Watch all 44 “Best Performance Ever” videos here!
From April through August, Law Rocks hosted an online battle for the title of "Best Performance Ever" (that we have on film). In the first round four bands went head to head each week on social media to garner 'likes', with the most-liked band winning the week. Round Two started July 26th, where all the winners battled it out for the prize - $2,000 to their charity of choice!
With nearly 3500 votes cast, and over 14,000 views, the final round of our "Best Performance Ever" online competition pitted 11 amazing performances against each other, the finalists from the first round of 44 performances. Who would gain the most 'likes' and win $2,000 for their charity of choice?
In the end, Lodestar of Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP, won with 1,088 'likes' for their performance of "Black Hole Sun" at the 8th Annual Law Rocks Los Angeles in 2019 at the Whisky A Go Go. We are proud to donate $2,000 to their chosen nonprofit, KIND (Kids in Need of Defense).
We are also pleased to honor the top three runners up with donations to their charities:
First Runner-Up:
The Latent Defects (Greenberg Traurig LLP) with "Basket Case" at 7th Annual Law Rocks San Francisco 2019 at The Chapel
$1,000 donation to Family Violence Appellate Project
Second Runner-Up:
The 1973 (Harrison Clark Rickerbys) with "Torn" at Law Rocks! London Unplugged 2019 at The Bedford
$500 donation to HCR Charitable Trust
Third Runner-Up:
Dirty Rumour (Taylor Vinters) with "Sweet Dreams/Seven Nation Army" at 10th Anniversary Law Rocks! London Celebration in 2019 at Scala
$500 donation to Alzheimer's Research UK
We interviewed Lodestar and asked each of the top runners-up a couple of questions about their performance!
Meet the Bands: Lodestar | The Latent Defects | The 1973 | Dirty Rumour
LODESTAR
How did you first hear about Law Rocks?
Some colleagues knew I was a musician, and one of them asked if I had heard of Law Rocks. I had not, so I did some online research and also spoke to other attorneys about Law Rocks and soon realized what an incredible organization it was.
How did your band first come together?
Lodestar was actually created specifically for Law Rocks in 2018. Once I learned about the organization and about the live concerts they sponsor to raise money for various charities, I contacted Dan Cubert, a friend and musician I have collaborated with for about 40 years, and asked if he wanted to be part of a band that would perform at a charity event at the Whiskey a Go Go. He thought it was a great idea so I began seeking out musicians in the legal field to complete the band. Finding Melissa Wright was easy because we work together at Glancy Prongay & Murray LLP. I had also heard about this very talented musician named John Ferrigno that works at a law firm in the same building as mine and so I approached him about joining the band and he agreed to be the drummer. Finally. an attorney at my firm who knew I was forming a band mentioned that he had a friend in Los Angeles who was a lawyer from France named Gary Yones and was also a singer and so I spoke with Gary and he agreed to come on board.
Why did you pick KIND? What does their mission mean to you/the band?
My firm does pro bono work for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) so that is how I became aware of the organization. KIND provides our band the opportunity to be a part of helping vulnerable and under-served children, and hopefully change the course of their lives for the better.
Can you share a little bit about the members of your band, including the legal professionals in the band - eg firms, type of law practiced or position at firm(s) if not a lawyer?
Marc Godino: I am a partner at Glancy Prongay & Murray and have been a plaintiffs’ class action lawyer for nearly 25 years. Dan Cubert and I have written and recorded a lot of music over the years, some of which can be heard on my website www.marcgodino.com.
Dan Cubert: Bass player. Although I am not an attorney, I grew up in a family of attorneys. In fact, I learned to read by reading Black's Law Dictionary.
Melissa Wright: Percussion. I am an associate at Glancy Prongay & Murray and have been a plaintiffs’ class action lawyer for six years.
John Ferrigno: Drums. I am a litigation support manager at the law firm of Hooper Lundy & Bookman, a firm specializing in health law.
Gary Yones: Vocalist: I was born and raised and received my law degree in France. Here in the United States, I am a contract attorney while also pursuing a music career.
Why did you pick "Black Hole Sun" for your set?
Our set had a lot of hard hitting tunes and so I wanted a tune in the middle of the set that would slow things down a bit but still maintain a hard rock vibe. It is also one of the band’s favorite Soundgarden songs and the thought of playing it live was very exciting. The primary reason the band chose our performance of that song for the contest was because we felt it contained the least number of mistakes of all the songs we have performed at a Law Rocks event!!
Anything you remember about this performance?
Marc Godino: I remember the strong support and encouragement I felt from the audience during this song that transcended any jitters I may have felt being on stage.
Dan Cubert: It was a lot of fun, and the energy from the crowd really was next level.
Melissa Wright: I also remember the energy coming from the audience and the band which was both exciting and fun.
John Ferrigno: I agree with the rest of the band that the energy from the audience really created a positive and fun environment.
Gary Yones: For this particular performance I had the opportunity to really connect with the audience and felt that everyone present was part of something bigger than our collective selves.
The Latent Defects
How did the band come together?
The band came together out of a shared belief that rock should be played loud and hard and that the Battle of the Bands should most be definitely be won ... by us.
Why did you pick “Basket Case” for your set?
We picked “Basket Case” because the song rocks both hard and loud, and allows us to showcase precision timing, crunchy guitars, and locked-in harmonies.
The 1973
Why did you pick “Torn” for your set?
We really felt the track suited our style and the occasion; the song has an acoustic feel to it but you can really get in to it and rock out come the final chorus.
What do you remember about your performance?
It was a fab night and was our “Law Rocks! Unplugged” debut. The quality of the bands that night was top drawer and there was a real diversity of music too. We’re not sure whether the video does it justice but the crowd and sense of community was amazing. Everyone got involved and were singing and dancing along which created an awesome atmosphere.
Dirty Rumour
What do you remember about this performance?
Playing the Law Rocks 10th anniversary party at the Scala felt like a huge honour. The quality of the bands playing was so high but it is the crowd we all remember.....it was big and in fine voice. When we started to play Sweet Dreams the crowd took over lead vocal from the off. It exemplified what LR is all about, a great bunch of people with a shared passion for music and positive impact. Thank you Law Rocks and everyone who supports you!