Hey Everyone!

We are back home after having an INCREDIBLE trip to Scandinavia! Thanks to everyone who came to see us play, especially those who traveled great distances to be at the shows. Thanks also to our traveling horn section, Erik and Anna, and our awesome drummer friend Jimmy! Thanks to all who helped set up the shows Elin L, Anna, Hugh, Nina A, Silje, June, Myre, and Caroline, Nina N, and especially to Elin A and Emma, who really took charge and helped make all of this happen!

This was really one of the most fun tours we’ve ever done and, if you like, you can read all about our adventures here in Joe’s tour diary.

http://joedegeorge.blogspot.com/2010/08/harry-and-potters-scandinavian-tour.html

Thanks again for showing us an awesome time! Hopefully we’ll be back soon!

In other news, we’re in the planning stages of some seriously awesome Yule Ball action for this December. More on that soon. We might be playing some shows in late September/early October. Anyone who wants us to play their college, particularly if you’re in the northeast, should holla. Let’s party.

Your pals,
Paul and Joe

Rest in Awesome, Esther Earl, 1994-2010

Good news my friends! The hour is nearly upon us: this Tuesday marks the beginning of Harry and the Potters’ first SCANDINAVIAN TOUR!

Yes, that is correct! The wizard gods and the rock gods have held consul with the Norse gods and determined that THIS is the path that humanity must follow! The whole of human history points to this: Harry and the Potters have shows next week in Norway, Sweden and Denmark and YOU MUST ATTEND!

Aug 3 - Trondheim, Norway - Øksendal Libris Bokhande
Aug 4 - Östersund, Sweden - Tingshuset

Aug 5 - Bäsna, Sweden - Bäsna Bygdegård
Aug 6 - Göteborg, Sweden - Lokal Sinnet
Aug 7 - Oslo, Norway - Litteraturhuset
Aug 8 - TBA (looking for something in southern Sweden)
Aug 9 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Osram Culture Centre
Aug 10 - Växjö, Sweden - Musikhuset / Bergendahlska gården
Aug 12 - Stockholm, Sweden -Rågsveds Nya Folkets Hus

Full details!!!!!

Trondheim,  Norway
August 3
Øksendal Libris Bokhande
Dronningens gate 30
7412 Trondheim
17.00 | ALL AGES | FREE! |

Our first show EVER in NORWAY!

Östersund, Sweden
August 4
Gamla Tingshuset
Samuel Permans Gata 13
831 31 Östersund
19.00 | ALL AGES | 60 kr advanced, 70 kr at show | Tickets |

with the Swedish Shortsnouts and Solitary Snape!

Bäsna, Sweden

August 5

Bäsna Bygdegård
Bygdegårdsvägen 3
Bäsna, Sweden

21.00 | ALL AGES | 40 kr | Tickets |

with the Swedish Shortsnouts!

Göteborg, Sweden

August 6

Lokal Sinnet

Gamla Varvsgatan 1

Majorna, Göteborg

19.00 | ALL AGES | 50 kr |

Olso, Norway
August 7
Litteraturhuset
Wergelandsveien 29, 0167 Oslo
19.00 | ALL AGES | 50 kr |

Copenhagen, Denmark
August 9
Osram Culture Centre
Valhalsgade 4, 2200 Copenhagen N.
21.00 | ALL AGES | FREE! |

with De Høje Hæle!

Växjö, Sweden
August 10
Musikhuset / Bergendahlska gården
Liedbergsgatan 16-18
19.00 | ALL AGES | 50 SEK | Tickets |

with the Swedish Shortsnouts!

Stockholm, Sweden
August 12
Rågsveds Nya Folkets Hus
Rågsveds Torg 11
18.00 | ALL AGES | 100/120 kr | Tickets |

with support from the Proper Use of a Rubber Duck

Please tell ALL your friends! We’ve never played in any of these places before and we want it to be TOTALLY AWESOME!

And if anyone wants to help us get a show in southern Sweden (maybe Malmö/Lund area) on August 8th, we still have that date free and we’re will to play pretty much anywhere! Just email us if you have ideas!

Also, we are ready to eat lots of excellent local foods and delicacies! If you have recommendations, please pass them along!

