Wizard-Rock enchants Dunleavy Room

By Kyle Abbott
Collegian Reporter
February 28, 2007

Wiz-Rock in Potterdelphia. You heard it: J.K. Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter series has officially cast its spell on another medium, and this time, let me just say, it’s got the bass on my Nimbus 2000 thumping. There are now enough Potter-themed bands to create a magically prominent underground movement.

And said underground movement was out in full force Feb. 23 to bring the four Houses of Hogwarts into La Salle’s own Dunleavy Room. The show was set up as a charity fundraiser for The Children’s Higher Level Group by Dr. Vincent Kling’s Blessing or Blasphemy: A Look at Harry Potter class last semester.

The show, in all forms, was a success. The bands were great, the turnout was good and the money raised for charity was impressive, considering the free admission and donation-at-your-discretion raffle, the end result of near $100 was quite the icing on the cake.

But let’s talk bands, or, should I say, let’s talk wizards. By the end, six bands showcased their literature-based tones, featuring acts of all varieties, ages, locations and reputations. Another cool thing is that for the sake of time, convenience and respect to one another, each band decided to play acoustic, which made the night as intimate as a long chat with Hermione over some butterbeer.

First off was A Lightning Bolt Scar, a Jersey trio with walking bass lines and a funky beat. A perfect start to the night, yelling out categories of my favorite dairy food during the extended “Voldemort Smells Like Cheese” let me know that these guys are in it for fun. What put an even bigger smile on my face was to see a crowd of 50 sounding and participating like it was 150.

Second up was Snidget, a Virginia native who drove all the way up for her debut performance. Oh yeah, and she also played alone…on the dulcimer. When was the last time you saw Britney Spears or Beyoncé whip out a dulcimer? This girl has got definite talent and the crowd’s potion of enthusiastic applause gave Snidget a warm welcome to the Hogwarts scene. Keep it up, Snidg.

A late arrival, but nonetheless a good one, were The Marauders. This performance art/accordion thumping trio had the audience laughing out loud during clips of dialogue in acted out scenes and had a world premiere song, “An Inconvenient Song” (do I smell an Grammy for ’08?). All in all, these girls had fun. The Marauders were the first character band, where all the members were playing characters from the books, and their music and act was surefire fun.

Kicking off act two was Rhode Island native one-man band The Whomping Willows. For the first hour or so of the show, The Willows was pretty quiet and I didn’t see much of him, but that assumption was quickly dispelled when he took the stage. Best thing about The Whomping Willows — you’re funny, bud. I mean seriously, he’s singing from the perspective of a disgruntled tree, and once I started to hear about Treebeard and the House of Awesome, I just couldn’t get enough. Just next time, you’ve got to break out the big guns and play “I’m A Whore for Dumbledore;” Billboard Top 100 easy.

The fifth act, or more correctly the second headliner, was The Remus Lupins. This Los Angeles native has a commanding presence in the Wiz-Rock community, not only because of his solid musicianship but also his dashingly good looks. It wasn’t until after the concert that I got to talk to him because for each step Lupin took, his adoring fans found another opportunity to seize and ogle. Intelligent humor and Bright Eyes-esque vocals ran wild in The Remus Lupins, who demonstrated a true talent that helps to keep Wiz-Rock as a legitimate source for rock and wizard stardom. Who doesn’t love prefects?

Around 12:30 a.m., to much crowd appreciation, headliner Draco and The Malfoys went on. Sung entirely from the perspective of the Slytherin student and Voldemort supporter, Draco and The Malfoys was my personal favorite act of the night. Usually a two man band of brothers, Draco performed solo due to his brother’s drumming for Harry and the Potters, who are set to tour the UK. Draco’s songs are catchy, freakin’ hilarious and played with a genuine passion for music and fellowship. I started talking with Draco beforehand, and he expressed to me how surprised and honored he was to be brought into such an appreciating culture like the Wiz-Rockers. He said that the scene was barely over a year old and that the response and camaraderie among the bands and fans was overwhelming. When I went to buy the album, Draco gave it to me for free, saying he’d only do it if I donated the money to the charity.

When I finally walked home close to two in the morning, I looked back on my experience in Potterdelphia with fondness. It’s nice to know that there are groups of people out there that get together just out of the sheer fun of making music and being in each other’s presence. It’s also really nice to know that people still read books. Looking back on the show though, a concert has never really had the effect that the Wiz-Rockers had on me. I wasn’t just satiated musically, but felt like I made friends with each person I met, and I believe that’s the exact feeling Draco was talking about. Call me nerdy, but I’m excited for the Hogwarts Express to roll into La Salle next year.

abbottk1@lasalle.edu