We Are Harry and the Potters

NEW RELEASE: Live in Stockholm Cassette!

paul — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 20:35:13 +0000

Cassettes are back, guys!

This cassette documents the final show of our 2010 Scandinavian tour. It’s actually not the whole show, but rather the acoustic portion of the show. The recording from the second half where we plugged in sounds like junk so we didn’t want to ruin the tape. The bit we’re selling sounds pretty great considering we were playing without microphones. If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if two Harry Potters had a rock band and a room full of Swedish backup singers, then look no further.

It runs about 31 minutes and really captures how much fun it was for us to play these amazing shows in Scandinavia. You can hear us singing “Accio Hagrid” a bunch of times in Swedish, along with lots of other massive sing-a-longs. The tape blows out a few times when the crowd is loud, so don’t be alarmed.

We are packaging the cassette with a physical copy of Joe’s Scandinavian tour diary, which has a lot of pages and documents our whole trip. It’s a great diary and you will learn interesting things about Sweden: a place where Thai restaurants don’t serve Pad Thai. How about that?

The whole run will be limited to 100 numbered copies.

Order in our online store or join our email list to get to the bonus secret store with stuff for cool kids.

Check out this awesome tracklist!

Side A
When I Was a Baby
I am a Wizard
Platform 9 and 3/4
Wizard Chess
Haircut
Dudley!!!
Accio Hagrid
Hermione Screws Up the Polyjuice Potion
My Teacher is a Werewolf
Accio Hagrid
Phoenix Tears

Side B
Priori Incantatem
Touch the Brains
Accio Hagrid
The Great Motorcycle Crash of ’97
Bacon
Luna Lovegood is OK

Here’s what the tape sounds like:

The Yule Balls: 2011

paul — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 16:15:15 +0000

We are psyched to announce the lineups for this year’s Yule Balls.
Probably not necessary to state, but these shows will be AMAZING!

———

December 9, 2011
Washington, DC

Harry and the Potters
the Max Levine Ensemble
Potter Puppet Pals
Diagon Alley
Justin Finch-Flechley and the Sugar Quills
Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!
Dead Cat Orchestra

St. Stephen’s Church
1525 Newton St. NW
5:30pm | $12 | ALL AGES | No advanced tickets

———

December 10, 2011
Philadelphia, PA

Harry and the Potters
Potter Puppet Pals
Diagon Alley
Justin Finch-Flechley and the Sugar Quills
the Giant Squidstravaganza
Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!
Dead Cat Orchestra

First Unitarian Church
2125 Chestnut St.
2pm | $15 | ALL AGES | Tickets

———

December 17, 2011
Brooklyn, NY

Harry and the Potters
Draco and the Malfoys
Potter Puppet Pals
Big Digits
Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!
MC Kreacher

the Bell House
149 7th St.
5pm | $18 | ALL AGES | Tickets

———

December 18, 2011
Cambridge, MA

Harry and the Potters
Draco and the Malfoys
Potter Puppet Pals
Jason Anderson
the Whomping Willows
Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!

the Middle East Downstairs
480 Massachusetts Ave
5pm | $20 | ALL AGES | Tickets

———

All shows benefit the Harry Potter Alliance.

December 18th will be the last show ever by Draco and the Malfoys.

Quidditch World Cup on Sunday!

paul — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 19:54:13 +0000

We are so psyched to play at the Quidditch World Cup again this year!

We perform at 2:30pm on Sunday!

Get your tickets here:
http://worldcupquidditch.com/

Shows in the NW this weekend!

paul — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:59:47 +0000

Hey guys!

We have a few shows coming up this weekend in the Pacific Northwest! It’s one of our favorite places to play!

This is what’s happening!

And then a couple weeks later we are playing at the Quidditch World Cup! AWESOME!

We perform at 2:30pm on SUNDAY!

And we are happy to announce that Snitchwiches will be available ALL WEEKEND LONG at the Quidditch World Cup! Catch It In Your Mouth!

