Huntington News

Issue date: 12/6/06 Section: The Inside

Media Credit: News photo/Eddric Lee Harry and the Potters began a phenomenon known as Wizard Rock.

Four years ago, Paul DeGeorge and his brother, Joe, had a "silly little idea" about a conceptual band with a very specific focus: Harry Potter.

This Sunday, the product of that idea will culminate as the DeGeorges' band, Harry and the Potters, hosts their second annual Yule Ball at the Middle East Downstairs.

"We're heavy into Christmas and had the whole Potters thing going on ... it made total sense to combine the two in a big, awesome fun Christmas party," DeGeorge said.

Last year's ball at the same location sold out with nearly 600 people in attendance and had to turn another 200 people away, he said.

"When we did it last year, we didn't quite know what to expect and we just encouraged people to get dressed up ... because the Yule Ball is like the Hogwarts equivalent of the prom," he said. "[The] show was just amazing; it was one of our favorite shows of all time. It just blew us away."

In order to allow more people to attend, a Yule Ball was scheduled in Philadelphia last Saturday, and two shows, at 12:30 p.m. and 6 p.m., will take place at the Middle East this Sunday.

The afternoon show will feature opening performances by Uncle Monsterface, The Remus Lupins, Potter Puppet Pals and The Hungarian Horntails, and the evening show will feature Jason Anderson and the Best, Draco and the Malfoys and other special guests.

Tickets cost $12 for one show and $22 for both, with $2 from each ticket going to benefit Reach Out and Read, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting early literacy.

The idea for Harry and the Potters stemmed from the worldwide popularity of the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling and an interest playing in unconventional venues like libraries and bookstores, DeGeorge said.

"I was captivated by the fact that these books had really positively affected so many people and got them interested in reading," he said. "We were hoping we could sort of ride on that and get people interested in rocking as well."

Harry and the Potters' songs reflect the series' stories and plotlines told from the perspective of Harry Potter himself. Other bands use inanimate objects or stray away from specific characters.

The band formed rather spontaneously.

Continued...

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