical moments to date were meeting rock legends Pat Benatar, Kip Winger, Jerry Dixon and Billy Ocean, as well as singing with Terri Nunn at The Canyon Club and singing the National Anthem before a Slaughter concert.

For Valerie, being of service is the highest form of consciousness, so being able to give back to the local community, by being a part of Law Rocks, is an absolute dream come true!

https://www.atradeshowpresenter.com
https://www.anthemroadband.com

Featured

Judge - Lindsey Lund

Originally from Los Angeles, Lindsey found the stage at a young age and has been performing ever since. She considers dance her first love and has trained and danced professionally across the country from Millennium Dance Complex in Hollywood to Steps on Broadway in Manhattan. She performs in musicals throughout the Chicagoland area and is the assistant choreographer for the Chicago Bar Association's annual Bar Show. Lindsey is the lead singer of a 70s disco-rock band, La Fete Du Funk, and proud co-owner of After Hours Productions, LLC, a music-event production company in Chicago.

Judge - Melissa Oglesby

Melissa Oglesby is a Chicago-based community leader, educator, and advocate. She is co-founder and board chair of Girls Rock! Chicago (GR!C), a nonprofit that empowers girls, transgender, and gender-expansive youth through music education and mentorship. Her background in DIY culture as both a drummer in local bands and a zine maker led her to find and build community among musicians, local leaders, and families in support of Girls Rock! Chicago. Her involvement with GR!C reflects her commitment to fostering leadership, self-esteem, and creative expression among youth.

In addition to her work with GR!C, she currently serves as the Director of Prospect Strategy and Research at Teach For America (TFA), a role she has held since 2018. Melissa earned her BA in Gender Studies from The University of Chicago. Melissa is thrilled to judge for Law Rocks Chicago as she works towards her lifelong goal of being a professional battle of the bands judge.

Judge - Rickey Rainbow

Rickey Rainbow has been a singer, songwriter, producer and businessman for the past twenty-five years. Music was a significant part of his life growing up watching his cousins, The Staple Singers. Additionally, Bob Marley and the Wailers and Cameo were managed by his uncle, which gave further direction for him to learn about the entertainment world. He attended the (Institute for New Cinema Artist) in Chicago where he learned the details of the music business and record production. He has since lived in London where he produced numerous top ten hits to become a respected name in the music business. Rickey has written for, recorded and advised many artists both new and established. He has worked with Mark Morrison (Return of the Mack), R. Kelly, Alliah, Right Said Fred (I'm too Sexy), Jocelyn Brown, Michelle Gayle, Ant and Deck, Ultimate Kaos, 2 Unlimited, Maxi Priest, Big Tyme and Hercules, and Willie Clayton, to name a few.

Most notably, Rickey was nominated for a Grammy for producing and co-writing “Big Up” with Aswad, a well-regarded reggae band. Rickey was also considered as a choice for a key A&R position in the past from major labels such as Sony, Polygram, and MCA.Rickey has also helped start up and run several independent labels in Canada and England. During Rickey’s vast recording career, he has landed several publishing deals with companies like Polygram/Polydor and Chrysalis Music.Rickey has managed to create a great rapport with top position players at many major record companies across the globe. This also adds to his insider ability to make things happen.

www.rickeyrainbow.com
https://www.instagram.com/rickeyrainbow

Judge - Aaron Rosenblatt

Aaron Rosenblatt, a Chicago native, is a Rock 'n' Roll drummer who has been playing in bands since junior high (and, no, he will not admit to you how long ago that was). Currently, he is the drummer for The Motions, a 4-piece Ramones inspired rock band that has played all over the Chicagoland area since 2016. He also happens to be a lawyer. Since 2010, his main practice has been representing criminal defendants in Illinois courts. He is the principal and founding attorney at Criminal Defense Lawyer of Chicago P.C. where he litigates on behalf of his clients in a wide variety of criminal charges.

Aaron is very excited to be involved with Law Rocks and its committed to giving back to the community.

https://criminaldefenselawyerofchicago.com

Meg Sampson

Missouri-born frontwoman & songwriter Meg Sampson formed Chicago honky tonk band, Meg & The Wheelers back in 2018, quickly releasing her first single "Bar in the Divorce" & establishing the Wheelers as a local band to watch. Their distinct sound is a result of five seasoned musicians & close friends collaborating, drawing on the rich history of country music, with influences ranging from Loretta Lynn to Margo Price. Meg & The Wheelers craft a unique & exciting spin on the music that made them, combining modern lyrics with traditional melodies, weaving tales of love & loss that feel both fresh & timeless.

Meg & The Wheelers' latest EP Midwest Best as well as their hotly anticipated forthcoming LP were both recorded at Chicago's legendary Electrical Audio studio. They have shared the stage with national acts such as Ashley Mcbryde & Joshua Hedley and were voted Chicago’s 2nd favorite country band by the Chicago Reader’s 2024 poll.