Seriously though: DO NOT MISS THIS TOUR! It’s going to be so much fun!

Thanks, as always! We hope to see you soon!

Paul and Joe

Harry and the Potters

Many thank yous to all of you who helped the Harry Potter Alliance win $250,000 in the Chase Community Giving contest! The Harry Potter Alliance is one of the most exiciting things I’ve ever been a part of and working with/for them is constantly rewarding. That feeling has never been stronger than last week when we saw people from the Harry Potter fandom and beyond join together to help win this contest. This money will help Harry Potter fans everywhere continue to change the world! THANK YOU!

Paul DeGeorge
Board of Directors and co-founder of the Harry Potter Alliance

Dear friends,

Five years ago a sweaty dude named Andrew Slack came to one of our shows with an idea would profoundly change the way Harry Potter fans could interact with the magical world created by JK Rowling. No, he wasn’t proposing a theme park. Instead, he wanted to take a cue from the books and create an actual Dumbledore’s Army. He wanted to harness the enthusiasm and dedication of Harry Potter fans everywhere and put it to practical action here in our own world. His idea was to form an Alliance of Harry Potter fans.

I immediately started working with Andrew on his idea for the Harry Potter Alliance. Just as these books had inspired us to start a band and make art, they also inspired us to be better people. They taught us that the powers of love and friendship and courage are enough to overcome seemingly insurmountable evil. Harry and his friends proved that it doesn’t matter how old you are: you can still play a huge role in shaping the world. We hoped to create an organization that would help facilitate and empower Harry Potter fans everywhere, to bring them together, and to help them transfer a little of the magic of Harry’s world into our own.

Five years later, I am truly honored to be a part of the organization that the Harry Potter Alliance has become. It is certainly a testament to the impressive character and unyielding generosity of Harry Potter’s fanbase that we have been able to grow so large and accomplish so much. Earlier this year, we partnered with various segments of the Harry Potter fandom and beyond to raise over $123,000 for Haiti disaster relief. Through Partners in Health, we were able to send five full cargo planes filled with food and medical supplies to Haiti! Then a few months later, our members donated over 50,00 books to the Mississippi Delat! These statistics blow my mind!

Like all non-profit organizations, the Harry Potter Alliance is in constant need of financial support. For the past few years, we’ve survived on a few grants, proceeds from various wizard rock compilations, and member-organized drives and donations. Other activist organizations have marveled at our ability to accomplish so much on a nearly non-existent budget. I know this sounds like I’m gearing up to ask you for some cash, but I’m happy to report that’s not the case.

Instead, I’d like to ask you to take just a little bit of time to lend your support to the Harry Potter Alliance as we enter the final days of the Chase Community Giving contest on Facebook. We are currently in first place and we have a really legitimate shot at winning $250,000, but no lead is insurmountable and we need all-hands-on-deck in this race to the finish. I can’t even being to tell you about the incredible things we can do with that kind of money, but rest assured that an already awesome organization will be able to continue being awesome at all new levels of extreme awesomeness!

So here’s what you can do to help:

1) Please go vote for the Harry Potter Alliance RIGHT NOW on Facebook

http://hpaFTW.com

It can be a bit confusing, but here’s all you need to do to vote for the HPA:
1. Click “Get started to vote” (the second green button, top right)
2. Allow access and then click “Like”
3. Click “Vote now” (green button, top right)

2) Once you’ve voted, please repost, retweet, blog, dance, shout, etc. Do whatever it takes to get as many of your friends and family to cast a vote for the Harry Potter Alliance. I can’t emphasize how important this is! This is your chance to help round up the votes we’ll need to win this competition. Be a hero! Is your mom on Facebook? It’s weird, I know, but now’s your chance to really share something with her. She loves HP too and I’m sure you can convince her to lend the HP Alliance a vote. And bonus points if she can get some of her own friends to vote too!

3) Gift votes! You’re only allowed to vote for the HP Alliance once, but if you vote for 5 different organizations in this contest, you’ll receive one gift vote to send to a friend. We recommend using the BUDDY SYSTEM! Find a buddy, exchange gift votes, and then use them to vote for the Harry Potter Alliance. Using this gift vote is like casting a patronus and having it fight alongside you! EXPECTO PATRONUM!

