The Band That Lived

Harry and the Potters
Harry and the Potters

Though the final entry in the beloved Harry Potter series hit bookshelves seven years ago, and the last film arrived three years ago, The Boy Who Lived continues to live on thanks to the cheeky musical genre known as Wizard Rock, a musical phenomenon which I wrote about in 2007 for EW (“Raise Your Wands: Wizard rock arrives at the library”) just before the final Potter book was released. Wizard Rock combines Potter fans’ love of music and books, so listeners are treated to songs that are based on events from the series. The Massachusetts-based band, Harry and the Potters, is arguably the cream of the crop, and not just because of their eye-catching name, both witty and easy to remember.

Their band bio pretty much sums it up: “Imagine if Harry Potter quit the quidditch team and started a punk rock band.”

“Save Ginny Weasley from Dean Thomas” employs a danceable surf-pop rhythm as Harry pines for Ginny, and on “The Human Hosepipe,” laid-back keys give way to a cacophony of drums and guitars as Harry’s first date with Cho Chang gradually goes up in flames. Toss in some 30-second oddball interludes about not getting lost in Hagrid’s beard (“Accio Hagrid”) or simply bellowing an awful spell (“Sectumsempra”), and you can see that band members Paul and Joe DeGeorge will go just about anywhere with this, which is probably why people love them so much, and not just Harry Potter fans. In 2005, the band made Pitchfork’s Best Live Shows list, and in 2008, the documentary We Are Wizards profiled them.

Long live Harry (and the) Potter(s)!

Harry and the Potters play with Hank Green and the Perfect Strangers and Driftless Pony Club 9 pm Wednesday, July 2, at WOW Hall; $15 adv., $17 door.