W♥M

Weekend Gamer: Hogwarts Legacy and Encased

Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack) Read More Harry Potter The J.K. Rowling/Harry Potter-themed dance party named Wizard Fest just took place at the Cabooze in Minneapolis on Thursday night (September 27th). ... Harry and the Potters We’ve been kind of fascinated with these guys, Harry and the Potters, ever since we wrote about them as the leading pioneer of “Wizard Rock” (yes, that is a thing) in 2007. The brothers (Paul and Joe DeGeorge) just released …

Hogwarts Legacy
hogwartslegacy.com

Harry Potter fans are loving the new Hogwarts Legacy video game. However, there are some people that are banning the game and some “reviewers” are giving it a 1 out of 10 based on their dislike of J. K. Rowling’s transgender comments.

The people calling for the boycott or gave it a bad review is probably not going to buy the game anyway, so I wouldn’t pay attention to their outrage.

From what I’ve seen, this looks like a great game for Potter fans. Of course, having said that, I personally haven’t bought the game as I’m not a huge Potter fan… but I am mildly interested in picking it up when it goes on sale. I do this for most games, and I know all prices goes down a year later (in some cases like Gotham Knights it went on sale a month after it was released). So eventually, one day, I’ll probably own this game to play on my Steam Deck.

Anyway, if you bought the game and love it and want more… I’m happy to report that WaterTower Music has released two separate albums of music from Hogwarts Legacy. The two albums offer a total of 75 incredible tracks from the game soundtrack composers chuck e. myers “sea”, J Scott Rakozy, and Peter Murray.

The two albums are named The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) and Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack). The first one, Original Video Game Soundtrack version is available on vinyl (via Mondo), streaming, and digital. The second one, Study Themes version, is available for streaming and digital only.

The composers, Myers, Rakozy, Murray, along with Alexander Horowitz, had this to say:

“We feel so unbelievably lucky, privileged, and grateful to be a part of the amazing team behind Hogwarts Legacy. So many talented and brilliant people have poured their hearts and minds into this game - made by fans for fans. It is so impressive on a multitude of levels. The moment you step foot inside these great halls of Hogwarts, you can sense the love and passion that each person involved gave to this project. It’s an experience like no other. It is our sincere hope that fans of Hogwarts Legacy will experience the joy, the awe, and the magic we felt when immersing ourselves into the game and its music. We’re excited to see players' reactions as they see and hear this world for themselves.”

Hogwarts Legacy is out now on PlayStation®5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. PlayStation®4 and Xbox One will launch on April 4 and Nintendo Switch on July 25.

The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack) and Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack) are available now on WaterTower Music.

Track List: The Hogwarts Legacy (Original Video Game Soundtrack)

1. Overture to the Unwritten* 2. The House Cup 3. Fig’s Search 4. A Proper Hogwarts Welcome 5. Potting Mandrakes 6. Seeking the Keepers 7. Ranrok’s Rage 8. A Lost Friend 9. Everybody Grab a Broom 10. All Roads Lead to Hogsmeade 11. Anticipating Rookwood *(from "Hogwarts Legacy")

12. Miriam’s Memory 13. Grasslands Vivarium 14. A Fitting New Home 15. Isidora’s Pain 16. See You After Class 17. Hog’s Head Jig 18. Guardians Awaken 19. Accio! 20. Legacy of Magic 21. Ruins of a Noted Seer 22. A Portrait of Love 23. The Greenhouse

24. Ollivander’s Wand Shop 25. Coastal Vivarium 26. The Four Houses 27. You’ve Made Your Choice 28. Soaring over Hogwarts 29. Haven 30. The Halls of Hogwarts 31. The Room of Requirement 32. Niamh’s Lullaby 33. Trespassers 34. Tribute

Track List: Hogwarts Legacy (Study Themes from the Original Video Game Soundtrack)

1. Your Journey Awaits… 2. Sorting Hat Ceremony 3. Slytherin Common Room 4. Gryffindor Common Room 5. Hufflepuff Common Room 6. Ravenclaw Common Room 7. Honeydukes 8. Hogwarts’ Best & Brightest 9. Focus on What You Need 10. Gateways to the Far Stars 11. How to Care for a Beast 12. Contemplation 13. Aire on the Side of Love 14. Hall of the Keepers

