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

Thursday, October 19, 2023
Gramercy Theatre
Over $387K fundraised

Winner & Judges’ Choice Award: The Meltones for East Harlem Tutorial Program/East Harlem Scholars Academies with legal talent from Greenberg Traurig.

Hustle & Heart Award: A Law Rocks tie! Amperband for The Community FoodBank of New Jersey with legal talent from McCarter & English; Teddy and the Troubadours for Operation Birthday with legal talent from Allen Matkins; ReNAgade Therapeutics.

The tunes were sweet and the giving was even sweeter at the 8th Annual Law Rocks NYC last night! Nine brilliant bands battled it out in a friendly yet fierce competition for the title of New York’s leading legal rock band. The night was a record-smashing success, raising the bar with an all-time Law Rocks high of over $387K raised for nonprofit organizations!

The night kicked off with A Band Named Sue opening the show with U2’s “Where the Streets Have No Name”, setting the tone of the night with a high-energy setlist of solid rock classics that captivated the crowd from the very first notes and kept them engaged through the entire night.

Next up, The Dirty Scriveners made their Law Rocks debut, playing hits by pop rock greats such as Amy Winehouse, Billy Idol, and Britney Spears. Their cover of Dua Lipa’s “Don’t Stop Now” had the audience singing along with enthusiasm.

Several Dudes rocked in honor of the band’s founding lead guitarist Nick Stevens, who tragically died in a cycling accident. The band rocked for the League of American Bicyclists in his honor, playing mostly original songs and bringing the house down with wailing guitar solos.

The Objections filled the stage with an impressive 11 member band with serious talent. The bass had the Gramercy thumping as their harmonies filled the air. Fans sang along to their performance of Alicia Keys’ “Girl on Fire” and thought their inclusion of Olivia Rodrigo’s “Bad Idea Right?” was a good idea indeed.

There was no stopping The Meltones, as they belted out memorable performances of Queen’s “Don’t Stop Me Now” and “Whipping Post” by The Allman Brothers. They had the crowd captivated from their opening number, “Gimme Shelter” by The Rolling Stones, and never backed down, taking home the title of Overall Winner and the Judges’ Choice Award.

Teddy and the Troubadours brought in a mix of alternative rock hits, delighting the crowd with their cover of “Last Nite” by The Strokes.

Amperband took the crowd down a more classic rock road for their Law Rocks debut, covering tunes by greats such as Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers, Journey, and Pat Benetar.

Newcomers Amperband and Teddy and the Troubadours brought in an impressive number of individual donors, tying for our Hustle and Heart Award and earning additional donations from Law Rocks to their respective nonprofits.

Redacted returned to wow the crowd with an assortment of nineties pop rock tunes such as “Dreams” by the Cranberries and “LoveFool” by the Cardigans.

Lodestar (and the Positive Multipliers) displayed incredible athleticism and brought the house down with high energy tunes from icons such as Lenny Kravitz, Stevie Wonder, Black Sabbath.

Like last year, all bands brought the heat, both in performance AND fundraising, again making this one of the closest competitions to date with excitement building as donation totals continued to increase throughout the 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 Gramercy Theatre team; the Rock Panel of Judges: Zach Allen; Amanda Charney; Shawn Dailey; Wendy LaManque; and LaFrae Sci; our host Maria Milito; and our nonprofit guests. The evening was made possible thanks to our tour sponsor Secretariat; Hall of Fame sponsor Greenberg Traurig, and the additional generous sponsors who helped make the night possible. Endless thanks to all of you!

