QUICK LINKS: Bands / Nonprofits / Judges / Sponsors / Photo / Video

Thursday, September 28, 2023
9:30 Club
$121,337 fundraised

Winner & Judges’ Choice Award: Noise in the Basement for Together We Bake with legal talent from Venable; Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani; Steptoe & Johnson

Hustle & Heart Award: The Terrifying Words for Horton’s kids with legal talent from Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia

Seven bands of legal rock stars shined on the 9:30 Club stage this Thursday, at the Eighth Annual Law Rocks Washington DC. With set lists full of classics spanning genres and a crowd eating it all up, the night was a smashing success, with over $120,000 raised for local DC nonprofits!

Larry and the LandLawyers opened the show with a honkey tonk feel, and wowed with impressive guitar solos. They finished their set with the audience was grooving to an amazing cover of the Kink’s “You Really Got Me”, setting a great tone for the night.

Next up, The Precedents were back again after making their debut Law Rocks performance last year. They came in hot with “Man, I Feel Like a Woman”, inspiring the audience to sing along with their charismatic vocalist. Their dual vocalists kept their set list of classics fresh and fun. No one can ignore the power of ABBA!

2022 Champions Harmful Interference took the stage ready to rock, performing an awesome rendition of Mr. Brightside before taking on 80s hits such as “Take on Me” and “Tainted Love” that had the audience begging for more .

Much to everyone’s disappointment, Noise in the Basement had to miss last year’s Law Rocks DC, and returned to the stage this year on a mission to win it. Fans sang along to their epic performance of Weezer’s “Say It Ain’t So” and were greatly impressed by the vocals on their cover of the Cranberries’ “Zombie”.

Morgan & The Missed Opportunity didn’t miss any opportunities to shine, captivating the audience with a diverse set including everything from a cover of the Oasis mainstay “Dont Look Back In Anger” to Sam Cooke’s “Bring it on Home”.

The Terrifying Words made their Law Rocks debut with the statement “we’re from the government and we’re here to help”! Featuring talent from the Office of the Attorney General of Washington DC, they rocked a cool and classic set list featuring Bruce Springsteen’s Badlands and some epic guitar solos. The audience was vibing with the always timely (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding.

Despite having the final slot, Elliewood Review kept the audience captivated with a horn section featuring both trumpet and a sax! This band cut their chops performing together during their time at UVA Law, and it showed. Their high energy and talent wowed the crowd and their performance of “Misery Business” had everyone in the audience singing along.

Just like last year, all bands brought the heat, both in performance AND fundraising, again making this one of the closest competitions to date and an incredibly exciting night!

Law Rocks wouldn't exist without the support of all the bands and firms - major thanks to every participating band! Thanks also to the 9:30 Club team; the Rock Panel of Judges: Daniel Gomez, Gregory Grainger, and Stacy Puente; our host Lisa Berigan; and our nonprofit guests. None of this would be possible without our tour sponsor, Secretariat; Hall of Fame sponsor, Venable; and the additional generous sponsors who helped make the night possible: AT&T; Barrister Digital Solutions; Crowell & Moring; Interactive Brokers; Somos; StoneTurn; USTelecom; Verizon; Walsh Colucci Lubeley & Walsh; Wiley Rein; Wilkinson Barker Knauer; and Willkie Farr & Gallagher. Endless thanks to all of you!

Thanks for everything, DC! We’ll see you next year…

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

Donate

Featured

Elliewood Review

Featuring legal talent from Crowell & Moring
Rocking for Gifts for the Homeless

Based in Washington, D.C., Elliewood Review is a cover band that seeks to re-create the feel of your favorite college bar bands with a diverse repertoire spanning classic rock, modern rock anthems, Motown, disco, modern pop and Top 40 hits. Originally formed in Charlottesville, VA in 2019, Elliewood Review is comprised of UVA Law graduates who enjoy bringing good tunes, inventive covers, and danceable music to friends, family, and strangers alike.