15. Morning at Marunweem Lake 16. The Room of Hidden Things 17. A Trick of the Light 18. A Delicate Art 19. The Quest Begins 20. Forbidden Forest Waltz 21. A Focused Mind 22. Mysteries of the Cosmos 23. The Escape 24. “Intra Muros” 25. A Faded Path 26. Lost 27. Outside the Castle Walls 28. The Observation Deck

29. Potions Class 30. Meeting with Professor Weasley 31. Caring for a Puffskein 32. Friendship to Be 33. An Intense Aversion 34. Dance of the Mooncalves 35. Central Tower 36. The Arrival 37. Hope Fades 38. A Forgotten Mystery 39. Ancient Magic Coda 40. Submerged 41. Gringotts Vault

Encased: A Sci-Fi Post-Apocalyptic RPG Read More Encase Currently, the free game is Encase. I don’t know too much about the game, but it looks like it was inspired by that Fallout gameplay… so I’ll check it out. …

Encased
encasedgame.com

I’ve been playing a lot of Encased, by Dark Crystal Games, over the weekend (I’ve already sunk 33 hours into the game so far). The game is over two years old now, originally early access in 2019 and a full release on September 2021. I didn’t know about the game until I got it for free via Epic Game’s Christmas Giveaway 2022. I tried it out and I love it, so I bought it again on Steam during their Winter Sale 2022.

If you’ve ever played the first two Fallout games, it plays the same way. My biggest criticism is that, as far as I know, there is no way of resetting your stats. For example, I had to restart the game a few times because I was putting my points into the wrong traits. Wish I’d known that I can’t get a certain “Perk” if I have some stats too low, etc.

My third time restarting the game, I think I have the best solution: go for the Renaissance Perk, since that boosts all your stats to 6. Once I started with that strategy, I was able to level up much faster and it made the game much easier (I’m playing on Normal). The game can be very punishing and unforgiving if you don’t know what you’re doing.

Right now, my build is an Energy Weapon user. I’m at level 12 right now and got my first Power Armor after becoming champion of Junktown. It feels so much like Fallout, I love it. The more I play, the more I wish Bethesda would make a new Fallout game in this style.

Encased is normally $30, but sometime it’ll go on sale - such as GOG currently listing it for $6.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com

Harry & the Potters at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (03 July 2019)

Harry & the Potters at Cedar Harry & the Potters Setlist I Am a Wizard Wizard Chess The Economics of the Wizarding World Don’t Make Sense Hermoine Screws Up The Polyjuice Potion Save Ginny Weasley My Teacher Is a Werewolf S.P.E.W. You're Not the Wizard Phoenix Song Song For The Death Eaters On the Importance of Media Literacy Under Authoritarian Rule Touch the Brains Where's Ron? Gone Campin' Accio Fish No Pureblood Supremacy Get Stuck in Hagrid's Beard The Sword, the Cup, and the Dragon Phoenix Song (Reprise) Hermione's Cool Bag Save Ginny Weasley From Dean Thomas Phoenix Tears These Days Are Dark -- Encore -- Luna Lovegood based on The Kingsmen “Louie Louie” Read More Harry and the Potters We’ve been kind of fascinated with these guys, Harry and the Potters, ever since we wrote about them as the leading pioneer of “Wizard Rock” (yes, that is a thing) in 2007. The brothers (Paul and Joe DeGeorge) just released their new album Lumos …

Massachusetts’ Harry and the Potters headlined the Cedar Cultural Center, in Minneapolis, on July 3, 2019.

Opening up the show was local Larry Wish, a musician described as “bedroom pro music”. The set wasn’t a typical concert… instead it was more like a pantomime show.

Everything about Larry Wish, from his makeup, his costume, his graceful movements, his all-instrumental music, they were all part of a whole performance or dance movement.

The original Wizard Rockers, Harry and the Potters (brothers Joe and Paul DeGeorge) took the stage to adorning teenagers (ages anywhere from 6 to 19) and their parents. Right from the start, the group had the audience eating out of their hands. Even if you didn’t know their songs, the brothers made it easy (and fun) enough to get everyone involved with their show. For example, they often pass the mic around and have the fans in front say what they’re bringing in “Hermione's Cool Bag” or just saying spew in the song “S.P.E.W.” (Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare).

The Potters were joined by drummer Jacob Nathan (named “Bill Weasley”) and soundboard/stage props Wizard. Together, they put on a really fun show for all ages.

For the encore, Harry and the Potters came back and created a Conga line, playing “Luna Lovegood” (sung to the tune of The Kingsmen’s “Louie Louie”). It was surprisingly satisfying, watching the audience join in to create a long line.