Thank you for everything, NYC! 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

A Band Named Sue

Featuring legal talent from Schindler Cohen & Hochman; Parker Pohl; White & Case
Rocking for New York Lawyers for the Public Interest (NYLPI)

The lawyers in the Band Named Sue embarked on their paths to rock stardom at the renowned incubators of rock n’ roll: big law firms White & Case, Simpson Thacher & Bartlett, and Bryan Cave. Currently, bassist Tom Macwright (restructuring partner at White & Case), Guitarist David Pohl (co-founder of the Manhattan-based litigation boutique Parker Pohl LLP), and drummer Matt Katz (partner at the Wall Street litigation and art law boutique Schindler Cohen & Hochman LLP) are all regulars in the robust dad-band scene in Maplewood, NJ. Keyboardist, Bill Ferullo, is the Deputy General Counsel at Safe Fleet and performs in a variety of Brooklyn-based rock and electronic projects. Lead singer/rhythm guitarist Charlie Pollock is a veteran of stage and screen (including starring in several Broadway musicals) and in his spare time enjoys rocking out with lawyers.

Amperband

Featuring legal talent from McCarter & English
Rocking for The Community FoodBank of New Jersey

Meet Amperband, the legal legends from McCarter & English who advocate in the office & harmonize on stage! Why are we called Amperband? It's our tribute to the mighty '&' symbol, the unsung hero that connects words & phrases, like we connect legal arguments & our fans to chart topping hits from yesteryear.

Formed in 2023, our debut performance was at our Partner Retreat at the on the big stage at Johnny Cash Bar & BBQ in Nashville, where we rocked so hard, we made sure even the Man in Black himself would've demanded an encore. We're ready to take a bite out of the Big Apple next, all in the name of charity (& maybe a little bit of law firm supremacy). Because nothing says "fighting for justice" like righteous dance moves & a rockin' good time.

Amperband boasts as much expertise in riffs & rhythms as we do in regulations & rulings. Our ensemble includes seven members from five offices & a whole lot of legal wit & musical talent. So, if you're ready to see lawyers trade their courtroom attire for ripped jeans, leather jackets & guitar picks, join us for a night of melodies & maybe even a few legal puns that are so bad, they're criminal.

Instagram

Dirty Scriveners

Featuring legal talent from Cozen O'Connor
Rocking for Access Justice Brooklyn

The Dirty Scriveners is significantly less than the sum of its parts.

The band is comprised of Cozen O'Connor lawyers from multiple disciplines - litigation, intellectual property, real estate, labor & employment, and a government relations professional from Cozen O'Connor Public Strategies. They have worked on the biggest deals, advised clients on their patent portfolios, worked to make change at City Hall, and have even argued and won cases at the United States Supreme Court. Yet they still have trouble with those B7 add 13 (no5) chords.

Their musical taste is so vastly different that they almost didn't make it up the elevator to their first rehearsal. But they ultimately did, and even if the world is not a significantly better place for it (and it certainly is not), the Dirty Scriveners will bring some joy and may just surprise you (and the world).

LinkedIn
Instagram

Lodestar (and the Positive Multipliers)

Featuring legal talent from Glancy Prongay & Murray
Rocking for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND)

Lodestar focuses on delivering high energy Rock and Roll in the Los Angeles area. Lodestar promises that the band’s New York City debut performance will be the most fun, high energy, rockin’ set ever. Lodestar is: Guitarist and lawyer, Marc Godino; lead singer and lawyer, Gary Younes; vocals, percussionist and lawyer, Michael Ackerman; badass bassist, Dan Cubert; and Tom (the madman) Zevin on drums.

The Meltones

Featuring legal talent from Greenberg Traurig
Rocking for East Harlem Tutorial Program/East Harlem Scholars Academies

Look no further - global law firm Greenberg Traurig is excited to have its house band, The Meltones, back to rock out 80’s style at Gramercy Theatre. The Meltones, named after a firm founder Mel Greenberg, have been rocking in various incarnations since the mid-1980s, and are proud to be seven-time Law Rocks NYC Champions, with their sights set on number eight! The Meltones have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for local non-profits and couldn’t be more thrilled to play for The East Harlem Tutorial Program for the second time. The Meltones are comprised of 10 bandmembers: On guitar, Co-Chair of Global Real Estate Practice, Stephen Rabinowitz, New York Real Estate Associate Jennifer Hall (also on vocals); On guitar, Miami Real Estate Shareholder, Burt Bruton; On keyboard, Albany Government Law & Policy Shareholder, Christopher A. Cernik; On vocals, New York Litigation Of Counsel Ashley LeBlanc, Las Vegas Litigation Shareholder, Michael Hogue; Chief Shareholder Recruiting and Integration Officer, Tracy Newirth and the Atlanta office Business Director, Tony Hatchett; on drums, New York IT Support Specialist, Jim Mussen; Vice President of Business & Legal Affairs, Global Digital Business at Sony Music Entertainment and former GT New York Associate Daniel Blumberg joins as our guest artist on bass.

