WASHINGTON, DC—The Law Rocks World Tour hit DC with seven bands of legal professionals at the 9:30 Club. Law Rocks is the nonprofit organization that produces a global tour of fundraising concerts starring legal professionals. The event kicked off the fall leg of the 2023 tour, which will round out a year of record-breaking shows across the US.
Each of the seven bands featured musically talented members of the DMV legal community, with the lineup including four veteran bands (including two former champions) as well as three bands brand new to Law Rocks. With 17 legal firms represented, the evening brought the DC legal community together at the acclaimed 9:30 Club for a battle of the bands that was as fun as it was competitive. The friendly rivalry between firms drove bands to raise a total of $123,838.
The winning band, Noise in the Basement of Venable; Gordon Rees; and Steptoe, was determined by three factors – total raised in donations; sponsorships and ticket sales; and Rock Panel of Judges score. Noise in the Basement brought in $36,907 in total fundraising and also received special recognition as the band with the highest marks from the Rock Panel of Judges.
The Rock Panel included Daniel Gomez, an accomplished singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, and founder and director of Distrito Music Fest; Gregory Grainger, an accomplished professional musician and Original Founding Board Member of The MusicianShip; and Stacy Puente, a musician, singer/songwriter, and front person for several DC area rock bands, including three-year Law Rocks veteran G.O.A.T. Rodeo. The event was hosted by Lisa Berigan, a trusted voice in Washington, D.C. for years, whose passion for music and the DMV region are evident during every show on BIG 100, Washington’s Classic Rock.
Each participating band fundraised for a local nonprofit of their choosing, with selected organizations including Gifts for the Homeless, Guitars 4 Vets, Horton’s Kids, The I.M.P.Family Fund, Miriam’s Kitchen, and Together We Bake. The Terrifying Words, a band featuring legal talent from the Office of the Attorney General of Washington DC won the night’s Hustle and Heart Award, which recognizes the band with the most individual donations for their charity of choice. The Terrifying Words selected Horton’s Kids, which will receive an additional $3,000 grant from Law Rocks as a result of the win. Law Rocks also awarded the first Washington DC recipient of the new Music Matters grant as part of their 2023 initiative to increase giving in support of music education, particularly for underserved youth. The first Washington DC recipient of the $5,000 Music Matters grant is The MusicianShip – 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.
The September 28 concert featured legal professionals from The Authors Guild; Crowell & Moring; Department of Justice; Federal Communications Commission; Gordon Rees; Interactive Brokers; McGuire Woods; Meta; Office of the Attorney General for the District of Columbia; Somos; Steptoe; USTelecom; Venable; Verizon; Walsh, Colucci, Lubeley, & Walsh; Willkie Farr & Gallagher; and Wireless Infrastructure Association.
All photography by Derek Baker.