Remaining tour dates:

07/5 - Steamboat Springs, CO - Strings Music Festival
07/6 - Boulder, CO - Band Shell in Central Park
07/7 - Denver, CO - Mercury Cafe
07/8 - Provo, UT - Provo Library at Academy Square
07/9 - Salt Lake City, UT - Kilby Court
07/12 - Missoula, MT - Missoula Public Library
07/13 - Calgary, AB - The Rec Room
07/14 - Edmonton, AB - The Rec Room
07/16 - Vancouver, BC - Vancouver Public Library
07/17 - Anacortes, WA - Causland Park
07/18 - Olympia, WA - Olympia Timberland Library
07/19 - Seattle, WA - Seattle Public Library
07/20 - Portland, OR - St. Johns Library
07/20 - Portland, OR - Gresham Library
07/21 - Eugene, OR - Downtown Eugene Public Library
07/23 - Santa Clara, CA - Northside Branch Library
07/24 - San Francisco, CA - Bottom of the Hill
07/25 - Oakland, CA - Oakland Public Library Main Branch
07/26 - San Luis Obispo - San Luis Obispo Library
07/27 - Santa Barbara, CA - Santa Barbara Public Library
07/28 - La Jolla, CA - The Ché Café
07/29 - Bakersfield, CA - Beale Memorial Library
07/30 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
07/31 - Huntington Beach, CA - Huntington Beach Public Library
08/1 - Las Vegas, NV - Clark County Library
08/2 - Phoenix, AZ - Burton Barr Central Library
08/3 - Tucson, AZ - Flowing Wells Branch Library
08/4 - El Paso, TX - El Paso Public Library
08/5 - San Antonio, TX - The Magik Theater
08/6 - Houston, TX - Houston Public Library
08/7 - New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Public Library
08/8 - Ridgeland, MS - Ridgeland Public Library
08/9 - Dallas, TX - LeakyCon
08/12 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
08/14 - Shawnee, KS - Monticello Library
08/15 - Tulsa, OK - Tulsa City County Library
08/16 - Springfield, MO - The Library Center
08/17 - Nashville, TN - Basement East
08/18 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Public Library
08/19 - Raleigh, NC - Cameron Village Regional
08/20 - Washington, DC - Woodridge Library
08/21 - Lewes, DE - Lewes Public Library
08/22 - Brooklyn, NY - Knitting Factory
08/23 - New Bedford, MA - Downtown
08/24 - Boston, MA - Boston Public Library

Larry Wish

Larry Wish

Larry Wish

Harry & the Potters

Harry & the Potters

Harry & the Potters

Harry & the Potters

Harry & the Potters

Harry & the Potters

Harry & the Potters at Cedar Cultural Center, Minneapolis (03 July 2019)

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Wizard Fest at the Cabooze, Minneapolis (27 Sep 2018)

Cabooze marquee Read More Wizard Fest Formerly known as Harry Potter Parties, this Harry Potter-themed gathering named was probably changed for legal reasons, to Wizard Fest (not to be confused with Wizard World, the traveling comic book ...

The J.K. Rowling/Harry Potter-themed dance party named Wizard Fest just took place at the Cabooze in Minneapolis on Thursday night (September 27th). Legally, I don’t think the organizers can advertised this as “Harry Potter Party”, but internally, that is what everybody is calling this event.

Oddly enough, most Harry Potter fans are a little younger (and avid book readers)… so organizing the event on a school night (Thursday!), and at a biker’s bar, seems out of place for the beloved franchise. Basically, wrong time and wrong venue for Potter fans. Having said that, there is a market for older Potter fans, interested in drinking beer and meeting other fans at a dance party with a live DJ.

Upcoming Wizard Fest Events:

09/28 Red Carpet Nightclub Saint Cloud, MN
09/29 WizardFest Joe's on Weed St. Chicago, IL
09/30 Wizard Fest at Blind Pig, MI
10/01 Harry Potter Party Buffalo!, NY
10/03 Harry Potter Party in Syracuse
10/04 Harry Potter Party Albany, NY
10/05 Harry Potter Party Long Island, NY
10/07 Wizard Fest New Jersey Crossroads
10/10 WizardFest - Harry Potter Party San Antonio, TX
10/11 Wizard Fest Corpus Christi TX
10/12 Harry Potter Party Dallas! Trees TX
10/13 Harry Potter Party Houston! Scout Bar Houston, TX
10/14 Harry Potter Party New Orleans! The Willow LA
10/17 Harry Potter Party Cincinnati! Bogart's
10/18 Harry Potter Party - Pittsburgh! Jergels PA
10/19 Wizard Fest: Harry Potter Party Stanhope, NJ
10/20 NYC Harry Potter Dance Party Cruise! Pier 36
10/20 Wizardfest nyc 2018 New York, NY

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minneapolis: September 24 to September 30, 2018

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from September 24 to September 30, 2018.

