Wizrocklopedia

Question Tuesday

Freya — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 19:48:47 +0000

This week’s question isn’t exactly a wizard rock question, but it is Harry Potter related.

Awhile back, Joshua Herdman (Crabbe) made the claim that Deathly Hallows will be split right after Harry, Ron, and Hermione are grabbed by the Snatchers. David Yates has said he had “three or four different ideas” about where the break would be, so it is still uncertain whether Herdman is correct.

Where would you split the movie?

I always thought that the best place would be after they buried Dobby. It’s not during a real cliffhanger, and I’d hate to see Dobby’s death belittled by being at the beginning of part 2. I’m afraid we will all gloss over that part with all the deaths at the end, and I think Dobby deserves better than that.

Gothic Archies

TN — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:33:14 +0000

Wouldn’t it be neat if JK Rowling was a musician that collaborated with a wizard rock band? Wouldn’t it be even neater if she played the accordion? Well fans of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events get just that via Daniel Handler’s participation in the Gothic Archies.

The analogy isn’t as cut as that though. The Gothic Archies aren’t exactly a fandom band in the way most wizard rock acts are. They are a side project of Stephen Merritt of the Magnetic Fields, and he has been fairly active through them since the mid nineties. Fans of the show The Adventures of Pete & Pete may recognize the song Your Long White Fingers from the episode where Older Pete’s friend Teddy sleeps over for a week and hi-jinks ensue. In addition to this Merritt has a number of other side projects, as well, and Handler is often a collaborator. This relationship led to Handler and Merritt discussing the development of a stage show for the his Lemony Snicket book tours. Handler, who plays accordion on the Magnetic Fields’ album “69 Love songs”, suggested that Merritt write music for the audio books, and then tour with him for each book. The music was released as the full album “The Tragic Treasury” in 2006. We are all very much better off for it, as Merritt and Handler produced some of the most weirdly sweet and childlike tunes imaginable.

Stephen Merritt brings his brand of warbly baritone crone combined to the macabre tounge-in-cheek lyrics which fit in well with Daniel Handler’s writing (Merritt has also written an entire musical based on Neil Gaiman’s Coraline). Merritt himself describes the band as Gothic Rock meets Bubblegum Pop, however it is otherwise tough to pin them to a genre. Some tracks are fairly straight forward pop ballads (think Jeff Buckley) or uptempo gothic rock, while some verge on a strange hurdy-gurdy rhythm of French folk or a lone organ grinder. This may be inherent with the combination of the jaunty drone of the accordion and jangle of the ukulele which is often present in many of songs featuring Handler. If you want to slap a wider label on it, it would fit right nicely in with the Baroque Pop/Indie Folk music; music that has vocal and instrumental depth and best suited for intimate live performances, but born straight out of pop sensibility and simplicity.

More Music from the Cruciatus Curse

HPA FTW!

Freya — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 17:16:18 +0000

Dear friends,

Five years ago a sweaty dude named Andrew Slack came to one of our shows with an idea would profoundly change the way Harry Potter fans could interact with the magical world created by JK Rowling. No, he wasn’t proposing a theme park. Instead, he wanted to take a cue from the books and create an actual Dumbledore’s Army. He wanted to harness the enthusiasm and dedication of Harry Potter fans everywhere and put it to practical action here in our own world. His idea was to form an Alliance of Harry Potter fans.

I immediately started working with Andrew on his idea for the Harry Potter Alliance. Just as these books had inspired us to start a band and make art, they also inspired us to be better people. They taught us that the powers of love and friendship and courage are enough to overcome seemingly insurmountable evil. Harry and his friends proved that it doesn’t matter how old you are: you can still play a huge role in shaping the world. We hoped to create an organization that would help facilitate and empower Harry Potter fans everywhere, to bring them together, and to help them transfer a little of the magic of Harry’s world into our own.

Five years later, I am truly honored to be a part of the organization that the Harry Potter Alliance has become. It is certainly a testament to the impressive character and unyielding generosity of Harry Potter’s fanbase that we have been able to grow so large and accomplish so much. Earlier this year, we partnered with various segments of the Harry Potter fandom and beyond to raise over $123,000 for Haiti disaster relief. Through Partners in Health, we were able to send five full cargo planes filled with food and medical supplies to Haiti! Then a few months later, our members donated over 50,00 books to the Mississippi Delat! These statistics blow my mind!

Like all non-profit organizations, the Harry Potter Alliance is in constant need of financial support. For the past few years, we’ve survived on a few grants, proceeds from various wizard rock compilations, and member-organized drives and donations. Other activist organizations have marveled at our ability to accomplish so much on a nearly non-existent budget. I know this sounds like I’m gearing up to ask you for some cash, but I’m happy to report that’s not the case.