The Objections

Featuring legal talent from Davis Polk & Wardwell
Rocking for Advocates for Children of New York

“A band whose appeal can never be denied.”

REDACTED

Featuring legal talent from Cowan, DeBaets, Abrahams & Sheppard
Rocking for New York Stem Cell Foundation

Let's go back to the days of Doc Martens and flannel, baggy jeans and floppy hats, when MTV still played music and CDs were still high-tech. These rock 'n roll legal pros will bring you there. But we can't reveal their name. It's REDACTED.

Instagram

Several Dudes

Featuring legal talent from General Dynamics Mission Systems; Midtown Alliance; Starr, Gern, Davison and Rubin
Rocking for League of American Bicyclists

Several Dudes got together in the late 80's to write and play groovin' music for a loyal following in Atlanta while most of the dudes were in law school and medical school. Now mostly lawyers and a doctor on the back ends of productive careers, the band has reformed to honor founding lead guitarist Nick Stevens after his tragic death in a cycling accident. The band releases a new original song the first Friday of most months to keep Nick’s memory and spirit alive and to raise money for cycling safety advocacy through the Several Dudes/Nick Stevens Cycling Safety Advocacy Fund with the League of American Bicyclists in Washington, DC. You can check the tunes out on your favorite streaming service or the band’s website: www.severaldudes.com. Like back in the day, Several Dudes' new music will move your body and soul.

Teddy and the Troubadours

Featuring talent from ReNAgade Therapeutics; Allen Matkins
Rocking for Operation Birthday

Teddy and the Troubadours, comprised of Law Rocks veterans from both coasts, are thrilled to support the amazing team with Operation Birthday (“OpB”) at this year’s NYC Law Rocks benefit concert on October 19th at the Gramercy Theatre. OpB took home the coveted Law Rocks “Hustle and Heart” award earlier this year at the 12th annual Law Rocks LA concert enabling them to help more kids have their dream birthdays! This amazing 501(c)(3) non-profit’s mission is quite simple - to help as many kids as possible who are in economic need to be able to smile once again at the sight of a simple but significant moment: a birthday celebration their families could not otherwise afford. In support of OpB, the band promises to bring ‘da noise to the stage, with long-time Law Rocks bandmates who collectively have played over 20 Law Rocks concerts in New York, Los Angeles, and online during the pandemic (Law Rocksapalooza), raising in sum well over $420,000 for various non-profits over the years. The band is supported by legal talent from ReNAgade Therapeutics of Boston and Allen Matkins LLP of Los Angeles together with Law Rocks rockers from the NYC area. Prepare to rock with TATT!!!

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 New York City recipient of the Music Matters grant is Willie Mae Rock Camp! Willie Mae Rock Camp is a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering girls and gender-expansive youth through transdisciplinary music education. Click through to read our blog about Willie Mae Rock Camp, including an interview with Executive Director /Director of Artistic Programming, LaFrae Sci.

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

Featured

Featured

Host - Maria Milito

Maria Milito has been heard on the New York radio and television airwaves for over 25 years. Whether you’re in the Tri-State area listening to Q104.3, New York’s Classic Rock Station or traveling nationwide, one might find it difficult to escape her signature voice as a host on iHeartMedia’s Classic Rock network—from Spokane WA to Allentown PA. Maria also adds author to her list of credits with the publishing of “Clarice and Friends...How They Helped Mend the Hole in My Heart,” a collection of emails from her listeners sent to her when her beloved dog Clarice passed away. A huge animal advocate, Maria can often be found at animal functions and charity events and has an animal/nature/environment podcast on the iHeartRadio app called “Maria’s Mutts & Stuff”; download the app and listen today!

