News of the Short North, Surrounding Neighborhoods, and the Columbus Art Community

January/February 2013

A Reflection on Taste - and Tasi Rigsby see page 8

Leon Bass, The Entertainment Lawyer see page 16 The Entertainment Lawyer by Jory Farr

“I love working with those who create hen he was young, growing up in music and festivals, create art and photog - Cincinnati, Leon Bass often raphy, write books, and those that do all Wargued with his parents, teachers and any - other things creative and entrepreneurial. It one else who had an opposing position on a allows me to be part of it. I am a creative matter of importance. It was, for the most person and I need to be surrounded by cre - part, a constructive kind of disagreement, ativity. [My clients] are inspiring.” as opposed to yelling and screaming. Bass says he also enjoys working with “I would prepare to present my case and the people that run the business side of do so by stating why I disagreed with that entertainment – from promoters, producers person’s decision and present facts and rea - and talent buyers to record labels, publish - soned arguments,” Bass recalls, sounding ers, managers and agents. deliberative. “With my parents, they always “They all play a key role in the creative respectfully listened – or perhaps humored process,” he says. “You can’t get the art out me – and considered my arguments before to the people without them.” issuing a final decision. While I didn’t Those who work with Bass have high always win, sometimes I did convince them praise. to modify the situation.” “When I was looking for an attorney to Such an approach has benefitted Bass represent my festival,” says Cincinnati- years later as a Columbus attorney. Though based Bunbury Festival founder Bill Don - he is experienced in a number of legal abedian, “I needed someone with a love of fields, one of his specialties is entertain - music and experience in all facets of enter - ment law, a practice where he represents tainment law. And Leon fit both needs. He everyone from rock musicians, concert really understood the intricacies of the law promoters and photographers to writers, and the roles and responsibilities in the models and actors. People who have a business. With Leon you’re getting a con - stereotyped conception of entertainment sultant as much as a lawyer. He looks holis - lawyers as fast-talking, ponytailed scen - tically at my business from all angles.” esters might be surprised to know Bass is For Greg Haas, an author of a thriller mild mannered, clean cut and calm. But called The Butcher’s Thumb , Bass was underneath that serenity is a thorough instrumental in taking the book out of a knowledge of the law whose smallest previous publisher’ control. details, if ignored, could cost his clients “Leon is the combination of a great dearly. lawyer and an artist in his own right.” says “A professor of mine once told me there Haas, who is chairman of the Franklin is no such thing as entertainment law,” Bass County Democratic Party. “In the starchy says smiling, sipping a coffee at Tasi, a cafe world of the law he’s a breath of fresh air.” located a few blocks from where he lives in It’s not surprising to find that Bass is a the Short North. “And he’s essentially right. musician himself. He makes no claims of What’s known as entertainment law is part virtuosity. But he does plays mandolin in of copyright, trademark, business and con - two Columbus bands: Grassinine, a band tract law. Artists often don’t want to deal that mixes bluegrass with pop and classic with the business side of their work. But it’s rock; and Cowboy Hillbilly Hippy Folk, crucial. Everybody’s friends until there’s which plays a blend of what its name money to fight over. The thing I love about implies. The bands include other profes - my job is that I get to work with creative sionals from Columbus, like Donato’s CEO people and protect their rights.” Tom Krouse and Dr. Terry Davis, a physi - Columbus is not exactly the epicenter of cian with Children’s Hospital. the entertainment industry. But there are a “Our performances are all for charity,” surprising number of artists and performers says Bass. “We enjoying playing together – from models to filmmakers – and a siz - and giving back to the community.” able number of entertainment venues, rang - Bass also is a enthusiast of underwater ing from theaters to amphitheaters in the photography and has a website devoted to city and outlying region. Bass manages to what he’s seen diving at reefs around the represent both ends of the spectrum. Leon Bass, a luminary among entertainment lawyers in Columbus. Photo | Erica Woodrum world. One of the musicians Bass represents, *** John Kadlecik, is a guitarist and singer for Columbus. This year’s Bunbury Festival Bass isn’t the only attorney in Columbus Bass, 40, grew up Jewish and middle the band Furthur, a Grateful Dead offshoot included Jane’s Addiction and Weezer; the to do entertainment law. But he’s the only class in Montgomery, a Northern suburb of that includes founding members Phil Lesh All Good festival this summer included attorney who has sustained a full-range en - Cincinnati, the son of a computer software and Bob Weir. But Bass also represents Bruce Hornsby, members of the Grateful tertainment practice over the past 15 years. consultant. large music festivals, including the Dead and the Allman Brothers Band. At one “Others have dabbled at it,” Bass says. “My mother worked at times but was Bunbury Festival, held annually in the time, Bass also represented national acts His success seems to lie in his grasp of mostly a stay-at-home mom,“ Bass recalls. Cincinnati area along the river, and the All like Dark Star Orchestra, Quiet Riot, the law and his passion for what he does. “She was born in Greece and came to Ohio Good Festival, held for the first time near Slaughter and Night Rider. “I really love what I do,” says Bass. as a child when her family fled the Holocaust.” 16 Short North Gazette January/February 2013 The Basses, like most Jewish families, decimate a career. There is no question stressed the value of education. But they that is worth the up-front costs to deal also nourished a sense of independence and with these issues before they become a questioning. problem.” “My family, including my parents and The biggest misconception of entertain - extended family have always been very ment law, Bass says, is that the lawyers get supportive and encouraged me to excel deals for bands. academically. Family and career were “The truth is, the bands get the offers and always important, but they were always we protect their rights contractually. His - supportive of anything that I wanted to do torically, some entertainment lawyers did that made me happy.” get bands deals. But those lawyers typically Bass describes his parents as open- got involved when the band was about to be minded, especially to his youthful argu - signed, perhaps in a bidding war. But today ments over what was fair, often a sticking the record labels know about you if you’ve point between children and adults. got a social networking following and are

m on Internet radio.”

