Harry and the Potters are brothers Paul DeGeorge (Harry, Year 7) and Joe DeGeorge (Harry, Year 4) and hail from Norwood,
Massachusetts. The band formed in the summer of 2002 by sudden necessity. Joe's band
Ed in the Refridgerators and a few other bands had planned to do a show in the DeGeorge's backyard shed, but they all cancelled the morning of the event. Paul saw this sudden shift of fate as the perfect opportunity to follow through with an idea he'd been kicking around for months. In an hour and a half, Paul and Joe had written and practiced seven songs based on the
Harry Potter series (most songs written from the point of view of Harry Potter) and that night in their backyard they debuted as Harry and the Potters to a group of 6 riveted fans. In their words, "
the place went nuts".
Nowadays they play just about anywhere, but their main concert arenas are libraries and bookstores, with the occasional show at a high school auditorium, Jewish community center or doughnut shop. They wear their Hogwarts clothes for shows, including V-neck gray sweaters, Gryffindor ties and glasses (their own). Their highly entertaining website is found at http://www.eskimolabs.com/hp/. Eskimo Labs is the recording company co-founded by Paul DeGeorge. Paul is a scientist by day and works at a vaccine lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts and is also seeking his PhD in chemical engineering. Joe DeGeorge is now attending Clark University.
Harry and the Potters have toured across the U.S. and parts of Europe. I saw them play at the outside amphitheatre of the Salt Lake City, Utah Main Library on August 11, 2007 and they were heaps of nerdy, rockin' fun. The opening band was none other than Draco and the Malfoys. Draco and the Malfoys' music was more lyrically developed, but Harry and the Potters had more relaxed and direct interaction with the crowd. Think Violent Femmes and They Might Be Giants and The Dead Milkmen attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry and join ranks to form a band. One fun twist in the show was when the drummer of Draco and the Malfoys, Bradley Mehlenbacher (Draco, Year 5), followed Harry and the Potters out on stage, wearing a Gryffindor tie, and was introduced as "guest drummer, Bill Weasley". The crowd laughed and cheered. "Bill" even came to Ron Weasley's defense during the Potters' song "The Weasel".
Favorite Harry and the Potters tracks include "Save Ginny Weasley", "Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock" "Cornelius Fudge is an Ass" and "Felix Felicis". Some favorite Draco and the Malfoys tracks include "My Dad is Rich", "Party Like You're Evil", "Tom Felton's Kinda Hot", and "Hippogriffs Deserve to Die". So. Damn. Funny.
If you hear of them coming to a library or bathroom (true story) near you, grab your wand and go check them out, and leave your "too cool for school" card at home. Be ready to laugh, dance, and sing along (you'll catch on quick) and you will have a genuinely magical, punk rock, kickass time!
Discography:
Harry and the Potters (June 2003)
Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock! (June 2004)
A Magical Christmas of Magic with Harry and the Potters (December 2005, limited release)
Scarred For Life 7"(January 2006)
The Hogwarts Tonsil Hocky Team Split 7" with The Zambonis (January 2006)
Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love (June 2006)
Sources:
www.boston.com
www.eskimolabs.com/hp
http://thephoenix.com/
www.mtv.com