My daughter A. and I headed down to the Museum of Contemporary Art last night to see a band called Harry and the Potters. We weren’t sure what to expect. Novelty acts can have potential. Years ago, I went to see EL Vez, the Mexican Elvis with my friends J & T. Check him out if he comes to a town near you! The show started at 6 which is deadly traffic time in St. Louis, but we made it there on time. We got in before it sold out at around 300 attendees. Here’s how the St. Louis Post-Dispatch billed the show:
Harry and the Potters
Brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge of Massachusetts have found their niche. The lads combine their passions for literature and rock 'n' roll with their resemblance to Harry Potter, resulting in Harry and the Potters. The brothers employ their own age difference in taking on the persona of Harry, presenting a repertoire about the books with a heavy punk rock influence. Their Summer Reading and Rocking Tour 2006 has played book stores and libraries nationwide. Opening the show is Draco and the Malfoys. Honest. We wouldn't make this stuff up. Just ask J.K. Rowling. The 6 p.m. show is open to all ages at the Contemporary Art Museum,
I was expecting to see lots of parents with kids like me. There was a sprinkling of that but mostly the audience was filled with teenaged girls who sang every word of every song. Who knew?
As promised, Draco and the Malfoys took to the stage first. This band consists of two guys on guitar and a drum machine. One of the guys looks and acts like Ahmet Zappa and is the more musically proficient of the two. I got the impression that maybe the other guy might just be filling in. His guitar playing was a bit off. However, their lyrics were extremely witty and I was down more with the making fun of Harry Potter than celebrating him. My favorite song they played was a song called Potions Yesterday. To me it raises a lot of valid points. Harry is not the best wizard, so why does everyone think he’s so great? The song that got the most response was “99 Deatheaters” which was sung to the melody of “99 Luftballoons”.
Next was the main attraction, Harry and the Potters. This band consists of a guitarist, a keyboardist/saxophonist, and the so-so guitarist from Draco on drums. He is a much better drummer so maybe there’s truth to my theory. Wikipedia classifies this group as part of a new “wizard rock” genre. I think I would classify it more as nerd pop/punk. They had lots of energy, and the crowd loved them. When I was looking into the crowd at the front of the stage, one lone chunky teen boy was pogo-ing to the music, in full Hogwarts robes and a heavy Gryffindor scarf making the heavy metal devil symbol with his hand. He was serious.
When the show was over I asked A. what she thought. She really liked it. I asked her if she wanted to meet the guys and get her picture taken and I got a very quick “no” response. She said, “They have some hardcore fans!”
While I won’t rush out and buy their CDs, I truly appreciated going to a musical event with children in attendance that was not totally lame. This was a show that had enough lyrical references and punk hooks to keep both parents and kids interested. I'm sure I won't be saying the same thing when I take A. to see The Cheetah Girls and Hannah Montana in October! --J
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