“I think my parents set the tone for the u r arguments we had. They were very open to d Recently, Bass became of counsel for the o hearing what we thought. They set guide - o large firm of Taft Stettinius & Hollister, a W 360-plus attorney firm with offices located

lines and expectations. On any issue, we a c i could state our opinion. It could be some - r in Columbus, as well as Cincinnati, Cleve - E thing as simple as a curfew. They might say | land, Dayton, Indianapolis, Northern Ken - o 11 p.m. and we might say midnight or 1 t tucky, and Phoenix. o a.m. Some parents might set the curfew in h “Having a large law firm like Taft, with stone. But my parents might compromise P the best lawyers available, is helpful to me and let us have our way. I remember a time and the client. When one of my clients Grassinine (Left to right front) Ronald Ross, Tom Krause (CEO Donatos), Jamie Davis, Leon Bass. comes to me with a question that’s outside when I wanted to go on a trip and they said (Back row) Dr. Terry Davis (Nationwide Children’s), who is obstructed, Kirk Horn, and Christina no. I didn’t win that argument. But there my expertise, I can go to an attorney at Taft were others I did win.” Grote (wife of Donato’s founder Jim Grote), and Matt Opachick of the Wayfarers, (sitting in that and solve the problem. I also work with the For college, Bass went to Michigan State night playing fiddle). This shot was taken at Woodlands Tavern. firm’s clients.” University and quickly joined a band. He Bass says he loves living in the Short had visions of being a rock star, but says he North. had a rude awakening album with a producer that was inaccessible not, they are in business. Music is their “It’s the best part of Columbus. It’s vi - “I learned that while I was quite capable before. So the label gives a huge opportu - business. Yet many musicians avoid key brant. It’s exciting. You can walk to all the of playing rhythm guitar, I would likely nity to the band and then the band is business and legal items like registering great restaurants. I use the area for enter - never make it as a professional musician. In shocked when the label wants to make that copyrights in songs and sound recordings, taining clients. I’ll give dinner parties at my fact, I think that my back-up vocals were so money back. ‘We sold a million copies,’ searching and registering trademarks, and house. Fifteen to 20 years ago it was a high bad that the band used to tell the sound guy they complain. But the deal structure was a entering into written agreements with their crime area. It wasn’t unheard of to hear to turn my mic off in the house. I heard my loan that the band didn’t have to repay. My band members. gunshots. Today, I live among doctors vocals through the stage monitor, but I had role is not to sway them one way or another. “They often ignore things like getting lawyers, executives, retired people. There’s no idea I was not in the PA mix. Once I fig - It’s to give them enough information to written agreements with club and concert a real community here.” ured that out, I considered other options.” make an informed decision.” venue owners, album artwork graphic By his sophomore year, Bass was pursu - Though the annals of entertainment law designers, studio musicians, and co-song - Leon Bass will perform with his group ing social sciences, business and taking pre- are strewn with examples of bad deals, writers. These can end up being fatal mis - Grassinine on Saturday, February 2, from law studies. many bands do not take precautions to pro - takes that could ultimately cost the artist 8 to 11 p.m. at Woodlands Tavern, 1200 “I guess you could say my course was set tect themselves, says Bass. This is particu - hundreds of thousands of dollars or even West Third Ave. in Grandview. by the middle of college. Having learned larly true of music. that entertainment lawyers play an impor - ”The most common mistake I see by tant role in the music industry, I decided to artists is a failure to take basic steps to deal ” go to law school. It was a justifiable com - with business issues. If they are profes - LUES ASSES “B ED GL OLOR n Dun, promise that I do not regret. Today I get sional musicians, whether they like it or C ven, Ta Beetho l paid to work with creative people and argue h, Rave pm Sowas s 8:00 e ay 2/9 PM the law of creative rights every day.” z aturd 0 s i S 2/1 e unday iana S Viv Much of his practice centers around S & D án N m INE, A Guz music, and Bass has a philosophical, prac - RDI, V “VE VAN” i, tical attitude toward the business, which is DWIG e, Verd e LU en, Vin famously held to be predatory by musi - h eethov t B lima cians. So rtist - te uest a an, ﬂu “Record labels are not always bad guys,” G Guzm pm c iviana s 8:00 i V /23 s S day 3 PM says Bass. “They are no different than most u RIE Satur s SE Y M RT 3UNDA of the artists out there. They are trying to ONCE compete and make a living in a very com - C ELTIC E” at Harrison Park “C OSCOP petitive industry just like everyone else. ALEID oeran nnon K ven, M Sha Most don’t want to hurt artists, at least in - Community Center eetho ute aton 575 W 1st Ave. B artist - eltic ﬂ He Guest ton, c tentionally. In many cases, they are actually on Hea 0pm Columbus, OH 43215 Shann 8 s 8:0 helping them. They are giving an artist or series ay 5/1 PM Saturd 19 s day 5/ band a shot that they might not get other - Seize the Music & Sun For tickets & information visit wise. (seniors $20) www.cdsq.org or call (614) 205-8160 “Historically the major label deal would Individual concert tickets are $25 give a young artist a tremendous amount CARPE DIEM STRING QUARTET of money to go into a studio to make an January/February 2013 Short North Gazette 17