“Razing the Bar,” CWRU School of Law’s faculty/student/alumni rock band, will kick off the 2021 Jam for Justice as the lead band Wednesday, Sept. 22, at 5 p.m., in the front yard of the Great Lakes Science Center. The in-person event features seven local lawyer rock bands, a drink, and a light dinner. Proceeds benefit the Legal Aid Society of Cleveland.
Razing the Bar, whose name was chosen through a law school naming contest, was formed a decade ago. It has played at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, House of Blues, Music Box Supper Club and Happy Dog tavern. The band also performs regularly at Cosmic Dave’s Rock Club on Juniper Road in University Circle, across the street from the Law School.
While faculty, including Co-Dean Michael Scharf (vocals, guitar), Law Library Director Joe Custer (bass guitar), Professor Charlie Korsmo (keyboard, vocals), Professor Kathryn Mercer (vocals) and Professor Andrew Pollis (vocals) form the core of the band, Razing the Bar’s identity is redefined each year as student members graduate and new musicians join the law school. This year, the band features four new student band members selected via video audition tapes over the summer:
- Shay Adler, a 1L guitar player originally from Israel who just graduated with his MBA from St. Louis University;
- Michaella Guyot-Polverini, a 1L who plays keyboards and sings from a small town in the north of France;
- Owen Migdal, a 2L guitar and keyboard player from Maryland who is pursuing a dual JD and MD; and
- Kelsy Tshanen, a 1L vocalist who was a church choir section leader in Columbus for the last five years.
In addition, two students, 3L Ryan Daltan, who is lead guitarist of the professional band Erie Point, and drummer 3L Andy Rumshlag, who is editor-in-chief of the school’s Law Review, return. The band also features three alums, Carly Koza (’21) (lead vocals), Liz Safier (’21) (electric violin), and University Trustee Chuck Hallberg (‘77) (guitar).
The band’s “Jam for Justice” set will feature 25 minutes of classic rock songs from the 1960s through today, with each song showcasing the talents of different band members. The performance will begin with “Shut up and Dance” by Walk the Moon, followed by “Hotel California” by the Eagles, Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl,” Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing,” Bob Dylan’s “Wagon Wheel,” Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” and the classic Stevie Nicks’ ballad, “Landslide.”
The band will close the set with a frolicking rendition of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline.”
Tickets for the event are $50 per person. Learn more about Jam for Justice.