![]() Paul DeGeorge, on guitar, and Joe DeGeorge, on keyboard, will get wild about Harry again tonight in the Harry and the Potters' performance Downtown.
courtesy of www.eskimolabs.com
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Sierra Tucson Eating Disorders Program Coordinator Trades/Construction RANCHO RESORT MAINTANANCE POSITION Health Care Dependable Health Services Physical Therapists Health Care CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Sales and Marketing Everready Glass Sales Reps Finance and Accounting Charles E. Gillman Company Accounting Specialist Administrative & Professional Jorgensen Brooks Group Counselor CalienteWizard rock to enchant TucsonHarry and the Potters' tour stops here tonight as part of magical mania
LLONG@AZSTARNET.COM
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 06.21.2007
Meet the brothers DeGeorge — a pair of rock 'n' rollers from Norwood, Mass., who also rock the wizarding world of British author J.K. Rowling.
As the frontmen for Harry and the Potters, the brothers are among the hundreds of Harry Potter-influenced musicians who've turned their love for the books into a new musical genre dubbed wizard rock.
Other wizard rock bands gaining fans around the country include the Rhode Island-based Draco and the Malfoys and The Parselmouths, from Seattle.
With the July release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" — the last in the series about the boy wizard — Harry and the Potters are on a national summer tour, with stops in 34 states at more than 65 cities. They are scheduled to play tonight at 6 at the Joel D. Valdez Main Library, 101 N. Stone Ave., Downtown. A costume and trivia contest are also scheduled.
For five years, brothers Paul DeGeorge, 28, the guitarist, and Joe DeGeorge, 19, a keyboard player, have portrayed Harry on stage, playing various punk-themed songs. This summer, drummer Andrew MacLay, 20, joins the group.
With their black hair and geek glasses, the DeGeorge brothers often wear V-neck sweaters and ties, similar to the Hogwarts school uniform donned by the character.
In a nod to punk fashion, though, they also wear blue jeans and tennis shoes while rocking to the self-written songs that include "Save Ginny Weasley," and "Voldemort Can't Stop the Rock!"
We caught up with Paul DeGeorge to chat about wizard rock, literary icons and Harry's fate in the upcoming book.
What is wizard rock and how did the genre get started?
"Wizard rock are bands that play songs about Harry Potter books. There are a lot of people out there who could write songs about wizards in general, but these are mostly about the characters in the series."
It's developed quite a following with hundreds of wizard bands including The Whomping Willows, Draco and the Malfoys and The Parselmouths. Why has this become a phenomenon?
"I think these books have become such a large part of our lives growing up. So much of music today is referencing pop culture. It makes sense to combine the two.
"We were sort of the first to do it, and I think once others saw what we were doing, they thought 'Hey, we can do this too.' I mean, anyone can be in a band, you just need an instrument and passion for what you do. We're just looking to have a good time and have a good concert."
Your summer tour covers 34 states at more than 65 cities, including a stop in Tucson — what's the fan reaction been like at shows so far?
"It's been great. Already, we've been able to visit a lot of places we've never played before. Prior to this summer, we'd never played the Deep South. So far we've played in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. It was fun to go to those places. Tucson will also be our first Arizona show. We're really excited about it. The next day we head to Phoenix."
You guys have been featured on MTV and have been generating buzz on the Web. What do you think about all this attention?
"It's a testament to the awesome fan base Harry Potter has established. These kids, who are into the books, appreciate the music we're creating around the books."
Besides rocking songs like "Save Ginny Weasley," you guys also released a summer reading list with five books that include J.D. Salinger's classic "Catcher in the Rye" to "Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Why are you guys offering a reading list to fans?
"Summer for me was a time to do a lot of fun reading. I always looked forward to it. In school we had to read what they told us, but during summer, I got to go out on my own and got to read what I wanted.
"It's fun to offer books by some of our favorite authors. I did (the list) last summer and we're offering books that have changed our lives and have positively influenced kids."
The big day for Potter fans — July 21 — marks the release of the final Potter book. What's next for you after the release of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows"?
"For us we booked much of the tour for the summer and have another month of touring after that day. Beyond that, we are more interested in finding out what happens next in the book than what happens to our band. We have no plans beyond the fall; we have a couple shows, but we're playing it by ear.
"Joe is a college sophomore and typically we chill out while he's in school. I don't know what we'll do, but there are plenty of places we'd like to go — Australia, Hawaii. We're game for anything.
"The band has been dominating my life for a while. I kind of want to open a hot dog shop, but that's on hold for a while. But I'm available for consulting. For anyone who wants hot dog advice, I'm available."
Maybe Oscar Mayer will come knocking. But before we end, we have to ask about the last book — Harry — live or die? And — Snape, good or evil?
"I think Harry will live. And I think Snape will redeem himself. I'm not sure he can be classified as good or evil per se. In the end, he will redeem himself to some degree."
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