Instagram

Harmful Interference

Featuring legal talent from Federal Communications Commission; Meta; Wireless Infrastructure Association; USTelecom; Verizon; Somos
Rocking for Miriam’s Kitchen

Harmful Interference is made up of telecom law and policy geeks who play in various original and cover bands around the city. While we don’t always agree with each other in our 9 to 5 jobs, we all agree that we are really excited to be back at the 9:30 Club, especially because we are rocking again for Miriam’s Kitchen, an organization dedicated to ending homelessness in Washington DC. It is almost as exciting as talking about Pole Attachments or Part 15 Waivers! Our set features an eclectic mix of rock covers and covers of covers. We may have to file an ex parte at the end of the show, but it will be worth it!

Larry and the LandLawyers

Featuring legal talent from Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, & Walsh
Rocking for The I.M.P. Family Fund

Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley & Walsh has a little known secret weapon at its disposal: the powerful sound of Larry and the LandLawyers, a rollicking band led by three attorneys at the firm: the esteemed Mark Goetzman on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, the amazing Mike Kieffer on lead guitar, the super-cool John Rinaldi on the Bass Guitar. They are joined by the Larry Clark (of FDG) on Drums.

Morgan & The Missed Opportunity

Featuring legal talent from The Authors Guild; USTelecom; Verizon
Rocking for Guitars 4 Vets

M&TMO is a collection of legal and other DC professionals who pour their talents into turning up the volume and energy on Americana and classic rock, and pour their whiskey into tall glasses.

Noise in the Basement

Featuring legal talent from Venable; Gordon Rees; Steptoe
Rocking for Together We Bake

Once upon a time in the early 2010s, a group of friends embarked on a musical adventure to transcend time and keep the electrifying essence of alternative rock alive. Born out of their mutual love for the music’s rebellious spirit and groundbreaking tunes, Noise in the Basement emerged to pay homage to the edgy legends of yesterday and today that continue to rock the world.

NITB takes audiences on a nostalgic rollercoaster ride, igniting memories of screaming along to the angsty anthems once burned on CDs and recorded on mixtapes, and turning heads by playing genre-bending curveballs of songs old and new, just to keep everyone on their toes. So, put on your Chuck Taylors, Doc Martins, Vans, or dancing shoes of your choice, and let NITB remind you why alt-rock ruled the airwaves and your soul.

Facebook
Instagram

The Precedents

Featuring legal talent from Willkie Farr & Gallagher; Interactive Brokers; DOJ; McGuire Woods
Rocking for Gifts for the Homeless

The Precedents have been together for 18 years. We are the band that all others must follow.

The Terrifying Words

Featuring legal talent from the Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia
Rocking for Horton’s Kids

“We’re from the government and we’re here to help” . . . help ROCK THE HOUSE, that is! The Terrifying Words includes lawyers from the Office of Attorney General for the District of Columbia who have come together to bring peace, love, and rock n’ roll to Law Rocks DC 2023!

New for 2023, Law Rocks is awarding the Music Matters grant in each city to benefit a local organization that supports music education, particularly for underserved youth. The first Washington DC recipient of the Music Matters grant was The MusicianShip, with a $5,000 donation! The MusicianShip is a youth development organization that offers a wide range of free music education programs geared towards enriching the lives of students, their communities, and emerging musicians in the Washington metropolitan region. Click through to read our blog about The MusicianShip, including an interview with President and CEO, Eric Liley.

We are proud that Law Rocks DC 2023 bands raised funds for the following organizations.

Featured

Host - Lisa Berigan

Lisa Berigan has been a trusted voice in Washington, D.C. for years. Her passion for music and the DMV region are evident during every show on BIG 100, Washington’s Classic Rock.

Lisa makes the workday fun for her loyal audience with games and giveaways, along with popular segments like the BIG Guitar Riff of the Day, 11 o'clock LIVE, and Lisa's Animal Tales.