And then there will be YULE BALLS in December. GET PSYCHED!

Yeah! That’s all for now. See ya soon!

paul and joe

Harry and the Potters play #OccupyBoston

paul — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:03:44 +0000

Hey guys!

We are very excited to be performing tomorrow at #OccupyBoston.

UPDATE: We will be performing at 5pm. Location will probably be near the “stage” which is apparently at/near the MassDOT vent building.

We may not have any microphones, so we would seriously LOVE if you came down and helped us sing our wizard anthems. We’ll need all the vocal power we can get. Wizards Represent!!!!

Please ignore the Fox News spin. These protests are not about liberal or conservative values. They’re about the very basic idea that government should serve the people (and not the corporations). It’s about the hope that we can continue to be a “government of the people, by the people, for the people.” In the wake of the Citizens United ruling, this idea, one of the core values of our democracy, is being eroded faster than ever. This protest movement proves that people are engaged and that they care about our country. It is our way to let the politicians know that they are beholden to the people they were elected by rather than the corporations that filled their coffers. We are thrilled to lend our support in a very small way.

Let’s show Wall Street and all those mainstream media outlets that we still give a damn about democracy even if they don’t. Let’s show them wizards and muggles standing in solidarity!

We hope to see you tomorrow at #OccupyBoston.

P.S. Please spread this around. Social media is the one media to which we still have access

Semi-annual Sale of Goods

paul — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 20:12:51 +0000

It’s that time of year where we try and clear out all the leftovers and such. If you weren’t able to catch a show this summer, maybe now is a good time to maybe snag some sweet merch. This sale is ONLY for folks who are on our email list though. Seriously. There will be a secret link and everything. So please join our email list and we’ll let you know where you can buy all our magical wares. This offer is only good until the first day of Wizard School: September 1st.

Summer Tour Continues!

paul — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 15:08:45 +0000

We are having a blast on the road this summer. It’s great to see so many old friends and to continue making new ones. It’s my favorite part about touring!

If you care to track our adventures, we’ve been keep folks updated via tumblr. Check it:

http://ridethelightning2011.tumblr.com/

Check out this amazing list of our remaining tour dates!

Please please please come see us this summer! Full details for all the shows are here.

All shows are ALL AGES!

See you soon!

Live at the New York Public Library LP!

paul — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 18:18:57 +0000

We are just so pumped about this! Harry and the Potters LIVE on vinyl! Oh yeah!

This is a 19-song LP that was recorded live at the New York Public Library on May 10, 2008. This was one of the top 5 best shows we ever played. We were even joined by a 5-piece horn section for the last six songs! It’s all been professionally recorded and mixed and sounds awesome!

Side A

1. Harry Potter
2. I am a Wizard
3. Rock the Library
4. Wizard Chess
5. Save Ginny Weasley
6. Keeping Secrets from Me
7. (not gonna put on) the Monkey Suit
8. Stick it to Dolores
9. the Human Hosepipe

Side B

1. My Teacher is a Werewolf
2. Hermione Screws Up the Polyjuice Potion
3. Felix Felicis
4. Phoenix Tears
5. This Book is So Awesome
6. New Wizard Anthem
7. We Save Ron’s Live, Part VIII
8. Save Ginny Weasley From Dean Thomas
9. Accio Hagrid
10. the Weapon

We’re pressing 500 copies on 12″ vinyl with screen-printed covers. Physical copies come with a download of the ENTIRE 31-song show. Digital copies purchased through bandcamp will also include the complete show. This is also available on iTunes and the usual other digital stores, but only downloads from bandcamp will have the bonus material.

This is a VINYL RECORD, not a CD.

We will be selling these on our merch table this summer, but if you can’t see us play, then you can order it now in our store.

ORDER NOW!

Want to hear what it sounds like? Listen to the whole album via bandcamp!

Also, we may not be able to ship these out until late July. Please don’t be mad at us. We are on a very long tour. I will try and send you a download code if you order it. But that may also take a while because we are on tour. You are awesome and we thank you for your patience and for your support!