Instead, I’d like to ask you to take just a little bit of time to lend your support to the Harry Potter Alliance as we enter the final days of the Chase Community Giving contest on Facebook. We are currently in first place and we have a really legitimate shot at winning $250,000, but no lead is insurmountable and we need all-hands-on-deck in this race to the finish. I can’t even being to tell you about the incredible things we can do with that kind of money, but rest assured that an already awesome organization will be able to continue being awesome at all new levels of extreme awesomeness!

So here’s what you can do to help:

1) Please go vote for the Harry Potter Alliance RIGHT NOW on Facebook

http://hpaFTW.com

It can be a bit confusing, but here’s all you need to do to vote for the HPA:
1. Click “Get started to vote” (the second green button, top right)
2. Allow access and then click “Like”
3. Click “Vote now” (green button, top right)

2) Once you’ve voted, please repost, retweet, blog, dance, shout, etc. Do whatever it takes to get as many of your friends and family to cast a vote for the Harry Potter Alliance. I can’t emphasize how important this is! This is your chance to help round up the votes we’ll need to win this competition. Be a hero! Is your mom on Facebook? It’s weird, I know, but now’s your chance to really share something with her. She loves HP too and I’m sure you can convince her to lend the HP Alliance a vote. And bonus points if she can get some of her own friends to vote too!

3) Gift votes! You’re only allowed to vote for the HP Alliance once, but if you vote for 5 different organizations in this contest, you’ll receive one gift vote to send to a friend. We recommend using the BUDDY SYSTEM! Find a buddy, exchange gift votes, and then use them to vote for the Harry Potter Alliance. Using this gift vote is like casting a patronus and having it fight alongside you! EXPECTO PATRONUM!

4) If you want to help out some more, check in with our staff to find out more tricks and tips to help us win this contest. Email hpaftw@thehpalliance.org for details!

If you’ve ever read a Harry Potter book or seen a movie, if you’ve ever sorted yourself into a Hogwarts house or put on a pair of round glasses, if you’ve ever been to a wizard rock show or played in a wizard rock band, or if you’ve ever wished that magic was real, now is your chance to make it so. Now is your chance to be a wizard! Now is your chance to support our real-world Dumbledore’s Army! Now is the time to raise that magic wand-of-an-index finger and click over to http://hpaFTW.com. Now is your chance to help the Harry Potter Alliance and Harry Potter fans everywhere continue to bring the magic of these stories to life.

Thanks for your support!

Sincerely,
Paul DeGeorge
Harry and the Potters
the Harry Potter Alliance

Question Creevey!

Freya — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 16:51:08 +0000

We’ve got your Question Tuesday and Creevey Thursday all rolled into one this week!

Tianna of I Speak Tree performing in Pittsburgh.
photo by pretenditious

I Speak Tree just started touring with The Butterbeer Experience and selling her inaugural album, Got Bark?, so it’s been in my CD player for the past few days. My favorite song of hers is ‘Horcruxes’ because it reminds me of my favorite part about wizard rock – getting a different perspective.
The series is so centered around Harry and his experience that sometimes I find it hard to try and see things from someone else’s point of view. But with bands like Tonks and the Aurors, The Remus Lupins, and countless others, we get the chance to see that. ‘Horcruxes’ is a perfect example of this – a glimpse into Hermione’s thoughts while on that endless camping trip.
“Three horcruxes, what are we going to do?
Three horcruxes, trying to destroy you.
Three horcruxes, with four more to go.
Three horcruxes, and we’re not halfway through.”
I’ve heard and agreed with so many complaints about how long the camping trip seemed to drag on in Deathly Hallows. I think that JK Rowling was trying to show us this desperation and endless anxiety, but I never really got it until I listened to ‘Horcruxes’. I love that Tianna was able to accomplish it in four minutes, and I feel the need to reread Deathly Hallows with this new perspective on things.

Do you have a wizard rock song that really just made you think about Harry Potter in a completely different way?

Creevey Thursday

Camie — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 16:16:55 +0000

Infinitus is getting close! More summer tour shows! New albums! Wizard rock is everywhere!

See you at the shows, and make sure to send your photos to the Wizrocklopedia flickr feed.

Question Tuesday

Freya — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 16:27:59 +0000

I’m not actually going to Infinitus, but all the anticipatory buzz is making me very excited for everyone who is!
So, this week I ask: What’s your favorite thing about cons? Getting to see lots of wizard rock? Barely eating/sleeping for 3 days? Falling asleep with your best fandom friends right next to you?

I love getting to see all the different bands at cons because they tend to be extraordinary shows, but nothing beats being surrounded by so much love and friendship for a few days. I’ll miss you all, and you better have an amazing time!

Muggle Music Monday- it’s a Fugazi!

Russ — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 16:55:42 +0000

On this week’s Muggle Music Monday, we’re going to take a look at a band who’s been highly influential on the entire wizard rock genre – FUGAZI!

