Can Wizards Rock?

It's been nearly a year, I know. I wrote this article last year too. I'm taking Greene's journalism class again, so there have been repeats.

Can Wizards Rock?



Harry Potter fans across the country have something new to obsess about. Two bands have been uncovered as the ‘wizard rock’ genre emerges. Wizard rock bands write songs about J.K. Rowling’s infamous Harry Potter novels. Since 2002, wrock has been emerging. There are already many, nerd-popular bands. For example: Draco and the Malfoys and Harry and the Potters.


Harry and the Potters is a brother duo, consisting of Paul and Joe De George. They began the band in 2002 and have been wrocking ever since. Harry and the Potters have played numerous shows across America and in a few other countries, according to their website, harryandthepotters.com. Their success is well deserved. They began shaky, with an off-beat drum and boring melodies. However, as the duo grows, so does their music. Their newest album, Harry and the Potters and the Power of Love, is loved by Harry Potter fans everywhere. Samantha Lowry, 13, Harry Potter fan, listens to this album on a daily basis. “Admittedly, Harry and the Potter’s early stuff was not good but they have gotten a lot better. I love them!” Harry and the Potters continue to release music in compilation albums with other Wrock bands, but plan on releasing a new studio record sometime in the near future.


Draco and the Malfoys is on the evil side of wizard rock. Brothers Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher founded the band in 2004. The duo performs under the persona of Draco Malfoy from the Harry Potter series. In their early work, Draco and the Malfoys had a better sound than Harry and the Potters did. They have grown over time. Most of what this band had done in 2004 had a ‘basement’ sound, using a BOSS Dr. Rhythm drum machine both in live shows and in studio recordings, according to their website evilwizardrock.com. The beats were solid, but not interesting. The vocals were weak and the drums were electronic. Today, they continue to contribute to compilation albums.


Overall, the first days of wizard rock were rocky and, frankly, not good. Wizard rock bands have never claimed to be good though. On wizardrock.org, Matt Maggiacomo of The Whomping Willows, another wrock band, is quoted to have said “There are no BAD Wizard Rock bands. Half of these bands are just kids f*cking around with garage band or whatever free program they can get their hands on. Half of these bands are populated by kids who are just learning to play an instrument and record music. The beauty of Wizard Rock is that for many of the bands, it’s nothing more than a LEARNING EXPERIENCE. We, as the elder statespeople of wizard rock, should not be encouraging young people to worry about categorization and public image. We should be encouraging them to HAVE FUN.” Both Draco and the Malfoys and Harry and the Potters have grown as bands and are loved by hundreds of thousands of Harry Potter fans around the world. A fan of the Harry Potter books is sure to enjoy- or at least be amused by- both Harry and the Potters and Draco and the Malofys, as well as the other wrock bands.


More information about wizard rock can be found at wizardrock.org. More information about Draco and the Malfoys can be found at evilwizardrock.com. More information about Harry and the Potters can be found at harryandthepotters.com.