Read more: Minneapolis Music Guide.

We Were Promised Jetpacks 2018 Tour Read More We Were Promised Jetpacks We Were Promised Jetpacks (Adam Thompson -vocals/guitar; Michael Palmer-guitar; Sean Smith-bass, Stuart McGachan- keys/guitar; Darren Lackie- drums) then followed with a crushing, passionate 75 min. …

WE WERE PROMISED JETPACKS
+ Jenn Champion
Turf Club
Fri 09/28/2018 (8pm/$15)
turfclub.net

Scottish rock band We Were Promised Jetpacks is back in town with their fourth full-length album, The More I Sleep The Less I Dream.

We’re big fans of the band, having caught them at SXSW 2009 and followed their shows in Minneapolis any chance we get (the last being at the Varsity in 2015).

Jenn Champion (formerly known as S and Jenn Ghetto and band member of Carissa's Wierd) will open the show.

Tour dates:

09.19 - Portland, ME @ Portland City Music Hall
09.20 - Porstmouth, NH @ 3S Artspace
09.21 - Montreal, QC @ Bar Le "Ritz" P.D.B.
09.22 - Toronto, ON @ Lee's Palace
09.23 - Ann Arbor, MI @ Blind Pig
09.25 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
09.26 - Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall
09.27 - Madison, WI @ Majestic Theater
09.28 - St. Paul, MN @ Turf Club
09.29 - Fargo, ND @ The Aquarium
10.01 - Billings, MT @ The Pub Station
10.02 - Spokane, WA @ The Bartlett
10.03 - Seattle, WA @ Neumos
10.04 - Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
10.05 - Bellingham, WA @ The Wild Buffalo
10.06 - Eugene, OR @ WOW Hall
10.08 - Chico, CA @ The Big Room
10.09 - San Francisco, CA @ Great American
10.11 - Los Angeles, CA @ El Rey Theatre
10.12 - San Diego, CA @ Irenic
10.13 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom
10.15 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
10.16 - Austin, TX @ Mohawk
10.17 - Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
10.18 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues
10.19 - Chattanooga, TN @ Songbirds
10.20 - Atlanta, GA @ Terminal West
10.22 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle
10.23 - Washington, DC @ 930 Club
10.24 - Asbury Park, NJ @ Asbury Lanes
10.26 - Allston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall
10.27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Foundry
10.28 - Lancaster, PA @ Chameleon Club
10.29 - Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel

We, the Revolution at First Avenue Jupiter & Okwess 2018 Tour Still Corners: Slow Air Frankie Cosmos 2018 Poster Wizard Fest 2018 David Wilcox 2018 Tour Island 2018 Poster Jeremy Zucker 2018 Tour UB40 40th Anniversary Poster Dead Sara at 7th Street Entry Poster Read More Lin-Manuel Miranda Lin-Manuel Miranda sent along a video, apologizing that commitments left him unable to attend, also praising Starkey’s efforts with his own foundation, to aid in still weather-stricken Puerto Rico. … Harry Potter Although comic books are our thing, MNFF does offer other options for fans of television, films, books (wow at Harry Potter’s fanbase!), sci-fi (Star Wars), Doctor Who, cosplay, anime, gaming, etc. ... Still Corners Originally on a headlining tour of their own, at nearly the last minute Still Corners got added to the opening slot for buzz band CHVRCHES. They played a sold out show this past Saturday night at the Fine Line Music Cafe. … Frankie Cosmos Frankie Cosmos (aka Greta Kline) got her name from her boyfriend Aaron Maine (aka Porches)... who also plays in Cosmos’ touring band. We’ve previously caught Porches and said that the band was popular with the young college students... …

Other shows in the area:

WE, THE REVOLUTION
feat. Hamilton Company Members
First Avenue
Mon 09/24/2018 (6pm/$75)
first-avenue.com

We, The Revolution is a charity event for the benefit of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and features Hamilton company members.

For fans who can’t get a ticket to the sold-out Broadway show, this may be the next best thing.

Ashley Támar Davis, the one-time muse and favorite singer of Prince, to open.

