By Shannon Neu, Staff Writer

Published Apr. 15, 2015

Lovers of fantasy stories were enchanted by a magical evening of Harry Potter themed music Sunday at the Green Bean. Audience members of all ages rocked out to enthusiastic performances inspired by the Harry Potter series.

The Blibbering Humdingers performed a hilarious first set, complete with music and jokes inspired by Harry Potter. Their music also made references to other science fiction and fantasy stories, including Dr. Who, as well as other songs, such as The Barenaked Ladies’ “If I Had a Million Dollars”. The band kept the audience amused and engaged throughout the set with clever lyrics, goofy jokes, props and cue cards. It was an excellent start to an evening of magical music.

Harry and the Potters performed next, and their enthusiasm for connecting with their fans through Harry Potter persevered throughout the show. Both members introduced themselves as Harry Potter, dressed like Harry Potter and offered brief, inspiring monologues from the point of view of Harry Potter. At one point, they proudly exclaimed, “We are all one giant Harry Potter!” Their music was entirely inspired by the Harry Potter book and movie series, as they performed songs with titles such as, “Save Ginny Weasly” and “Phoenix Tears”. The band played with impressive musicianship and energy. They also the audience captivated by incorporating unexpected elements to their performance, such as crazy dance moves, call and response songs, props and amusing instrumental tactics such as growling on the tenor saxophone and using their noses to play guitar.

Harry and the Potters members Paul and Joe DeGeorge created the band 12 years ago and have been impressing fans with their witty lyrics, diverse musical talents and engaging showmanship ever since. “We thought Harry Potter was just a very good character to front a band. A lot of people relate to him after reading his books,” Joe said, describing why he and Paul chose to write music about Harry Potter. “He’s sort of a punk.”

The band cites They Might Be Giants as their primary musical influence. They were impressed by the band’s creation of clever music to reach listeners of all ages, and were inspired to do the same. “We always wanted our band to be accessible for young people but also smart enough that the grown-ups who came to the show didn’t feel like they were at a kid’s show,” Paul explained. Harry and the Potters are definitely successful with reaching fans of all ages, as was evident by the diverse group of people in the audience.

When it comes to creating art that combines music and literature, Harry and the Potters are definitely very passionate about making music as well as being involved in Harry Potter culture. “It’s become a cultural force and that’s kind of why our band thrives and succeeds,” Paul reflected. “So many people have this relationship with Harry Potter and they’re looking for ways to engage and interact with Harry Potter.”

Not only do the DeGeorges make Harry Potter-based music, but they also focus on Harry Potter-based activism as well as other projects. The two cofounded The Harry Potter Alliance, which is an organization that calls upon Harry Potter fans to engage in social justice causes. Paul explained, “The idea behind the Harry Potter Alliance is to kind of take a lot of the enthusiasm of fandom and channel it into social good.”

Other projects include a podcast called “Cephalopodcast,” which is hosted by a giant squid that is slowly discovering humanity, piece by piece. “He hosts this podcast and it’s sort of like his thoughts and his creative output that he’s sharing with the world,” Paul said. “You don’t know if anybody’s listening. It’s a weird, sort of existential exercise.”

Harry and the Potters are also responsible for inventing a sandwich called the “Golden Snitchwich,” which is made of bread, peanut butter and Golden Grahams. They sell the sandwich at Harry Potter themed events. “They’re a few dollars each, and for an extra dollar we’ll  sculpt it into the shape of a snitch an throw it at you so you can catch it in your mouth just like Harry Potter did in his first Quidditch match,” Paul laughed.

For more information about Harry and the Potters and their exciting projects, check them out at http://www.harryandthepotters.com.