Fugazi was formed in the mid-1980′s by Ian MacKaye, former vocalist of the DC hardcore band Minor Threat. A few years after that influential group disbanded, Ian had worked his way through a couple of other projects before starting what would soon become Fugazi. After some rehearsals and personnel changes, the lineup was solidified with Joe Lally (bass), along with Brendan Canty (drums) and Guy Picciotto (guitar and vocals). Brendan and Guy had previously been bandmates in Rites of Spring, THE band that started the whole “emo” movement (this was back when emo meant wearing your heart on your sleeve and leaving it all onstage, not mascara and Hot Topic).

Together as a band, Fugazi combined elements of many different types of music, much like wizard rock. Although the band’s core was in the indie/punk/hardcore vein, many songs also had distinct reggae, jazz, and fusion elements to them. Fugazi never branded themselves as any specific sort of genre, and that simply worked for them – they were a band that played what they wanted, when they wanted to. We see that element really exemplified in wizard rock, when bands combine styles and even shift from one song to another.

One of the other biggest influences on wrock was Fugazi’s DIY ethic. From Day 1, Fugazi did their best to play all-ages shows, and keep costs down. Tickets for a Fugazi show usually ranged from $5-$10, and were held in clubs, function halls, restaurants, gyms, and basements. The band wanted to bring their music to wherever their fans were, and this approach helped foster friendships and a camaraderie between the band and fans for years. When major labels came looking to sign Fugazi, they refused all offers, wanting to keep a full say in the way they wrote, recorded, and toured.

The band members could be outspoken about social issues, while they also stood for tolerance, and making sure everyone enjoyed their shows together. Audiences who got too rowdy and interfered with others’ enjoyment were asked to stop the slam dancing and stage diving; those who would not were handed a refund and asked politely to leave. Fugazi wanted everyone to be comfortable, and free to enjoy the music – a tradition we see today in events like Wrockstock and Wrock Wreggies!

So for this week’s Muggle Music Monday, let’s send a nod of thanks over to Fugazi; without their example, two guys from Massachusetts might not have taken the initiative to head out on the road and spread their songs about some wizard kid with a scar on his head.

Question Tuesday

Freya — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 14:00:16 +0000

The HPA is participating in the Chase Challenge on Facebook for a chance to win $250,000. (Details on how to vote are below.)
What causes would you like this money to help, if (when?) the HPA wins?

I know we all have causes near to our heart, but I also believe in timeliness. At the moment, I would love for the HPA to organize something we can do to help with the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Vote for The Harry Potter Alliance in the Chase Challenge on Facebook, and the HPA could win $250,000. It takes only 30 seconds. Here’s how:

1. Go to http://bit.ly/hpaFTW click “Get Started” and “Like” the Facebook app, then vote (green button, top right)!

2. Click the green button “Share with Friends” and post it to your feed to spread the word.

3. After you vote click here to tweet automatically.

Voting ends July 12th, but don’t wait. We are competing with over 500,000 organizations. Vote! Then find 5 friends and make them vote. Harry Potter Alliance for the win!

Watchout! There’s Ghosts this #MuggleMusicMonday

Dinahsaur — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:02:36 +0000

Note: Okay, so I just wrote out almost this entire post when my page decided to refresh itself and lose everything. So I apologize if some of what you read here is trite, boring, or forced. I swear it sounded great the first time ’round!

You know what I absolutely love about #MuggleMusicMonday? It affords me the opportunity to find new music. I love it! More than that, I get to shamelessly peruse the shared iTunes libraries of coworkers and IM randoms in the office without abandon to talk about their music. I’ll be honest, sometimes it really throws people off and they question my sanity, but they get over it eventually. In any case, a coworker’s shared iTunes library is exactly where I found today’s band: Watchout! There’s Ghosts.

In my perusing, I was naturally drawn to a band with a name like that. Selecting a song at random, the first song from this band that I listened to was not fully characteristic of the band. It is a mellow version of what I have found to be their norm. This song is ‘Remember Me, Oh God, for Good’, the closing track on their album Ghost Town. After listening to more, I quickly found that there is generally a techno/dance/electronica style to their music.

Are any of our readers fans of Ministry of Magic? … I think I heard the fangirls screaming from here. Impressive. Well, the reason I bring it up is because as I was listening to more from Watchout! There’s Ghosts, the more I started to think about how much fans of MoM would be able to appreciate the band. Before things get out of hand, the answer is “No! They are not exactly like MoM.” So please don’t expect that when you check these guys out. But there’s definitely a lot going on.

So, to make it easy, take a listen to one of their songs that stood out to me the most, ‘Don’t Shoot Me Annie Oakley’.

