Lawyers in love (with music) promise a good show at fundraiser

During the workday, they're well-behaved lawyers in stuffy business attire minding their manners in court, keeping up with their caseload or advising their high-profile corporate clients. On Friday night at the Fine Line Music Cafe, there won't be a brief -- of the legal variety -- in sight at the fifth annual musical benefit to raise money for legal services for the poor. But there will be a bunch of lawyers showing their "groove things." Each of the eight bands is required to include a lawyer.

By Rochelle Olson, Star Tribune

Last update: October 25, 2007 - 10:18 PM

The event is called "Attractive Nuisance," a legal term that refers to a condition that may be both a lure and a danger -- such as a swimming pool.

"For this event, all of the performers are nuisances. Whether they are attractive or not, we leave that for you to decide," the event's website warns.

Last year's event sold more than 700 tickets and grossed $60,000. The goal is to match that number this year and have a good time. No law degree is required for attendance.

Ken Abdo boasts that his band, Article XX, is the only one comprised entirely from one firm -- Lommen Abdo Cole King & Stageberg. The band plays '60s cover tunes from Booker T. and the MGs to Otis Redding, Eddie Floyd and CCR.

"We're acting our age," he said of the band's mostly 50-something members.

'We don't suck'

Don't be concerned that lawyers make bad music. All the bands are semi-pro, and some have Web pages complete with downloadable songs.

"We don't suck," said Abdo, who practices entertainment law and has represented a number of well-known musicians. He is a former disc jockey and drummer who will haul out his 1967 Ludwig drum set for the event.

"For those of us who had careers in music before the law, it's like riding a bike," said Abdo. He proudly noted that bandmate lawyer Paul Bezilla is a member of the Iowa Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Practicing law and playing in a band are comparable, Abdo said. In both cases, "you'll be better if you develop your skill set, and you're passionate about it."

The two differ in that being a lawyer is precise, but not necessarily soulful, while being a musician doesn't require as much precision but takes soul. "If it's not soulful, nobody listens," he said. "If you're a lawyer and you're not precise and accurate, no one listens."

Criminal defense lawyer Joe Tamburino already has his VIP ticket, as does his wife, Hennepin County Assistant Attorney Amy Sweasy.

"You see otherwise boring middle-aged white guys in ill-fitted shirts shaking their groove things," Tamburino said. "It's great."

Lots of musical lawyers

Co-director John Laravuso, a business litigator from Lindquist & Vennum, says the event is a chance to mix with colleagues at a fundraiser that doesn't involve golf.

There is no dearth of musical talent in the Twin Cities legal community, Laravuso said. "Every year we are shocked at how many bands are out there with lawyers that contact us."

He's in The Tukes, which plays everything from covers of obscure alt-rock to '80s pop. The band deems the repertoire to be "the ultimate punk rock snub of the corporate rock establishment."

Doors open at 5 p.m. The bands start at 5:30, with a band performing a 45-minute set every hour. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $60 for VIP.

The Minnesota Justice Foundation (MJF ) and the Hennepin County Bar Foundation will split the proceeds. The groups provide legal help to the poor.

Janine Laird, executive director of MJF, said the money helps the group hire 21 summer clerks. "It's huge for us," Laird said.

She also enjoys seeing lawyers "totally outside their context." Last year, one lawyer she knows gave a performance worthy of Deborah Harry from Blondie. "I didn't know she had it in her," Laird said.

But Abdo said for some the night is a chance to be themselves. "There's a lot of dress up in lawyering. There's a lot of game face. There's a lot of theater," he said. "When you're a musician, you've got to expose yourself or you're a bad sideshow."

One of the hardest parts for Abdo is figuring out what to wear.

"How do you dress a lawyer band? It was a tough call for us so we all put on black jackets."

Rochelle Olson • 612-673-1747

Rochelle Olson • raolson@startribune.com

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