Blog
 Facebook
Instagram
TikTok
Twitter

Judge - Zach Allen

Zach Allen is the vocalist for the NYC-based band TEMPT who merge classic rock with cutting-edge innovation and are poised to redefine the rock genre for a new generation. Their self-titled debut album, produced and mixed by renowned 5X Grammy Award winner Chris Lord-Alge, is out now via Better Noise Music.

Judge - Amanda Charney

As the Founder and CEO of Black Panda PR, Amanda brings both undeniable passion and well over a decade of experience to the world of music publicity. While attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Amanda became “Amanda Panda,” a radio personality on Z104’s highly popular morning show, Connie & Fish in the Mornings (Top 40 Radio). This is where her infectious personality first resonated through the airwaves and where her passion for the music business was solidified. Amanda has poured her energy into promoting indie bands and working with a wide variety of artists from high-level established acts to today’s rising stars. In her spare time, Amanda scours the New York music scene for the next big act, and spends time with her adorable dog, Reggie Jackson.

Judge - Shawn Dailey

Shawn Dailey is an artist manager with over 20 years in music and film. He started his career as a bassist, most notably with Courtney Love and Hole. As a manager, Shawn represents Grammy winners, Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame inductees, award winning filmmakers and best selling authors. He has also produced multiple award winning documentaries.

Judge - Wendy LaManque

Wendy LaManque is thrilled to be returning for her fifth year as a Law Rocks Judge!  Wendy is Director of Organizational Compliance & Eastern Counsel for the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), the labor union representing the workers who create professional ballet, opera and choral music across the country. Prior to serving as counsel to AGMA, Wendy spent six years in a law firm here in New York City representing major entertainment unions and other labor organizations.  Wendy is also a proud member of The Whistles, a quirky indie folk duo performing and recording music that spans the entire universe of genres with her husband, Terrence Brennan (formerly of Cousin Earth). In 2022, Wendy was promoted to Chief Party Officer at the Party Farm in Roscoe, NY, Wendy and Terry’s boutique recording studio in the Catskills. When not lawyering, playing music, hosting recording clients, or judging battles of bands, Wendy can be found in her garden, bowling at the Party Farm's on-site bowling alley, or attempting to train her delightfully unruly dog, Pepper.

Judge - LaFrae Sci

LaFrae Sci is an award-winning and internationally acclaimed multi-instrumentalist, educator, composer, and electro-acoustic adventurer. Bedrock to her artistry is the roots and the fruits of the blues from spirituals to afro-diasporic futuristic soundscapes that explore time travel, prayer, meditation, and the African American ecstatic tradition. As a composer, she writes for film, theater, and large and extended jazz and classical orchestras. She writes for all instruments and her creative range spans immersive and ambisonic music, blues, various ethnomusicological traditions, rock, pop, hip-hop, and her own brand of subaquatic deconstructed techno soul. To date, LaFrae has shared her intentional creativity in 40 countries. LaFrae has played drums for The Burnt Sugar Arkestra, The Black Rock Coalition Orchestra, Valerie June, Keziah Jones, Sandra Bernhard, Kelis, Nancy Sinatra (w/ Morrissey), blues greats Jr. Mack and Pinetop Perkins, Irene Cara, Bumblefoot, Cyndi Lauper, Reuben Wilson, Rachel Z, and Dr. Lonnie Smith. LaFrae is also the Executive Director/Dir of Artistic Programming at Willie Mae Future Sounds named after Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton. W.M.F.S. is a STEAM-based, year-round empowerment through music program that includes social justice, Afro Diasporic futurism, critical thinking, and leadership, through the lens of the blues tradition for girls and gender non-conforming youth in New York City.