Price breakdown:

GA tickets: $75.00

VIP tickets: $200.00

King's Table VIP tickets: $400.00

Student Rush tickets: $20.00

JUPITER & OKWESS / FENDIKA
Cedar Cultural Center
Tue 09/25/2018 (7pm/$22)
thecedar.org

Congo’s Jupiter & Okwess and Ethiopia’s Fendika will be co-headlining the Cedar Cultural Center on September 25th.

Gorillaz fans should take note of Jupiter Bokondji and his band Okwess, because singer/songwriter Damon Albarn is a big fan and made contribution to their second album Kin Sonic (Everloving Records).

Tour Dates:

09/21 - Albuquerque, NM - Globalquerque Festival
09/22 - Chicago, IL - Concord Music Hall
09/23 - Chicago, IL - Navy Pier IMAX
09/25 - Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
09/26 - Guanajuato, Mexico - Festival Cervantino
09/28 - Bloomington, IN - Lotus Festival
09/29 - Bloomington, IN - Lotus Festival
10/02 - Philadelphia, PA - MilkBoy
10/03 - Brooklyn, NY - Littlefield
10/05 - Boston, MA - Boston University
10/07 - Joshua Tree, CA - Joshua Tree Music Festival
10/08 - San Diego, CA - Soda Bar
10/09 - Los Angeles, CA - Zebulon Cafe Concert
10/11 - San Francisco, CA - The Independent
10/12 - Crystal Bay, NV - Crystal Bay Club Casino
10/16 - Seattle, WA - Nectar Lounge
10/18 - Sacramento, CA - Harlow's
10/20 - Black Mountain, NC - LEAF Community Arts Festival
10/26 - Guanajuato, Mexico - Explanada de la Alhóndiga
10/27 - Mérida, Mexico - Teatro Armando Manzanero

STILL CORNERS
+ Foxes in Fiction, DJ Jake Rudh
Turf Club
Tue 09/25/2018 (7:30pm/$12)
turfclub.net

Austin’s Still Corners is back with a fourth studio album Slow Air (released August 17 via Wrecking Light). The promo tour will stop by the Turf Club in St Paul on Tuesday.

We haven’t seen the band since 2013, and said, “Singer Tessa Murray stared out at the crowd with intense eyes as she sang over the pulsating beat and simple instrumentation. Next up was "Beatcity', a synth-laden, dancey tune where Murray sang breathily 'I haven't see you for some time..". They then reverted back to an older song 'Into the Trees', an infectiously cool song with a repetitive guitar line, more breathy vocals and precise percussion.”

Tour dates:

9/18/2018 - Brooklyn, NY - Elsewhere
9/19/2018 - Montreal, QC - Bar Le Ritz
9/20/2018 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck
9/21/2018 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Tavern
9/22/2018 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme
9/23/2018 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
9/25/2018 - Minneapolis, MN - Turf Club
10/25/2018 - Austin, TX - Barracuda
10/28/2018 - Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
10/29/2018 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
10/30/2018 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
10/31/2018 - Tustin, CA - Marty's On Newport
11/1/2018 - Los Angeles, CA - Resident
11/2/2018 - San Francisco, CA - Neck of the Woods
11/4/2018 - Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
11/5/2018 - Seattle, WA - Sunset
11/6/2018 - Vancouver, BC - Fox Cabaret

FRANKIE COSMOS
+ Lomelda, Stef Chura
Fine Line Music Cafe
Wed 09/26/2018 (7pm/$16)
finelinemusic.com

Frankie Cosmos (Greta Kline) is back on the road in support of her new record Vessel (Sub Pop Records).

Tour dates:

09/17/2018 Saturn Birmingham, AL
09/19/2018 Gasa Gasa New Orleans, LA
09/20/2018 Satellite Bar Houston, TX
09/26/2018 Fine Line Music Cafe Minneapolis, MN
09/27/2018 Colectivo Coffee Milwaukee, WI
10/01/2018 Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, OH
10/05/2018 White Eagle Hall Jersey City, NJ
10/06/2018 Music Hall Of Williamsburg Brooklyn, NY
10/07/2018 The Bowery Ballroom New York, NY

WIZARD FEST 2018
Cabooze
Thu 09/27/2018 (7pm/$15)
cabooze.com

Formerly known as Harry Potter Parties, this Harry Potter-themed gathering named was probably changed for legal reasons, to Wizard Fest (not to be confused with Wizard World, the traveling comic book convention).