Question Tuesday

Freya — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 20:16:15 +0000

Sorry this Question Tuesday is bit late this week. Without Lost to mark the day, I forgot it was Tuesday!
The other reason I didn’t realize it was Tuesday was because, for most of us, it’s SUMMER! Time tends to run together in the summertime, so I thought talking about our wizard rock plans might help us to keep track of it all.

I started my wizard rock summer with a Nifflers/JFF/Whomping Willows/Myrtles show last week. For the rest of the summer, I am mostly sticking close to home, but I’m lucky to have three shows to go to in the next month, so I won’t feel so bad about missing Infinitus. What are your plans this summer, wizard rock or otherwise?

Also, I am pretty sure that getting to see Jake of The Nifflers play for the first time will be the highlight of summer wizard rock for me. He does a great job playing, and both the crowd and Jake seemed to thoroughly enjoy it. Check out some clips from his show last week!

Muggle Music Monday with Ingrid Michaelson

Freya — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 20:06:20 +0000

Every June in Pittsburgh, we have the Three Rivers Arts Fest, 10 days of artists selling their wares, juried art exhibits, fair food, and free concerts. I spent Thursday night there, listening to Ingrid Michaelson. While her show wasn’t the greatest (with its forced banter and opening with a folk-y version of ‘Poker Face’) her studio music is more impressive. Her music may not be cutting-edge, but she has a Regina Spektor/Brandi Carlisle-esque sound that I really enjoyed. Her hit, ‘Maybe’, is incredible catchy, and I could watch its whimsical video over and over again.

Technical Difficulties

Freya — Wed, 09 Jun 2010 23:33:48 +0000

I’m sure you have noticed some wonkiness with the ‘pedia lately. We’ve got the site back up to where you can view articles, but there is still some behind-the-scenes work to be done. Since I’m no expert at web development, and we rely on volunteer help for these sorts of things, the process is going a bit more slowly than I had hoped.
Fred, a friend of mine who lives in Munich, has been an invaluable help so far. He’s the reason why you can read this post at all, so I’d like to thank him for devoting his time to the fandom (which he isn’t involved with). Thanks, Fred! A giant collective hug from the ‘pedia community to you!

Rest assured that I am on the case, and things will hopefully be back to normal soon. We’ve got lots to talk about – after all, it is summer, and 2010 looks to be an even busier year for wizard rock than 2009 was!

#MuggleMusicMonday says Stay Positive with The Hold Steady

Camie — Mon, 31 May 2010 14:04:29 +0000

If sing along songs are your scriptures, (and in wizard rock, what song isn’t a sing along song?) then the Hold Steady is a band that you should definitely spend some time with. There’s actually a fair chance you’ve already heard one of their songs, DatM‘s Brian Ross covers ‘Your Little Hoodrat Friend’ every once in a while. (This linked video also includes Matt of the Whomping Willows, and Alex of the Remus Lupins).

While front man Craig Finn’s sing-speak vocals may take some getting used to, his lyrics are, for lack of a better word, awesome. He has a very witty, and literary style to his song writing. Many of the songs follow the story of three main characters Holly, Charlemagne, and Gideon. To explain the story of these characters would cause you to be reading for hours, and it is much better experienced by listening to the music. One thing I have to say about the story is that it is scattered throughout the five albums and is open to the interpretation of the listener. For those who are wowed more by the music than lyrics, Tad Kubler’s guitar is there to please with some inspiring guitar licks and some extraordinary solos. Tad’s guitar is half of the reason I really became motivated to learn how to play the guitar (the other half being wizard rock). His solos can be incredibly simple, or completely massive, but they always make sense within the song they are a part of.

One of my favorite things about this band is their live performances. Craig often says “there is so much joy in what we do up here” and their performances back that statement. The entire band puts everything they’ve got into every show. I have seen them live 11 times, and my 12th is coming up later this year. 12 shows may sound a little excessive, but you can see the joy from even one live performance. Craig loves to perform, and when the crowd is into it, he loves it even more. The band truly gets into performing when the crowd is participating right along with them, whether it be clapping along to songs (At one of the last shows I have seen, the crowd was clapping along to the beat of “Chips Ahoy” and Craig through the microphone said “This sounds amazing”) or throwing confetti (which usually causes multiple smiles to break out). Craig is usually the more animated of the bunch, and as he gets into performing, his joy is portrayed through his smile, and his “interesting” dance moves.

The Hold Steady have influenced some of our favorite Wizard Rock bands. On DatM’s second album Party Like You’re Evil, ‘Knockturn Alley’ is a song that is written with the Hold Steady in mind. The lyrics are performed more sing-speak than normal, which is a direct nod to Craig. The lead guitar in the song is also very reminiscent of Tad, with it’s simplistic quality. While I do not have a video of a performance ‘Knockturn Alley’ I do have two videos for comparison. They are both performances of the song ‘First Night.’ The first is The Hold Steady performing the song, the second is Brian covering the song at The Sidewalk Cafe.

