Pottermania Spawns ‘Wrock’ Bands
By Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, The Chapel Hill News, N.C.
Jul. 13–CARRBORO — J.K. Rowling’s series of books about Harry Potter, the boy wizard who saves the world from Lord Voldemort, has sparked a legion of fans.
For many, the mania ended last summer with the publication of the seventh and final Harry Potter book.
For others, it was the beginning of an obsession, fueled by movies, fan clubs, conventions, a social movement, a planned theme park in Florida.
And then there is its very own musical genre — Wizard rock.
For the moment, the Triangle is in the center of the Wizard rock world, hosting five of the country’s biggest bands this week. Four made MTV’s top 10 list of Wizard rock bands last year.
Harry and the Potters, which was the first to devote its repertoire to the books, played at Cat’s Cradle on Tuesday.
The band is among a growing slate of more than 500 groups that riff on all things Harry, said Mallory Schuyler, 23, who premiered “The Wizard Rockumentary” in April with twin sister Megan.
“It’s a way to connect with other people who love the books you read,” said Adam Raby, a 16-year-old from Raleigh, after Tuesday’s show.
While the music might raise concerns of copyright infringement, there have been no serious allegations against the bands, Schuyler said. Rowling has generally supported fans of her books, honoring some fan Web sites on her own.
Fans of other fantasy series, such as Star Trek, have penned their own songs to keep the story going. But Trekkie rock, for instance, never caught on like Wizard rock, often shortened to Wrock.
The difference is the Internet.
Wrock bands are supported by a generation that can’t remember life without Harry Potter and is comfortable cruising social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook to find other fans and bands. They chat online, sharing songs and forming fast friendship, maybe even meeting at conventions and Wizard rock concerts across the country.
“It’s not necessarily Wizard rock music itself,” said Nancy Merritt, a 14-year-old from Chapel Hill who was named 2007 Filker of the Year online by FilkCast: Potter Style. Filkers typically set new lyrics to existing songs.
“It’s kind of the memories and stuff that comes with it,” Nancy said. “When you find a community that, even though you’ve never met this person before, you are like best friends, you’re a family.”
Harry and the Potters played their first show in 2002. Joe DeGeorge said his brother, Paul, had the idea.
The DeGeorge brothers were rock stars at Cat’s Cradle on Tuesday.
“Tonight we are one giant Harry Potter,” yelled Joe, ” … vanquishing all evil within a 500-mile radius of Carrboro.”
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