And, when rock stars come to town, Lisa is the first call they make. She is also the host of the nationally-syndicated radio program, ‘Live in Concert.’

Lisa is a proud mother to fur babies and is involved with many local charities. Her passions include animals, travel, concerts, sports, and wellness.

Judge - Daniel Gomez

Daniel "Dan" Alexander Gomez is an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist hailing from Caracas, Venezuela, and currently based in the Washington DC area. He is also the founder and director of Distrito Music Fest, a philanthropic effort committed to supporting and showcasing the rich talent of Hispanic American artists in the DMV region.

Judge - Gregory Grainger

Greg Grainger is an accomplished professional musician and original founding board member of The MusicianShip. A self-proclaimed “drum junkie”, Greg is as at home with pop, soul and rhythm and blues as he is with fusion, swing, rock and hip-hop. His world debut came at the age of 19 as the youngest member of the group Pockets, the protégé band of Earth, Wind and Fire, where Greg was the percussionist.

He began drumming at age seven, jamming with his musical family and neighborhood buddies. At the age of 14, Greg was awarded a scholarship to the highly respected Peabody Conservatory of Music at Johns Hopkins University. Greg also attended Morgan State University studying Music Education.

Something very close to Greg’s heart is The Musicianship - a non-profit providing instruction to children who may otherwise not have the opportunity to study music and who are suffering from an underfunded school music program. The charity was inspired by Greg’s daughter Dianne - a seasoned musician and Music Educator who tragically passed at a young age. You can learn more about the charity at www.themusicianship.org.

Judge - Eric Liley

Eric Liley, Executive Director and CEO for The Musicianship, is a seasoned Marketing and Communications executive with over 25 years of experience in the Entertainment and Media industries, including work in the for-profit and non–profit arenas. His breadth of expertise includes TV programming, music licensing, multicultural marketing, branding, event production, talent relations, business affairs, youth advocacy, social impact, and diversity & inclusion.

Over the years, Eric has held a variety of management positions in marketing at Fortune 500 media/broadcast companies as well as leading non-profit category leaders. His experience includes roles at Gannett/USA Today, Showtime Networks Inc, BMI Music, and Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In 1995, he served as the President of the NY Chapter of The National Association of Minorities in Communications (NAMIC), the organization’s largest chapter at the time. His extensive media experience included time abroad when, in 1999, he assumed the role of Senior Vice President Global Sales & Marketing for Net4Music Inc., an award-winning digital music company. Net4Music, headquartered in Paris, France, was ultimately acquired by Minnesota-based Coda Music Technology in 2001, one of the industry’s leaders of innovative digital products songwriters, composers, and producers.

Judge - Evan Moses

Evan is a trademark lawyer, the founder of the local community concert series "Live in Rose Park," and most notably, a four-time Law Rocks veteran and former Judge’s Choice award winner with his band Rock Creek Kings. Originally from Montreal, Canada, Evan is of-counsel to the Boutique IP and litigation law firm the Concept Law Group on trademark, patent and copyright prosecution and litigation matters and holds an LL.M. in intellectual property law from the George Washington University School of Law. His band’s single More of You recently passed the 100,000 streams mark and you may just recognize him from the cover of the Washington Post’s Weekend Section. A veteran frontman of over 100 shows at venues and music festivals across the east coast, Evan's a true double-threat.

Judge - Stacy Puente

Stacy Puente is a musician, singer/songwriter, and front person for several DC area rock bands, including three-year Law Rocks veteran G.O.A.T. Rodeo. At an early age, Stacy began singing and playing piano to avoid outdoor sports, thus cementing a lifelong passion for music and fear of outdoor sports. In addition to keys, Stacy plays mediocre guitar, drums, bass and ukulele - and she is working on a machine that will enable her to play them all poorly at the same time. Her band performs in the DC area and looks forward to releasing its EP next year.

Stacy is an experienced litigator, mediator, and legal counselor. She currently serves as Ombuds of the Securities and Exchange Commission.