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Thursday, May 16, 2019
White Oak Music Hall
$24,000 in total fundraising

Winner & Judges’ Choice Award: Pro Hac Vice of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. and The Friedkin Group rocking for Chance for Hope Foundation

It was a great night at White Oak Music Hall at the first ever Law Rocks Houston. Five bands of lawyers who rock played our inaugural Houston concert for five amazing local nonprofits.

Huge thanks to every participating band! Thanks also to the WOMH team, the host and Rock Panel of Judges, and our nonprofit guests. None of this would happen without our sponsors making the show possible - thank you to Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP; Locke Lord LLP; Opportune; Orrick; and Secretariat International.

Until next year!

Featured

Backspace

Featuring legal talent from Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP; Enbridge
Rocking for OpHeart

Backspace is a rock ‘n roll band that formed in 2007 as a group of like-minded professionals who found a way to benefit the community through their music. Their annual charity show is a one-time only performance specifically curated around a unique theme, never to be repeated. In 2019, they travelled across the pond and played an array of British band hits panning from the The Beatles to One Direction. On February 8, 2020 at White Oak Music Hall, they will present an evening of one-hit wonders.

The Dadbots

The Dadbots are an acoustic cover band formed in 2017 by three dads with little free time but with a common love for 90s grunge. Lead singer, Brett Ross, is Associate General Counsel and Director of Compliance for TPC Group, a local chemical company. Steve Cagle plays guitar and provides back-up vocals and is a member of Winstead’s Business Litigation Practice Group. Mike Wilson plays guitar as well and is an associate at Kasowitz focusing on complex commercial litigation. The Dadbots are excited to join the Law Rocks show and to raise money for the Spring Branch Education Foundation supporting teachers and students from SBISD.

Londale

Featuring legal talent from Sheehy, Ware & Pappas LLC
Rocking for The Alzheimer’s Association Houston & Southeast Texas Chapter

How would you define a sound that’s a cross between Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, REM, and Glenn Frey? It’s a trick question. A sound like that defies genre. Veterans of the Houston music scene, they’ve connected to create unique music that’s heartfelt, edgy, and laid back. The result – an eclectic sound reminiscent of the aforementioned legends. It’s an unexpected combination, but once you hear it, it just feels right.

Pro Hac Vice

Featuring legal talent from Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP, Enterprise Products Partners, L.P. and The Friedkin Group, the members of Pro Hac Vice joined forces for Law Rocks Houston to bring the hits from the most totally awesome era of music. The band will be raising money for the Chance for Hope Foundation, a local charity providing support services for children with cancer and their families, and grant funding for pediatric cancer research. Pro Hac Vice is: John Goodgame (guitar, vocals), Travis Earp (guitar, vocals), Charlie San Miguel (drums/percussion), Mario Barrientos (bass, vocals) and Scott Davidson (lead vocals, guitar).

The Wheel Workers

Featuring legal talent from Rodgers Selvera PLLC; South Texas College of Law
Rocking for Texas Accountants and Lawyers for the Arts

The Houston based five-piece political rock band The Wheel Workers isn’t so political on its upcoming new album post-truth (out Nov. 2nd, 2018.) Now, the band’s lean and quirky Dead Kennedys, The Clash, and Pixies-influenced style shoves real life in front of our eyes.

Following up an astounding eight nominations at the Houston Press Music Awards in 2015 for its previous album Citizens, which was also called “a true masterpiece” that year by Free Press Houston, post-truth’s opening cut “White Lies” was first released in November of 2016 just before the Presidential election.

“Successful political art foregrounds the artistry while making a statement that isn’t just applicable for a limited time,” said The Onion’s A.V. Club in its coverage of the song.

“I was personally caught up in the horror many liberals felt at the time,” says The Wheel Workers leader Steven Higginbotham. “But after all the personal difficulties the band has faced since that time, I’m not sure I would write that song the same way today.”

“Two of our members had houses flooded during Hurricane Harvey,” Higginbotham explains, “and they have spent the better part of a year coming back from that. I went through an intensely hurtful break-up that put me in a dark place. But the band supported each other through it all.”

“Some of the people that were most supportive and kind during our difficulties were people I would probably disagree with politically,” Higginbotham continues. “But the decency and love they showed in helping us rebuild our lives is so much more important than whether we agree on this or that issue.”

Interestingly, if the message of “White Lies” reflects where the band started, post-truth’s final track “Sing,” might best reflect where the band is today. “Wade thru the night until the daylight dawns,” Higginbotham sings in the song’s chorus, rising to a climax of, “We... want so much for the spell that now holds us to break / Love is what I hope we sing next.”

“I’m definitely still socially conscious,” Higginbotham elaborates, “But now I think problems are best dealt with the way we do in our personal lives, with the people we genuinely care about, supporting and loving one another with understanding and forgiveness.”

post-truth, the latest album by Houston-based band, The Wheel Workers arrived on Nov. 2nd, 2018.

Featured

2019

Emcee - Michael A. Olivas

Michael A. Olivas is the William B. Bates Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of Houston Law Center and Director of the Institute for Higher Education Law and Governance at UH, where he has taught since 1982. He teaches Immigration Law courses, Higher Education and the Law, and Entertainment Law. He has a forthcoming book with NYU Press, Perchance to DREAM, A Legal and Political History of the DREAM Act and DACA, his 16th full-length book. From February 2016 until May 2017, Professor Olivas served as the President of the University of Houston-Downtown on an interim basis. He also has a regular radio show on the Albuquerque, NM, National Public Radio (NPR) station KANW, Houston’s KUHF, and other stations in North America. "The Law of Rock and Roll," where he reviews legal developments in music and entertainment law, appearing as "The Rock and Roll Law Professor." (TM) He lectures on entertainment law subjects to lawyers, young musicians, and trade groups.