Album covers in production at Shout Out Loud Prints in Columbus, OH

Summer Tour is EXTREME!

paul — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:52:15 +0000

We almost have our whole summer tour confirmed! Check out this amazing list of dates!

Please please please come see us this summer! Full details for all the shows are here.

All shows are ALL AGES!

See you soon!

NEW RELEASE: Mail Songs: Volume 2

paul — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 20:45:27 +0000

We are very excited to present Volume Two of the obscure Mail Songs series. This volume features a complete live radio performance recorded in October 2004 at WBCN Studios in Boston, MA. Ernie Kim accompanies us band on drums. These are pretty solid live versions of the songs and it offers a good peak into what we sounded like if you caught one of shows with Ernie around that time.

Tracklist:
1. Intro
2. Platform 9 and 3/4
3. Wizard Chess
4. Fluffy
5. the Foil
6. Save Ginny Weasley
7. the Human Hosepipe

These songs are faithfully reproduced in mono 8 kbps/11.025 kHz MPEG audio format sourced from the original broadcast. They are neatly packed along with artwork and liner notes on a standard issue 3.5″ floppy disc: a total package containing 1,421,655 bytes of digital information fully reproducible by today’s home computer to simulate both image and sound.

Each copy will be accompanied by a download of the entire performance plus the accompanying interview. The download will be delivered exactly 1 year after the date of purchase in 320 kbps MPEG format.

Physical copies will be delivered by the United States Postal Service. International orders will, unfortunately, be subjected to additional packaging as a safeguard for ensured delivery.

We are offering this in a limited, numbered edition of 40 copies. Buy it here!

If you have any questions about this product, please email us. We are happy to answer them.

==================================================================

UPDATE: some people have asked us why we are putting out music on a floppy disc.

I guess that’s an appropriate question. Yes, we understand that floppy discs are a rather outdated storage medium. That was pretty much the case even back in 2003 when we issued the first volume of the Mail Songs EP. But even though we probably only mailed about 20-25 copies out, somehow the files ended up on limewire and I thought it was kinda cool that something that was shared so privately between sender and recipient was eventually shared with the world.

This release of the Mail Songs holds a different meaning for me. As someone who makes their living through music, it’s been fascinating to observe changes in the way people listen to and interact with music. I grew up in a time where music needed to be sought out. Special trips were organized on weekends during high school just so we could go into Boston and do some record shopping. There were secrets waiting to be discovered. Nowadays though, nearly everything is accessible by a simple click in the iTunes store or a quick Google search. Don’t mistake this for complaining. I love that music is now so accessible and it’s a big reason why we’ve been able to celebrate a decent amount of success as a band. I’m just offering this as a context for the Mail Songs release.

Lately I’ve been struggling with how to release our music. Our digital sales far outweigh our physical sales, but I’m still hesitant to completely give up on physical media. Maybe I just like that transaction between the band and the listener. To know that we have a relationship that is more than just a click on iTunes. I like being able to say “Here is something I created and I am mailing it to you.”

So that brings us to this new edition of Mail Songs. We are presenting our music in that popular MP3 format, but it’s not something you can download. It’s only available on a totally out-of-date media and if you actually want to hear it, you’ll have to go to rather extensive lengths to try and transfer it to your own computer. Or you could just wait a year for me to send out the download. Either way though, your patience and/or tenacity is rewarded in ways that are unknown to the less dedicated Harry and the Potters fan.

I like the idea that this is not an easy thing for people to hear. It’s a secret and we’re whispering it to you. It’s a small way of keeping alive that bond between us and our audience. Even if you just get this disc in the mail and throw it in a drawer and forget about it, you will get an email from me in 1 year and, surprise, you can finally hear these songs in high(er) fidelity. I think there’s something magical about that.

Anyway, thanks for reading my weird thoughts about listening to music. Mostly I’m surprised (and flattered) that people listen to us at all. Thanks.

Paul DeGeorge