Their influences in wizard rock do not end there, one of Matt’s early Whomping Willows shirts, “The Whomping Willow Almost Killed Me” is a direct reference to a Hold Steady shirt “The Hold Steady Almost Killed Me.”

The Hold Steady have a five album discography; Almost Killed Me, Separation Sunday, Boys and Girls in America, Stay Positive, and Heaven is Whenever. In my honest opinion, the most accessible album for the new listener is the third installment, Boys and Girls in America. (If you are looking for ‘Your Little Hoodrat Friend’ check out Separation Sunday.) Their most recent album, Heaven is Whenever, was released earlier this year on May 4th. For more information about The Hold Steady visit their website, listen on myspace, or download at iTunes.

LeakyCon Remembrance, Day 3: Wizard Rock in the Afternoon

Brad A. — Mon, 31 May 2010 00:06:48 +0000

The finale of my article on LeakyCon 2009, covering the events of the final day, and my concluding thoughts.

Wizard Rock in the Afternoon was the final wizard rock show at LeakyCon. It took place in the afternoon because the Ball was being held that night. Ironically, while the Ball was held in the castle, where the other wizard rock shows had all been, Wizard Rock in the Afternoon was held in one of the ballrooms.

The afternoon slot consisted of four exceptional bands, three of which I had never seen live before. In order of appearance, Riddle TM, the Mudbloods, the Moaning Myrtles, and the Remus Lupins all performed exceptionally. Save for the Remus Lupins, all of the other bands were new live experiences for me, and none of them disappointed.

Riddle TM had flown all the way over from the UK in order to attend LeakyCon, and this sort of dedication showed in their music. Truly, they are dedicated to their craft. They showed so much talent that one anonymous wizard rocker professed that they would love to pack the girls up and take them on tour. It was a change of pace from the night before- where the intensity had really defined the atmosphere of each set. With Riddle TM, there was no less passion, but they channelled it in different ways. It was a very moving performance, and one I won’t soon forget.

The Mudbloods came out next, featuring Tyler Nicholas of the Remus Lupins playing bass for them. Now, I’m embarrassed to admit that I had never really properly listened to the Mudbloods before this concert. I had heard of them of course, and maybe listened to a couple of their songs, but I definitely hadn’t given them the sort of attention they deserve. Their set blew me away. The best part about the Mudbloods was that they were extremely well-rounded. There was something for just about anyone to enjoy in their music, and all of it was great. Needless to say, I’ve been a fan since. Adam Dubberly is a man to get behind.

Next, the Moaning Myrtles took to the stage. Lauren and Nina were in top form, as always, but so too was Jarrod Perkins, who was playing drums for their set. It was a pleasant surprise to see Jarrod behind the kit, firstly because he’s a phenomenal drummer, and secondly because it adds a bit of extra ‘oomph’ to the Myrtles’ music. As is expected with any Myrtles set, the music moved between fun and funny, sad and hilarious, uplifting and hopelessly morose. It’s really quite amazing how the emotions being conveyed by the musicians can affect the crowd, and it was very evident during the Moaning Myrtles set.

But, of course, like any proper finale, the best was saved for last. The Remus Lupins took to the stage, and all hell broke loose.

A big part of the phenomenal performance that the Remus Lupins put on that day lied in the strength of the band. Each member is formidable on their own, and they’re all multi-instrumentalists as well as fulltime musicians. Having that sort of background makes for insanely impressive shows, and this one was no exception. The LeakyCon set was especially awesome because it featured Nate Highfield (of the Muggle band the Good Cheer) on lead guitar.

Some of you have never heard of Nate. I’d recommend checking out his music right now. I’ll wait. It’s that good. When he gets thrown into the TRL equation, however, things go into overdrive. It’s amazing how every single song they played had this extra layer of depth thanks to the subtle guitar injections he added. He took what would have been a great set, and he turned it into an exceptional one.

I think the most important aspect of why the set was so good has to do with the frontman. TRL has been successful from the get-go simply because of the charisma and stage presence of Alex Carpenter. This was on full display during his set at LeakyCon. Even while switching monitors, Alex kept the crowd fully engaged, and even got everyone singing along to unreleased music.

So considering all of this, and considering that they would be the last wizard rock band to play at Leakycon, it should really come as no surprise that things ended the way they did. I am referring, of course, to the now infamous flaming guitar-smash at the end of the Remus Lupins set. For those not in the know, at the end of his set, Alex took his beautiful guitar, covered it in lighter fluid, took a match to it, and then smashed it to pieces against the stage- pieces which scattered spectacularly, and very nearly impaled Nate.

