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Thursday, November 14, 2024
The Crocodile
Over $57K fundraised

Overall Winner and Hustle & Heart Award: The Funk Docket for Academy for Creating Excellence (ACE) with legal talent from Schroeter Goldmark & Bender; The Law Offices of Edward H. Moore; Keller Rohrback; The Law Office of L.M. Jones
Judges’ Choice Award: The Lumberjax for Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare (SMASH) with legal talent from Christensen O'Connor Johnson Kindness

As The Crocodile filled with patrons shaking out their umbrellas, one could’ve stopped to wonder - would this rainy fall day dampen the spirit of the evening? But as the coats came off and the stage lights came on, there was no question a little precipitation couldn’t stop Seattle from showing up for a good time in support of a good cause! You’d never know from the size and enthusiasm of the crowd that this was only our first event in Seattle. Singing along from the first few lines of the opening act through the very end of the show, the crowd wholeheartedly embraced the bands and the experience. We had a wonderful time, and were delighted to raise over $57K at our inaugural Seattle show!

The evening opened with a dynamic pair of bearded boys hailing from the Great White North in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The Lumberjax took the stage by storm, instantly proving acoustic sets can still be electric. The burly duo kicked off things off with Bon Jovi’s “You Give Love a Bad Name”. The crowd immediately got on board, singing along through covers of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell” and “Sweet Child of Mine” by Guns N’ Roses. A medley featuring The Cars, Bryan Adams, and Metallica surprised and delighted, as did their clever “hold music” during costume accessory changes that highlighted their humor. Their use of a talk box during their cover of Alice In Chains’ “Man in the Box” had the audience literally screaming “talk box!” and “short shorts!” in support of the cutoff “jorts” sported by one half of the duo. A memorable opening performance, The Lumberjax captivated the crowd and our Rock Panel of Judges.

In a moving introduction that prompted heartfelt shouts of “we love you,” from the audience, Side Bar’s lead vocalist Amanda Horn shared a deeply personal story behind her creation of the Troy and Baden Biddle Foundation. With the support of her community, Horn turned a devastating loss into a shining example of leading with love to build something wonderful in the wake of tragedy. “The love is here tonight,” said Horn, and we certainly felt it. The heart of this band beat strong as they rocked energetic renditions of tunes by ‘80s greats Billy Idol, Cheap Trick, Def Leppard, and The Go-Go’s. With sparkling attire and charisma, the band’s radiant energy shined on stage even brighter than their sequins. The crowd went wild for their cover of Kim Wilde’s “Kids in America" while Horn’s rock star moves elevated the performance into a full-blown celebration.

“All rise! The Funk Docket is now in session!” declared Clarence Dancer Jr., Executive Director of Academy for Creating Excellence (ACE). The sharp-dressed band opened with a rendition of Stevie Wonder’s hit classic, “Superstition” that had everyone in the room instantly vibing. The lead singer’s breathtaking voice soared effortlessly with "This Is A Man’s World" by James Brown and "A Long Walk" by Jill Scott and the ensemble gave each member a chance to take the spotlight with a solo showcasing their musicianship and style. With captivating vocals and a tight rhythm section, the band dished up a hot plate of funk, and the crowd ate it all up.

The only band of the night to perform original songs, Call It Mango showcased a versatile sound that was so much more than “Okay Okay” (a band original). Opening with Anderson Paak’s “Come Down”, followed by Thundercat’s “Them Changes”, the band started with a soulful sound and energy that never stopped. The lead singer’s distinct vocal sound called to mind the stylings of Kings of Leon as the band shared three original songs with the crowd. Their cover of “Teenage Dirtbag” by Wheatus was a crowd favorite as the crowd sang along at the top of their collective lungs, filling the air with an undeniable feeling of nostalgia.

Our inaugural Seattle bands’ dedication to fundraising truly impressed, and we are grateful to all for their hard work and especially their heart. The competition was one of the closest to date, and all bands should be proud of what they achieved, because we certainly are!

A world of thanks to our participating bands, the team at The Crocodile, our amazing Rock Panel of Judges: Michael Hepburn; Daniel Pak; Shaina Shepherd; and Eva Walker; our host Valerie Ojeda; and our nonprofit guests. The evening was made possible thanks to our tour sponsor Secretariat; and sponsors Christensen O'Connor Johnson Kindness; K&L Gates; Ringler; Schroeter Goldmark & Bender; Buell Realtime Reporting; Firmani + Associates; Three60 Law Group; and Ravishing Radish Catering. Endless thanks to all of you!

Thank you for everything, Seattle! We can’t wait to come back again next year…

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Featured

Call It Mango

Featuring legal talent from Three60 Law Group; Housing Justice Project
Rocking for Rainier Valley Food Bank

Irreverent rock by irrelevant rockers. This 4-piece band brings high energy shows to backyards and dive bars throughout Seattle.

The Funk Docket

Featuring legal talent from Schroeter Goldmark & Bender; The Law Offices of Edward H. Moore; Keller Rohrback; The Law Office of L.M. Jones.
Rocking for Academy for Creating Excellence

Get ready to experience the electrifying sounds of The Funk Docket, a unique band composed of outstanding legal professionals from Schroeter Goldmark & Bender, The Law Offices of Edward H. Moore, Keller Rohrback, and the Law Office of L.M. Jones. This talented ensemble is set to deliver a funk-filled performance that might feel a little "felonious" but will undoubtedly have you dancing and vibing all night long. Get ready to groove to classic hits from James Brown and other funk pioneers—this is a musical set you won’t want to miss!