4) If you want to help out some more, check in with our staff to find out more tricks and tips to help us win this contest. Email hpaftw@thehpalliance.org for details!

If you’ve ever read a Harry Potter book or seen a movie, if you’ve ever sorted yourself into a Hogwarts house or put on a pair of round glasses, if you’ve ever been to a wizard rock show or played in a wizard rock band, or if you’ve ever wished that magic was real, now is your chance to make it so. Now is your chance to be a wizard! Now is your chance to support our real-world Dumbledore’s Army! Now is the time to raise that magic wand-of-an-index finger and click over to http://hpaFTW.com. Now is your chance to help the Harry Potter Alliance and Harry Potter fans everywhere continue to bring the magic of these stories to life.

Thanks for your support!

Sincerely,
Paul DeGeorge
Harry and the Potters
the Harry Potter Alliance

Lots of news to report as we prepare to rush out the door for the airport, so lets get to it!

Here’s a helpful index to navigate the massive quantity of information in this email!

1) Bandiversary!
2) Shows this weekend in Amsterdam and Ireland!
3) Midwest tour June 30 - July 15!
4) Scandinavian tour Aug 1 - Aug 13!

Are you ready? Summer is going to be AWESOME

Sunday, June 27, 2010
Cork City, IRELAND
Cork Midsummer Festival
Pavilion, Carey’s Lane off Patrick St, Cork City, Ireland
1:00pm | €7.50 | Tickets | our first show ever in Ireland with Siriusly Hazza P and Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons!

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

Part 3:

MIDWEST TOUR

Here’s a quick rundown of where we’ll be and when. Please see our show listings or follow the facebook links for more details! These shows are going to be FUN!

June 30 | Pittsburgh, PA | Most-Wanted Fine Arts |
July 1 | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati Public Library - Norwood Branch |
July 2 | Springfield, MO | Randy Bacon Gallery |
July 6 | Kansas City, MO | Salt Water Taffy House |
July 7 | Lawrence, KS | Lawrence Public Library |
July 8 | Cedar Radids, IA | Cedar Rapids Public Library - Westdale Mall |

July 9 | Minneapolis, MN | Bedlam Theatre |
July 10 | Davenport, IA | Davenport Public Library - Easter Avenue Branch (early) |
July 10 | Chicago, IL | the Moving Castle (late) |
July 11 | Bloomington, IN | Cat and Andrew’s Resplendent House of Rock |
July 12 | Ypsilanti, MI | Dreamland Theater |
July 13 | Cleveland, OH | Mac’s Backs |

July 14 | Erie, PA | Presque Isle - Rotary Pavilion |

July 15 | Rochester, NY | Neil’s Garage |

July 31 | Palmer, MA | Diamond Junction Bowling Lanes

Details for all these gigs are listed on our shows page. A few more shows will be announced soon.

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

Part 4:

SCANDINAVIAN TOUR!

Aug 2 - Reykjavik - TBA
Aug 3 - Trondheim - TBA
Aug 4 - Östersund - Tingshuset
Aug 6 - Gothenburg - TBA
Aug 7 - Oslo - Litteraturhuset
Aug 8 - Denmark/Sweden - TBA
Aug 9 - Denmark/Sweden - TBA
Aug 10 - Växjö - Musikhuset / Bergendahlska gården
Aug 11 - Sweden/Stockholm - TBA
Aug 12 - Sweden/Stockholm - TBA

I’m sorry there are still so many TBAs on the list. We’re still working hard to get those shows confirmed. Not all of them may actually happen, but we’re going to try our best to play as many shows as possible. If you live in some of the TBA locations, please get in touch and maybe you can help us get some of these shows confirmed. We are ready to play ANYWHERE!

Here are the details for our confirmed shows!

