Famed “wizard rock” band Harry and the Potters took the stage of the Reid Campus Center on Saturday, Oct. 29, delivering an energetic, exciting concert experience.
The show was made possible by KWCW, WEB and the DJs of “The Witching Hour.” While interviewing the band during a tour stop in Portland last summer, seniors Mehera Nori and Sara Rasmussen and sophomore Claire Johnson persuaded the band to play a show at Whitman this fall.
While the elements of Harry Potter and rock music may seem incongruous, there is something about wizard rock that clicks.
“I think it’s one of those things that just works,” said senior Carissa Wagner, who helped bring the band to campus as Music Entertainment Director for WEB. “You hear it and it just makes you feel good and it works.”
“[They’re] singing about something that’s like, for a lot of kids in our generation, our childhood, so it’s just enjoyable,” said Nori.
The band, comprised of brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge with Jacob Nathan on drums, commented on the creation of wizard rock.
“I thought, wouldn’t it be cool if Harry sort of got his aggression and put his anti-authoritarian streak into punk rock music?” said Paul DeGeorge. “Instead of playing Quidditch, maybe he was playing in a band.”
As the popularity of the Harry Potter series has grown, so has the visibility and popularity of Harry and the Potters.
“We’re actually able to bring new fans in because Harry Potter does such a good job of bringing in new fans over time,” said Paul DeGeorge. “I think there’s a whole new generation after you that’s gonna discover these books too.”
During the band’s 90-minute set, they never once let their energy or enthusiasm die down. The audience, which nearly filled the basement of Reid, was lively and spirited. Singing along to Harry and the Potters’ clever lyrics, clapping and dancing to their intense beats, everyone involved found the concert to be a fun-filled experience. Thanks to the band, this year’s Halloween weekend became a bit spookier, much sillier and a lot more fun.