The Lumberjax

Featuring legal talent from Christensen O'Connor Johnson Kindness
Rocking for Seattle Musicians Access to Sustainable Healthcare (SMASH)

Hailing from the Great White North in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jean-Piérre et Jacques are two burly, hockey-playing, ax-swingin’, acoustic-strummin’ hosers who will happily rock your pants right off your body to leave you burnt and smoking on the dance floor!

A mix of comedy and musicianship, these bearded boys promise to entertain you with their interpretations of 80s covers from AC/DC to Whitney Houston to Bryan Adams to Bon Jovi. The Pacific Northwest is their predominant stomping grounds these days so keep an eye out to witness them jack choppin’ some wood in your neighborhood!

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Side Bar

Featuring legal talent from Robert F Cousins Attorney at Law PLLC; King County Prosecutor's Office
Rocking for Troy & Baden Biddle Foundation

The members of Side Bar rarely speak to each directly. One whispers to another out of earshot of the other band members. Some musical decisions (i.e., how much vibro-slap is too much) are simply too prejudicial to discuss openly. It’s completely irrelevant and highly irregular but we allow it. When not preparing for the zombie apocalypse, Rob hones his guitar skills by listening exclusively to the Ventures. El Jeffe bangs on the drums while administering criminal justice with his office door wide open. Scott is most at home wearing a coconut bra and brandishing the aforementioned vibro-slap. Brian, guitarist extraordinaire, covers all the bases from rock solid rhythm to face-melting leads. Finally, Amanda, our lungs breathing life into this venture, still flexes her legal muscles from time to time, but usually only to bail out her friends in a pinch. That about sums up Side Bar. Like we said, we rarely speak to each other directly.

For the second 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 first Seattle Music Matters grant to Totem Star! Totem Star is a diverse community of young recording artists building life skills in communication, collaboration, and critical thinking through their creative pursuits in music production and performance. Click through to learn more in our spotlight interview with Totem Star Executive Director, Daniel Pak.

We are proud that Law Rocks Seattle 2024 bands raised funds for the following organizations.

Featured

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 - Michael Hepburn

In the mid-and-late 1970's Michael’s music achieved worldwide professional recognition through the success of his band, "Pleasure." Michael's compositions have been featured in the works of contemporary mainstream hip-hop and rap artists, including the soundtrack for the movie, “House Party” (“Kid vs. Play, the Battle”), Janet Jackson's 1997 release, "The Velvet Rope" (“Free Xone”) and Will Smith’s 2002 release, “Born to Reign” (“1000 Kisses”). In 2019 Pleasure released "Now Is The Time," available worldwide on Pleasure Records. A sample of Pleasure’s 2024 outdoor performance last June can be seen and heard here: Portland festival-goers treated to rare performance by iconic funk band Pleasure - OPB. One can also find a fascinating reference to the musically influential legacy of the Pleasure band in Questlove’s New York Times bestselling book, “Music Is History.”

Recently retired from practice as a Senior Deputy Prosecuting attorney for King County, Michael continues his songwriting, recording production, arranging, keyboard and vocal performance work in Seattle.

Judge - Daniel Pak

Daniel Pak, originally from O`ahu, is a singer, songwriter, producer, nonprofit executive, and arts and culture champion. As frontman for Kore Ionz (pronounced “core” “ions”) from 2008-2018, Pak shared the stage with The Wailers, Toots and the Maytals, Steel Pulse, and many of reggae’s greatest artists.

Pak is the co-founder and executive director of Totem Star, a recording studio and creative youth development organization supporting a diverse community of young recording artists through music production, performance, and mentorship. In January 2024 Totem Star opened the doors to its new state-of-the-art recording studio at historic landmark King Street Station, built in partnership with the City of Seattle and the Cultural Space Agency.

Pak is a commissioner emeritus of the Seattle Music Commission and has also served as a Governor for the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Recording Academy. In November 2022 Pak was inducted into the Asian Hall of Fame.

Judge - Shaina Shepherd

Shaina Shepherd is a singer, songwriter, vocal teacher, and community organizer in Seattle, WA. Known for her pervasive style as front-woman to soul-grunge band BEARAXE, her notable vocal stylings have brought her into various creative spaces — from collaborating with Duff McKagan, Chong The Nomad and Acid Tongue to sharing stages with rock stars like Dave Matthews and Thunderpussy to being a soloist with the classical ensembles around the country. Inspired by the parallels between gospel and garbage metal, Shaina Shepherd is not your average vocalist. Living in the city where both Soundgarden and Quincy Jones cut their teeth, Shaina lends her soulful voice to projects of all genres.

You can catch Shaina performing on December 14th at the Showbox with members of Soundgarden in the rock and roll super group Nudedragons in support of SMOOCH (Seattle Musicians for Children’s Hospital).

Judge - Eva Walker

Eva Walker is a radio DJ and host of the Early Show on the popular Seattle radio station, KEXP. A co-founder of the rock band, The Black Tones, with her twin brother, the group has garnered major accolades, including being named one of the 15 groups redefining the city’s sound by NPR. The Black Tones have opened forWeezer, Death Cab for Cutie, Mavis Staples and Fishbone; has worked with members of Pearl Jam; and partnered with the Seattle Sounders FC, launching the club’s Jimi Hendrix-inspired jersey kit. More recently, the Black Tones released music on Sub Pop Records as part of the label’s Singles Club. Walker was featured in music videos for local Grammy-nominated artists, ODESZA and Macklemore, and she helped produce the BBC’s the Arts Hour on Tour event in Seattle. She is a sought-after creative visionary and a new mom on top of it all. Most recently, she and her husband Jake, released a music book titled The Sound of Seattle: 101 Songs that Shaped a City.