This final release of energy, this final send-off, was how the wizard rock portion of LeakyCon was wrapped up, and I can’t think of any better way. It was a blast from start to finish.

It’s time for me to thank all of the amazing, amazing individuals who not only made this experience possible, but made it so completely unforgettable. Hats off to the conference organizers, to the Leaky staff, to Paul DeGeorge and Matt Maggiacomo, and to all of the bands who played like they had never played before, and made it so much fun for the rest of us. My heart goes out to Melissa Anelli, who was running around so much the whole time that many people swore she had learned to apparate. Without all of you, none of this would’ve been possible. I have the utmost confidence that LeakyCon 2011 will be even more wonderful than its predecessor, but it must be said that it has massive footsteps to walk in.

LeakyCon Remembrance, Day 2: Wizard Rock Night

Brad A. — Sat, 29 May 2010 16:03:38 +0000

Continuing with Part Two of my remembrance, I take a look at Wizard Rock Night.

The next night, if you can believe it, was even better than Evil Night, and for me, the very highlight of the conference. Wizard Rock Night featured Tonks and the Aurors, Gred and Forge, the Whomping Willows, and the indelible Harry and the Potters. If there’s one similarity between all of these bands, it’s that they know how to ROCK. Wizard Rock Night showcased the most intense musical performances this writer has ever seen, including Muggle concerts. Wizard Rock Night was also, not coincidentally, the night that most people lost their voices at LeakyCon, myself included.

It started when Stephanie Anderson took to the stage first, and hammered her set out. Everyone in the crowd was into it, and she looked like she was enjoying herself as much as everyone else. She set the bar very high, and I found myself wondering how on earth Jarrod Perkins would be able to top it with his Gred and Forge set next. But top it he did, wrocking harder than anything I’d ever seen. He pulled out all the stops, though the highlight of the set, by far, was hearing Brotherly Love performed live. It is extremely hard for me to decide, to this day, what was more entertaining: the crowd’s reactions, or Jarrod’s masterful guitar-playing.

Again, I found myself wondering how Matt could possibly top this when he came out next with The Whomping Willows. Amazingly, Matt proved me wrong within the first 30 seconds of his set. In a feat of badassery so unparalleled it deserves its own award here from the WRPCA’s, Mr. Maggiacomo walked out on stage, and yelled into the mic, “It’s time to dance, motherfuckers!” before launching into his set with a manic energy. This energy pervaded every single song he played, and he set the standard even higher.

By this point, there was a lot of murmuring going on in the crowd. As we waited for the next band to take the stage, my friends and I all put our heads together and asked ourselves what Harry and the Potters would have to do in order to top that one. I couldn’t think of anything. I had no idea what they’d pull off- and it was a good thing that I didn’t bother speculating, because all Paul and Joe DeGeorge had to do was be Harry and the Potters- something they’re exceptionally good at.

The Harry and the Potters set that night was the single most intense musical experience of my life. They played harder than any band before them. They had more fun on stage (and a whole lot of fun off of it in the crowd). Paul broke strings from playing so hard, and Joe’s voice was nearly gone by the end. And I can assure you that there is nothing more surreal than eating bacon from a series of platters being passed through the crowd courtesy of the DeGeorge brothers at 11:45 at night.

The grand finale topped things off, though, with the band inviting dozens of people on stage to join them in their extremely hardcore take on Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit,’ which in this case is aptly renamed ‘Smells Like Harry Potter,’ seeing as all of the lyrics are replaced with a rhythmic chanting of sorts. As if that wasn’t enough, there was their epic performance of ‘Dumbledore,’ in which the entire crowd joined hands and formed a massive circle, before collapsing into it to wrock out.

Wizard Rock Night reminded me that, even after nearly two years since the release of Deathly Hallows, both the fans and the bands could match the intensity of the pre-release days. The numbers might not be the same, but the experience hasn’t changed one bit. Just as long as the bands continue to love what they do, and the fans still love the music, we will never, ever disappear.

Check out tomorrow’s article for the conclusion!

LeakyCon Remembrance, Day 1: Evil Night!

Brad A. — Fri, 28 May 2010 13:52:20 +0000

Exactly one year ago, as I write this, I was on my way to Boston, Massachusetts to attend LeakyCon 2009, the very first conference put on by The Leaky Cauldron. Prior to that, I had only attended one other conference, which was Prophecy 2007 in Toronto, Canada, so I had very high expectations. In many ways, however, it is fundamentally impossible to compare the two.

For any of you that have ever attended a conference put on by the HPEF (Harry Potter Education Fanon), you know that the focus of these conferences has always officially been education. The majority of the programming is composed of lectures that you attend to learn more about Harry Potter’s world. And this is fantastic, and incredibly interesting, but I don’t think I’d be lying when I say that the unplanned shenanigans, as well as informal programming, always tend to steal everyone’s hearts at HPEF conferences.