Freddy Steady Krc

There are good reasons why Freddie Steady Krc has a Lifetime Achievement Award from Texas Academy of Music, a Texas Tornado Award from Buddy Magazine, and is in the Texas Music Hall of Fame. And his rich musical history all comes together in his Freddie Steady’s Wild Country project, a setting in which the music of his many incarnations all comes together.

This singer / songwriter / guitarist / drummer / renaissance Texan has plied his musical wares around the world the past few decades. A charismatic live performer, Krc wins over any audience with his captivating original songs and engaging stage presence. He also enjoys capturing the spirit of his favorite cover songs. Krc (rhymes with search) landed in Austin at the moment that a musical revolution was getting started at a styles-don’t-matter joint called the Armadillo.

By the time he hit town, he was also passionate about the Tex-Mex mix of the Sir Douglas Quintet (his first concert), the psychedelic sounds of rock innovators the 13th Floor Elevators, and the soulful folk of singer/songwriters like B. W. Stevenson and Jerry Jeff Walker. Freddie Steady would eventually work as a band member with each of these artists, all while developing his own musical ideas.

Session drumming includes studio work with everyone from the Sir Douglas Quintet’s Augie Meyers to Carole King, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters to The Faces’ Ronnie Lane. Freddie’s greatest stage memories include performing for Presidents Clinton and Ford, drumming gigs with Big Brother and the Holding Company and with legendary San Francisco’s Charlatans at Cleveland’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He’ll never forget performing with Jerry Jeff at Willie Nelson’s 1985 Picnic when Neil Young joined in for a set. His dozens of credits as a record producer include Peter Lewis of Moby Grape, Sal Valentino of The Beau Brummels, and Al Staehely of Spirit. Among his published original songs are one featured in the film, Purpose, and another that serves as the theme for television music series, All You Can Eat Texas Music Café.

With his power pop trio, The Explosives, Freddie Steady set his drums right up front next to his band mates. In 2005, The Explosives helped bring Texas legend Roky Erickson out of retirement, serving as his band for several years, just as they had years earlier. Roky and the Explosives enjoyed great success with the release of the Halloween on Freddie’s own SteadyBoy Records label.

Krc took front and center on the guitar with his Western folk rock outfit, The Shakin’ Apostles, his rock and roll band The Freddie Steady 5, and with his country band, Freddie Steady’s Wild Country. It captured what we now call Americana even before the term existed. And that’s why he has revived Wild Country as the perfect catch-all setting for his wide-ranging gumbo of Texas musical sounds. Whether playing electric or acoustic, large hall or house concert, Freddie’s always rocking, always steady.

Evelyn Rubio

Evelyn Rubio, blues singer and saxophonist, carries a theme in her heart and that theme relates to what she identifies with the idea that “The blues has no borders”. Born in Mexico (Neza City) and raised through her formative years in Mexico City, it may be surprising to learn that Evelyn actually began in show business at the early age of nine. Then just two short years later, at the age of eleven, Evelyn would be a regular on a children’s television show “My Little Stars”. By the age of fifteen Evelyn was now earning a nice living as a rock and pop singer with various established bands in and around Mexico City and then at the age of 19 she began learning the saxophone and writing songs as well. Then in 1999 Evelyn recorded and released her first album “Evelyn Automarginados” which is a wonderful funky blues collection of music. Next, for over a period of five years, Evelyn would devote her focus on music between a black tie orchestra and a rocking blues band named “Chivo Azul”, in Playa del Carmen. Next, in 2004, Evelyn would land the lead role in Jesus Christ Superstar, a Canadian production in Mexico, as Mary Magdalene. Shortly afterward Evelyn would emigrate to Houston, Texas and sign a multi-year album contract with the late, great Calvin Owens, a BB king band leader. Right after signing the agreement Mr. Owens would produce Evelyn’s second release, “La Mujer que Canta Blues”. Then it was right back into the studio for Evelyn’s current release, “Hombres” but unfortunately Mr. Owens passed and Evelyn continued to produce and finish the album along with Andy Bradley. In 2011 Evelyn became a member of The James Boogaloo Bolden Blues Band (the last BB king band leader) playing at festivals and went on to release an album in 2013 titled, “No News just The Blues”. Time moved forward and with the much anticipated release of “Hombres” the CD received the nomination for The Jimi Awards as International Release of the year 2015 and then on March 8th 2016 due to an overwhelming number of spins by Disc Jockeys of “Hombres” nationwide Evelyn moved to number 1, number 3, and number 6 respectively – charting on the internationally recognized Billboard Magazine. She charted at #1 Latin Pop Album – #3 Latin Album – and #6 Blues Album.

Al Staehely

Al Staehely is an entertainment lawyer based in Houston, Texas. He has specialized in legal matters pertaining to the music and film industries since 1979.His clients include musicians, record labels, music publishing companies, and distribution companies. He handles various matters related to recording, publishing, sub-publishing, and licensing both domestically and internationally.

Al is also a musician whose roots in the Austin music scene combined with his experience writing and collaborating with artists in Los Angeles (most notably as front man in the psychedelic rock band Spirit) have allowed him to create a sound all his own. Seamlessly blending classic rock, soulful blues with a commanding stage presence, Al is just at home playing intimate solo shows with an acoustic guitar on his knee as he is taking center stage at a rock show. Al's engaging lyrics and creative melodies have peaked the interest of other artists who have recorded his songs- Keith Moon (The Who), Marty Balin (Jefferson Airplane), Peter Cox (Go West), The Nick Gravenites/John Cipollina Band, as well as performers from his own back yard, most recently Houston R&B vocalist Annika Chambers.