Östersund, Sweden
August 4
Gamla Tingshuset
Samuel Permans Gata 13
831 31 Östersund
19.00, ALL AGES, 70 SEK

Olso, Norway
August 7
Litteraturhuset
Wergelandsveien 29, 0167 Oslo
19.00, ALL AGES, 50 NOK

Växjö, Sweden
August 10
Musikhuset / Bergendahlska gården
Liedbergsgatan 16-18
19.00, ALL AGES, 50 SEK

We hope to see many of you soon! Be sure and tell everyone you know about these shows!

This summer will RULE!

Your friends,
Paul and Joe

Harry and the Potters

I can’t even believe it! If we were at Hogwarts we would have graduated by now!

I just want to take a quick moment to thank every single person who has been there over the last 8 years. Thank you to everyone who has supported us by buying our music and coming to our shows. Thanks to everyone who has helped us set up a show or let us sleep in their house, shared a meal with us, or played drums for us! Everyone who’s listened to a song, told a friend, or sent us an email or a letter. All of you are an immeasurable part of our band: without you, we would not exist.

Our grandmother keeps asking if we ever plan on getting jobs, but what she doesn’t realize is that we already have the best jobs ever. Thanks for making the last 8 years totally amazing.

Happy Bandiversary to all of us!
With love,
Paul and Joe DeGeorge

It’s been quite a while since you’ve heard from your pals over here in Wizardland, but rest assured, all is well.

I am pleased to announce that, as of Sunday May 23rd, Joseph DeGeorge, whom you may know as Harry Year 4, is now recognized by both Clark University and the world at large as a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, with high honors in Physics. What honors, rights, and privileges he is entitled to are still unknown at this time, but if you’re interested in learning more about Joe’s academic prowess, we’ll refer you to his profile courtesy of PBS/NOVA’s Secret Lives of Scientists. Congratulations to Joe and to everyone else who is graduating this spring!

Now that SCHOOL’S. OUT. FOR. EVER. we can get on with some wizard rocking. Shows abound in the near future, so pay attention, least you miss the awesomeness. We’re playing with lots of amazing bands, so read carefully! As always, all of these shows are ALL AGES.

This weekend indeed brings the long awaited Potterface reunion as well as a pair of shows with the incredible Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt! If there was ever any doubt in your heart, Terror Pigeon will force you to realize that LIFE is AWESOME. Plus, if wizards R yr thaaang, we’re playing with the 2nd best live band in wizard rock, Mary and the GrandPres on Friday in CT, and a literal boatload of wizardly dudes at Incendio 2010 on Sunday in PA. Gory details:

Friday, June 4, 2010
Hamden, CT
the Space
295 Treadwell St., Building H, Hamden, CT
7pm | $10 | Tickets | Facebook | with good pals Uncle Monsterface and Mary and the GrandPres

Saturday, June 5, 2010
Philadelphia, PA
the Ox
N 2nd St. and W. Oxford St, Philadelphia, PA
7pm | $8 | Facebook | with Uncle Monsterface and the incredible Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!!

Sunday, June 6, 2010
Brooklyn, NY
the Knitting Factory
361 Metropolitan Ave, Brooklyn, NY
3pm | $10 | Tickets | Facebook | with Uncle Monsterface and the mind-blowing Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt!!

Sunday, June 6, 2010
Hellertown, PA
Incendio 2010
Dewey Fire Hall, 502 Durham St, Hellertown, PA
11am-11pm | $20 | Tickets | awesome day-long show with over 1000 wizard rock bands! we’ll play around 10pm!

Then at the end of June we play in IRELAND!

Sunday, June 27, 2010
Cork City, IRELAND
Cork Midsummer Festival
Pavilion, Carey’s Lane off Patrick St, Cork City, Ireland
1:00pm | €7.50 | Tickets | our first show ever in Ireland with Siriusly Hazza P and Romilda Vane and the Chocolate Cauldrons!

And once we return, we’ll get right back on the road for some tour dates in the Midwest!