Back in 2006, when there was so much to discuss, this was a good thing. People wanted to be able to discuss the books, the world, and the fandom, because the series had not ended yet, and there was so much left to speculate about. Even at Prophecy, which was the first conference after the release of Deathly Hallows, there was this overarching need for discussion- to be able to talk and share and learn about what we had all just experienced.

But in the years since, the academic side of Harry Potter has become less and less relevant. Many people have attended all or most of the cons since, but the majority do so just to see and spend time with their friends from around the world. The community became the most important part of the conferences, rather than the academics.

And the thing that, most of all, separates LeakyCon from its HPEF counterparts was that the conference had no pretense of education. The focus, officially and unofficially, was to have fun, rather than to learn, and the conference was structured to be as much fun as possible. Formal programming was still scheduled, and I’m sure that many people did attend, but personally, I only attended one formal programming event, which was a presentation on recording and releasing wizard rock by Paul DeGeorge of Harry and the Potters and a number of other notable wizard rockers. I learned a lot, but it had very little to do with academics.

This was LeakyCon’s biggest strength. It was put on by the fandom, for the fandom. No one is more in touch with what the fandom wants than Leaky, and it never stopped reflecting in the amazing weekend they put on. All of the ‘unofficial’ fun at HPEF’s conferences had become the focusing point for LeakyCon, and this pushed the conference into something beyond anything that I’d ever experienced at Prophecy.

Probably the biggest drawback of the HPEF was that it had never fully appreciated wizard rock. At Prophecy, there was only one wizard rock concert, and only the four biggest bands in the fandom got a chance to play. Of course, this didn’t stop many other bands that didn’t get a chance to play (as well as some that did- I’m looking at you, Alex) from performing unofficially in the Common Room area, but this was all fan organized.

At the official wizard rock show at Prophecy, the walls had to be moved out so that the room could accommodate the unexpectedly massive crowd that had assembled there. Over 800 people attended that concert, even though the sound was poorly done, the lighting was terrible, and the wait was excruciatingly long. I was one of those 800 people, and I had the time of my life. But I couldn’t have comprehended how much better it could’ve been until I attended LeakyCon 2009- a conference where they did everything right.

The people behind LeakyCon completely recognized the importance of wizard rock to their conference, and they wanted it done right. So they hired Matt Maggiacomo of the Whomping Willows, and Paul DeGeorge of Harry and the Potters to take care of their live sound. Says DeGeorge, “Most cons don’t understand what is necessary for producing really killer rock shows and they don’t invest the time to learn or the money to hire the right people to execute. They think their job is done once they’ve announced the lineups. In my experience, LeakyCon has been the ONLY exception to this, and a big part of it is because they worked closely with Matt and myself and actually used our advice rather than ignoring it.”

Melissa Anelli and her ragtag gang of badasses couldn’t have made a better decision. Unlike Prophecy, which had only one wrock show, LeakyCon had three. Each of these shows clocked in at four hours each. And that’s not counting the performances that were part of programming- such as Ministry of Magic’s performance on PotterCast, the epic musical that was The Fountain of Fair Fortune, and House of Black’s performance on AlleyCast. If there was one thing and one thing only to be said about LeakyCon, it’s that there was no shortage of wizard rock.

The official wizard rock programming was divided in three: Evil Night, Wizard Rock Night, and Wizard Rock in the Afternoon. This system worked out brilliantly, because the wizard rock fit in around everything else. For example, Evil Night began directly after the Opening Feast, meaning that no one had to go anywhere, and that essentially the first thing we were treated to (besides the delicious feast) was four amazing bands!

Evil Night featured Swish and Flick, Justin Finch-Fletchley, the Parselmouths, and Draco and the Malfoys. And even though JFF was definitely the odd man out in this scenario, he wrocked harder than everyone. It was a smashing success, and it set the tone for the rest of the conference: all of the bands played their hearts out and just had a fantastic time with what they were doing. There really were no holds barred.

Each band had its own strength: Swish and Flick had their stage antics, while Brian Malfoy’s guitar solos melted faces in JFF’s set. Meanwhile, the Parselmouths changed their lyrics to make fun of Alex Day, and finally Draco and the Malfoys had their incredibly strange and incredibly wonderful bluegrass set. There was something for absolutely everyone, and this was only the BEGINNING.

Look for tomorrow’s article about Day Two of Leakycon!

Get Sweet this #WrockWednesday…

Dinahsaur — Wed, 26 May 2010 21:31:42 +0000

…with the Sweetwater All-Stars!

Now this is a band that I have enjoyed getting to know over the past year. Not only does the band consist of a fantastic and extremely fun individual, but this self-same individual is currently writing her Master’s Thesis on Wizard Rock! Whaaaaaaat!? So entirely rad, am I right?

