It started in 2002 with two brothers, Joe and Paul, an hour to kill and seven songs. Scratch that, it started in 1990, on a train to London. Joanne Rowling, penname J.K Rowling, had a kid with round glasses and unruly hair haunting her thoughts. The kid was Harry Potter. The rest, as we say, is history.
Harry Potter is a brand: seven books, five-movies-going-on-eight, conventions around the world and most recently, a new string of bands.
Joe and Paul Degeorge were just two kids messing around with various mediocre bands in 2002, when their show was cancelled, but they couldn’t get out of the venue reservation. As they later wrote on their blog, “the time was finally appropriate to bust out an idea that had been incubating in Paul’s head for some time: Harry and the Potters.” Six people showed up. “The place went nuts,” according to the blog.
Their first EP, Harry and the Potters, released in 2003, included songs titles such as “I am Wizard,” “My teacher is a Werewolf,” and “The Godfather” (an anthem to the emo generation). It created a new Internet phenomenon, Wizard Rock, facilitated by MySpace.
The synthesizer melody for the entire album only has two keys. The brothers’ voices scream “drunken karaoke” at best and “goat dying” at worst. Yet fans worldwide mailed in cheques to buy the CD. Joe and Paul were now the coolest people in the Harry Potter universe.
The Degeorge brothers soon began performing in their uniforms: Paul as Harry in his seventh year, and Joe as Harry in his fourth. Their scene costumes include white shirts, unruly black hair, glasses and grey argyle sweaters.
The band’s second album, Voldemort can’t stop the rock, recorded in their parents’ shed, focused on the fifth Potter book. Paul and Joe took it to the next level with songs such as “The Missing Arm of Viktor Krum” and “Stick it to Dolores.” The first is a jab at Ron Weasley’s legendary jealousy. “Stick it to Dolores” is a statement on revolution and thinking for yourself. Harry and the Potters began touring libraries in 2005, after the second album’s release.
Other Wizard Rock bands also emerged around that period. Draco and the Malfoys, who focused on “evil Wizard Rock,” the Moaning Myrtles, and the Remus and the Lupins soon became the movement’s holy trinity. Tours were more about fans asking for the bands to play their hometown and artists saying “sure, feed me.”
In October 2005, Joe and Paul were working on a special album, a holiday compilation, Magical Christmas of Magic, when they asked Matt Maggiacomo to join in. Maggiacomo formed his own Wizard Rock band the same day.
The Whomping Willows is presently one of the movement’s most popular bands. It started out as fans asking Maggiacomo to release a full album, and then to tour. Which he did. Maggiacomo’s Wizard Rock project is unique because it refers to a place, not a character.
Compared to Harry and the Potters, Draco and the Malfoys, and Remus and the Lupins, The Whomping Willows is new musical territory. The Potters sing about their tragic past and their hate for Voldemort. The Malfoys lament over Potter and sing songs about being ridiculously good looking, while the Lupins serenade Black or Tonks. Maggiacomo, however, can sing about anything he wants.
As he explains in “I Found a Loophole”:
“And I rock out in a human body
So, Hermione, I found a loophole
Why don’t you come and check out one of my rock shows?
I’ll take you to the after-party
And you can get familiar with my human body.”
Maggiacomo soon became a fan favourite, being invited to play hometowns across the United States. Maggiacomo’s character has an epic crush on Hermione Granger and a definite hate for anything Ron Weasley. Maggiacomo explains, “the Hermione thing is more a reflection of my own personal crush on her character. She’s totally the type of girl I would’ve been in love with in high school.”
According to Lelia Green and Carmen Guinery’s online article, “Harry Potter and the Fan Fiction Phenomenon,” fan fiction is “fans, tired of waiting for Rowling to get Harry grown up, ‘doing it for themselves.'”
That’s what Maggiacomo did. He took the Harry Potter concept and incorporated it into his music.
Maggiacomo doesn’t take himself seriously. He’s 29, sure, but it’s clear he’s having fun. Songs like “Crawl through my treehole,” “I’ve had Harry Potter inside of me” and “Whore for Dumbledore” were meant to explore possible relationships for his tree character.
Maggicamo argues the second wave of Wizard Rock, the Lupins, the Malfoys and the Parselmouths, really brought forth the movement.
Marie-Pier Rémillard, a university student and avid fanfiction reader, started listening to wrock (Wizard Rock) a couple of years ago. “It’s about bringing fan fiction to a whole new level,” she says. The Whomping Willows’ new “album is the one I’m the most excited about.” Rémillard saw Maggiacomo’s only Montreal show, and says it was “funny, relaxed and fun.”
Maggiacomo has been touring almost non-stop since May 2007, and officially quit his day job on Oct. 16, 2007. He advertises his tours on his website, “I would LOVE to play a show at your library/bookstore/café/club/high school/community space/public park/college dorm/living room/bathroom/basement/bedroom/whatever! Just send me an e-mail at the address provided above and we’ll work it out!” “I’ve played in a bathroom for 10 people and it was the best show ever,” he told The Concordian.
The only show he played in Montreal, at Indigo’s on St-Catherine Street, was free. Ten kids showed up.
Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills opened the show. JFFATSQ (in short) is Justin Edward Michaelman. His songs are sillier than Maggiacomo’s, but still funny. There is something absurd about a grown-up man singing about being a Harry Potter fanboy live.
The set lasted 20 minutes, and was followed by The Whomping Willows. Maggiacomo started with his classic “Harry and Draco.”
When asked if he’s living “the dream,” Maggiacomo answers “I’m living mine. It’s the best thing ever.” He promises he’ll tour as long as he sells merch.
The show ends. It’s not about being a grown-up singing about Luna Lovegood. It’s about loving something and making it a job.
Terms for people who have lived under a rock for the last decade –
Spoiler alert!
Black, Sirius:
AKA the Godfather. Harry’s godfather/father figure.
Ex-con. Crazy. A lot of speculation about his relationship with Remus Lupin.
Death Eaters: Voldemort’s servants. Share the “Dark Mark.” Crazy and scary.
Dumbledore, Albus: Headmaster of Hogwarts. Loves sweets. Was in love with a dark wizard.
Granger, Hermione: Harry’s best friend. Know-it-all. Has the biggest crush in the world on Ron Weasley.
Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft. Dumbledore is headmaster, then Snape.
House: Hogwarts is divided into four houses. Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Gryffondor and Hufflepuff.
Krum, Viktor:
Ron’s hero. Bulgarian Quidditch player. Hermione’s first date. Ron’s first jealous rage.
Lovegood, Luna: Famous for wearing radish earrings. Lives in her own world. Probably has imaginary friends.
Lupin, Remus: Friend of Harry’s parents. Likes chocolate. Teacher.
