Ever wish you could get away from the real world and immerse yourself in another dimension filled with quidditch, butterbeer, spells and potions? Just because J.K. Rowling has ended the Harry Potter series and the movies are completed doesn't mean we have to stop celebrating all things Harry.
Come in your cloak and don't forget your wand as you listen to Harry and the Potters jam out with their Harry Potter-themed lyrics at Club Congress next Thursday, July 19.
This is the second year Congress has collaborated with Bookmans Entertainment Exchange to bring the band to Tucson. The event was extremely successful last year.
"We had no idea how big the fan base for Harry and the Potters was, and we were phenomenally taken back by the amount of people," said Michelle Armstrong, community relations director for Bookmans. "It was a great surprise to hear the band was going on tour again this summer."
Last year, about 500 people attended the concert, and the band ended up putting on a second show. "It was supposed to be an early show last year, but we had such a huge response, we ended up booking the band again a couple of hours later," said Josh Osteen, club liaison for Hotel Congress.
"We weren't expecting that many people last year; that's the kind of stuff you dream of when you go out to have a show," said Paul DeGeorge, one of the band members. "It was one of the best shows of our tour last summer."
Harry and the Potters consists of two people: Paul and his younger brother, Joe, who started the band in 2002 and did their first show in their parents' backyard. In 2003, they released their first album, Harry and the Potters.
"My brother and I imagined this idea: What if Harry Potter quit the quidditch team and joined a rock band as a weapon against evil?" Paul DeGeorge said. "So many people enjoy these stories and this world, and I think our concert is a way for them to re-enter and re-engage in that world."
Harry and the Potters have played more than 500 shows in 49 states and several foreign countries. In 2007, the DeGeorge brothers launched the Wizard Rock EP of the Month Club, a subscription-based club featuring releases from wizard-rock bands, with profits going to nonprofits that promote literacy.
They also helped co-found the Harry Potter Alliance, an organization that tries to inspire social activism and make the world a better place, just as Harry did in the books.
Concertgoers will be able to play quidditch video games, receive tea-leaf readings, take wizard and chess tutorials, purchase Harry Potter-themed toys and treats and, of course, enjoy some delicious butterbeer.
"The event is great because it kind of transcends all age groups. I really like the level of enthusiasm and excitement from everyone," said Bookmans' Armstrong. "I really love the vibe and the atmosphere. Everyone is in a great mood and dressed up and experiencing our world of Harry Potter."