I’m pretty sure I’m right.

But the real reason I’m so excited to share Kelli’s is because of her new music video. I have to admit… I’m a fan of it! So sit back, relax, and enjoy!

Rocking the Classics for #MuggleMusicMonday

Dinahsaur — Mon, 24 May 2010 22:07:31 +0000

For today’s triumphant return of #MuggleMusicMonday, I would like to send you all the way of Bonnie Tyler. Now, for those of you who were at LeakyCon with me, you may recall a specific song being played twice in a row at midnight hour on Mr. Carpenter’s birthday. That song, my friends, was ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’. It was not until that night that I learned of how much special meaning that song has for many in the Harry Potter Fandom and, in particular, the Leaky folks. However, since that night, I have come to love it more and more with every listening.

Yet Bonnie Tyler is not limited to her epic ‘Total Eclipse of the Heart’ by any means! Among her classic ballads are ‘It’s a Heartache’ and ‘You Are So Beautiful’. What can I say? I’m a sucker for ballads from time to time.

So with that… I beg you to enjoy!

Your Guide to Summer Tours: PART TWO!

Laura! — Fri, 21 May 2010 17:02:31 +0000

Keeping a finger on the pulse of our extensive fandom can sometimes be difficult, and things are bound to get overlooked at times. I neglected to mention several other touring bands in the previous Guide, so this week I’m bringing you Your Guide to Summer Tours: Part Two!

First, Grace has set up a simple page for her Carpe Geekdom tour dates. Check it out here! There is also a facebook event page, which you can see all the dates (and RSVP!)

Lena Gabrielle, of The Butterbeer Experience, is going on a tour called “Love Will Prevail: The Final Battle Tour” leading up to, and beyond, Infinitus, where she will premiere her new musical, The Final Battle. She will be joined on the road by I Speak Tree and Fred Lives.

The Final Battle is based on the last 150 pages of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, and involves 80 people total: 50 cast members, a 15-piece orchestra, and a 15-person backstage crew. The music for The Final Battle was composed by Lena, and the accompanying book was written by both Lena and Mallory Vance. The only place to see The Final Battle (before it goes to YouTube) is at Infinitus, but if you are along Lena’s tour route, she will be “previewing” some songs from the musical at some of her shows. She will also be releasing a CD of herself singing songs from The Final Battle, which she will have on tour with her.

Lena has declared that this tour will be her last wizard rock tour ever. She will be a college senior and needs “to concentrate on getting into grad school.” Lena remains firm that this does not mean that she is disappearing from our fandom. She plans to still write “operettas and musicals for the fandom, and will be still be attending the cons!” This is definitely not the last time we’ll hear from her, rest assured.

Harry and the Potters are going on an international summer tour! The brothers are playing a few shows in the US, including Incendio, an all-day wizard rock festival in Hellertown, PA. Afterwards, they are crossing the pond and playing in Cork, Ireland with Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons, and Siriusly Hazza P. When they return from Ireland, the boys are continuing their tour through July 15, with shows on the east coast and the Midwest. To see if Harry and the Potters are playing a show near you this summer, check out their tour dates.

Paul tells me that he and Joe will be “kicking it old school,” with just the two of them on the road for their US tour dates. “If anyone saw us on tour in 2004 or 2005, then our show may look a little similar to those tours. I think we got a bit nostalgic for those times.”

Later in the summer, Paul and Joe will be returning to Europe for a Scandinavian tour! They’ll hopefully “be playing shows in Sweden, Norway, Denmark and possibly Iceland. We haven’t announced any of those dates yet, but I’ve been working on the tour solidly for the last 6 weeks and it’s definitely coming together. It’s possible that we’ll play in more countries this summer than we have in the past 8 years – combined!”

Planning the Scandinavian tour has been the most exciting part for Paul, who has watched this nugget of an idea go from “being a single show in Stockholm to a 2-week tour of 4 different countries.” With the help of an incredibly dedicated group of people in Sweden, Paul has been working on booking venues for the past six weeks. He says that “It just feels really great to turn a slightly outrageous idea into a reality. That sentence is a good summary of how I feel about our band, so in a sense, I guess this tour feel like an extension of our mission and purpose: bringing outrageous ideas to life.”

When you consider the source, it should come as no surprise that the brothers are really excited about the different foods they’ll get to experience on this tour. Paul says that they are “excited to eat some Hákarl”, a traditional fermented shark meat that is buried in the ground for 6-12 weeks before it is eaten.

Creevey Thursday

Camie — Thu, 20 May 2010 15:22:22 +0000

While looking through the recent posts to the ‘pedia’s flickr page I came across this picture. It reminded me of why I got into Wizard Rock, and eventually, photography, in the first place. Major kudos to -eClair- for her great shots of The Hallows and Horcruxes Ball.