June 30 | Pittsburgh, PA | Most-Wanted Fine Arts |
July 1 | Cincinnati, OH | Cincinnati Public Library - Norwood Branch |
July 2 | Springfield, MO | Randy Bacon Gallery |
July 6 | Kansas City, MO | Salt Water Taffy House |
July 7 | Lawrence, KS | Lawrence Public Library |
July 8 | Cedar Radids, IA | Cedar Rapids Public Library - Westdale Mall |
July 9 | Minneapolis, MN | Bedlam Theatre |
July 10 | Davenport, IA | Davenport Public Library - Easter Avenue Branch (early) |
July 10 | Chicago, IL | the Moving Castle (late) |
July 11 | Bloomington, IN | Cat and Andrew’s Resplendent House of Rock |
July 12 | Ypsilanti, MI | Dreamland Theater |
July 13 | Cleveland, OH | Mac’s Backs |

Details for all these gigs are listed on our shows page. A few more shows will be announced soon.

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

Scandinavia UPDATE:

We’re still hard at work on dates for our Scandinavian tour in August. And we’re still looking for help with some shows! So if you can help with shows in Iceland, Norway, Sweden or Denmark, please get in touch! We’re gonna make this happen!

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

Introducing BLACK WAMPUM:

For those interested in life beyond the wizarding world - and more specifically, the bivalve world - we are excited to tell you about our latest musical endeavor: BLACK WAMPUM. We will be making our live debut at the 2nd Annual Quahog Day on June 21st in Sandwich, MA. BLACK WAMPUM features a full 100% of Harry and the Potters. We’ll be playing around 4pm at Hemisphere Restaurant and Doug the Quahog will be on hand to make his official prognostication for how many weeks of beach weather can be expected on Cape Cod this summer. If that’s not enough incentive, the whole thing is FREE! Be there before the soft-shell imitators crop up.

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

There’s even more cool stuff to report, but I’ll wrap up for now and try and start posting things more frequently.

We hope to see many of you soon! Summer will RULE!

Your friends,
Paul and Joe

Lots of news here in Wizardland! We’ll be playing a handful of shows in both the US and abroad this summer! It’s not all confirmed yet, but we’re hoping to play our first shows ever in Ireland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and maybe even Iceland. Maybe we’ll throw in an Amsterdam show for good measure!

But to make all this happen, we need your help! Do you live in any of these rad Scandinavian countries? Can you help us either book a show or help us contact venues? Can you help us promote the shows or let us borrow equipment? We’re looking for all kinds of help to make these awesome shows happen! You can be a hero!

Here’s a quick list of cities where we are trying to book shows:

Amsterdam
Reyjavik
Oslo
Gothenburg
Copenhagen
Stockholm

Or if you want to suggest some other places for us to visit, let me know!

We’re also doing some touring in the US in July. If you want to help us book something, get in touch! We are up for ANYTHING! Backyards! BBQs! Basements! Libraries! Bookstores! Pizza parlors! Donut shoppes! WHATEVER! I am dead serious. We are touring old school-style. Anything goes! If you wanna help with a show in early July, here’s some states it might be possible for us to visit: New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, Missouri, and Kentucky. Seriously. ANYTHING GOES! Email us! LET’S PARTY!!!!

This summer is gonna be rad, are you ready?!

Let’s get some shows booked!

See ya soon!

-paul and joe

Hey everyone!

Joe and I will be hosting a Livestream event this Sunday, March 7th at 6pm EST to get all GRYFFINDORS pumped for the HP Alliance’s 2nd Annual Accio Books campaign.

Accio Books runs for the entire month of March and the Harry Potter Alliance is asking YOU to donate books to benefit the people of the Mississippi Delta. The books can be new or used, from any genre, and for all age groups. Last year, we raised 14,000 books! This year, let’s go above and beyond that. Our partner, The Delta Center for Culture and Learning, will disperse all of your donated books to many different communities within the Delta.

For information on how to donate books and get involved, please check out the HPA’s Accio Books page.

Accio Books is a House Cup competition and I am really proud to again be Head of Gryffindor! Please tune in to Livestream this Sunday at 6pm EST to get pumped about this awesome House Cup! All are invited, our Gryffindor brethren will receive the warmest welcome. We are reigning House Champions after our awesome victory in the Wizard Rock 4 Equality campaign last October.

Here’s what you can expect during our Livestream broadcast:

Sounds like a killer lineup to me! You gotta tune in March 7th at 6pm EST! BE THERE!

Head of Gryffindor,
Paul T. DeGeorge