They do not sell out stadiums. They do not perform wearing headbands and without shirts. There are no pyrotechnics. And there are no groupies (at least no apparent ones).
Instead, bands like Harry and the Potters tour libraries, schools and fan conventions. They wear gray crew-neck sweaters over red and gold ties and sport wire-rimmed glasses. This is the band credited as the progenitor of "Wizard Rock."
Wizard Rock is the musical genre inspired by the works of J.K. Rowling, author of the popular Harry Potter book series.
It has its origins in Norwood, Massachusetts in 2002 when in all the bands coming to a backyard rock show cancelled. Joe DeGeorge, 20, and his brother Paul, 28, who were hosting the show, needed something to give their audience.
Over the course of an hour, the brothers wrote a series of Harry Potter-themed songs to perform for the audience. Later that afternoon, Wizard Rock was officially born.
The DeGeorge brothers, who tour as Harry and the Potters, have said that at the time they had no idea about Harry Potter subculture and weren't even big fans of the series. But their act quickly gained a following, and in turn spawned other similarly themed bands.
These other bands have names that range from the similarly dubbed - Draco and the Malfoys - to the downright absurd - The Basilisk in Your Pasta. Their sounds are as equally broad based, ranging from rock to techno.
At its most basic level, the music of Wizard Rock bands pays tribute to the Harry Potter books, allowing fans of the series to take their love of the stories a little bit farther than just staking out a book store, scribbling a lightning bolt on their forehead and going to the movies.
But perhaps at its most profound, the movement serves as a platform for hundreds of aspiring musicians who might otherwise never have picked up an instrument.
"Half of these bands are populated by kids who are just learning to play an instrument and record music," says Matt, lead singer of The Whomping Willows, a Wizard Rock band based in Providence, R.I. "The beauty of Wizard Rock is that for many of the bands, it's nothing more than a learning experience."
The fan base behind Wizard Rock itself cannot be ignored. Well-established fan sites are devoted in bringing the latest on all bands that fall under the genre. Realwizardrock.com, the first fan site, provides lyrics to the most well-known of the Wizard rockers. Wizardrock.org has an expansive list of bands, as well as a gallery from live shows, interviews and a forum where the musicians can interact with fans.
The low-key nature of the movement is reflected in the simple and often humorous lyrics of its songs. Bands are able to glorify their favorite characters through satire. Or is it the other way round?
In a recent release, The Whomping Willows reel off the mock-emo ballad entitled "In Which Harry and Draco Secretly Want to Make Out" in which a tentative relationship between Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy is imagined.
The lyrics read: "Harry potter what's the deal / Are you having trouble with the feelings that you feel / Draco Malfoy what's the issue / Do you need a hug or maybe a tissue?" A guitar riff then ensues, after which The Whomping Willows break into the amusing chorus of "Harry and Draco sitting in a tree / S-n-o-g-g-i-n-g."
The lyrics mix juvenile rhyme with humor to an extent that an uninformed listener might think that the band is just out to lambaste the Harry Potter series. In a sense all Wizard Rock bands make fun of the series. Those singing know that it is kind of a joke that they're singing about Harry Potter to begin with.
But Matt, spoke to the heart of the movement saying "We, as the elder statesmen of Wizard Rock, should not be encouraging young people to worry about categorization and public image."
Perhaps the credo of Wizard Rock is best captured in this lyric about the sorting hat from another Whomping Willows song: "We accept whites, we accept blacks, we accept rebel freedom fighters on horseback."
Medill freshman Matt Leib is a PLAY writer. He can be reached at MatthewLeib2007@u.northwestern.edu.
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