Wizard Fest wants to bring together Potter fans and encouraged them to dress up for an epic costume contest. Winners gets cash prizes and Potter-related gifts.

Having seen firsthand at all the J.K. Rowling / Harry Potter fans at Wizard World and Minnesota Fan Fusion, this upcoming show will be packed!

Remember, you have to be 21+ to order the Butterbeer.

Festivities include:

Live DJ & Dance Party

Costume Contest

Drink Specials

Quidditch Pong

DAVID WILCOX
Cedar Cultural Center
Fri 09/28/2018 (8pm/$25)
thecedar.org

Cleveland-born David Wilcox is headlining the Cedar on Friday, September 28th. As of this writing, no opening band is listed, but the venue promises a “special guest”.

Tour dates:

09/20/2018 Center For Arts Natick, MA
09/21/2018 Katharine Hepburn Old Saybrook, CT
09/27/2018 CSPS Cedar Rapids, IA
09/28/2018 The Cedar Cultural Center Minneapolis, MN
09/29/2018 First Unitarian Church Des Moines, IA
09/30/2018 Old Town School Chicago, IL
10/05/2018 McCabe's Guitar Shop Santa Monica, CA
10/06/2018 Shannon Performing Arts Center Whittier, CA
10/07/2018 Soho Restaurant Santa Barbara, CA
10/09/2018 Harvest Community Church Eugene, OR
10/10/2018 Alberta Rose Theatre Portland, OR
10/11/2018 The Triple Door Seattle, WA
10/20/2018 Muddy Creek Cafe Winston-Salem, NC

ISLAND
+ The Blancos, Dekam & Johnson
7th Street Entry
Sat 09/29/2018 (8pm/$12)
first-avenue.com

UK’s Island (not to be confused with Canada/California’s Islands) is on their first North American tour, and they are stopping by the 7th Street Entry on Saturday, September 29th. The group’s debut album Feels Like Air is available now on Frenchkiss Records.

Opening for the band will be The Blancos (Brooklyn/South Florida duo) and Dekam & Johnson.

Tour dates:

09/17 - San Francisco, CA - Cafe du Nord
09/18 - Los Angeles, CA - Moroccan Lounge
09/20 - Costa Mesa, CA - Wayfarer
09/21 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
09/22 - Phoenix, AZ - Valley Bar
09/25 - Austin, TX - Stubbs Jr
09/26 - Dallas, TX - Mohawk
09/28 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
09/29 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
10/01 - Chicago, IL - Beat Kitchen
10/02 - Columbus, OH - Basement
10/04 - Boston, MA - Great Scott
10/05 - Washington, DC - Songbyrd
10/06 - Brooklyn, NY - Baby's All Right

JEREMY ZUCKER
+ Chelsea Cutler
Varsity Theater
Sat 09/29/2018 (6pm/$98)
varsitytheater.com

Multi-talented, Brooklyn-based singer, songwriter and producer Jeremy Zucker is on his “first ever North American tour”. He’ll be headlining the Varsity Theater on Saturday. The date was originally not on his initial tour itinerary (see poster).

Tour dates:

09/19 Chapel Hill, NC Local 506
09/20 Columbus, OH The Basement
09/21 Philadelphia, PA The Foundry
09/24 Allston, MA Great Scott
09/26 Toronto, Canada Velvet Underground
09/27 Ann Arbor, MI The Blind Pig
09/28 Chicago, IL Beat Kitchen
09/29 Minneapolis, MN Chop Shop
10/3 Omaha, NE Slowdown Front Room
10/4 Denver, CO Larimer Lounge
10/5 Salt Lake City, UT Kilby Court
10/8 Seattle, WA The Crocodile
10/9 Portland, OR Hawthorne Lounge
10/11 San Francisco, CA Brick & Mortar
10/13 San Diego, CA Irenic
10/15 Los Angeles Roxy Theatre
10/16 Phoenix, AZ Valley Bar
10/18 Dallas, TX HOB Cambridge Room
10/19 Austin, TX Parish
10/20 Houston, TX HOB Bronze Peacock
10/22 Atlanta, GA Vinyl
10/24 Washington, DC U Street Music Hall
10/25 New York, NY Bowery Ballroom

UB40
The Cabooze
Sun 09/30/2018 (7pm/$40)
cabooze.com

World-famous reggae stars UB40 are on a For the Many 40th Anniversary tour, stopping by the Cabooze on Sunday, September 30th. You should probably order some red, red wine at the show.

Tour dates:

09/28/2018 - Cleveland, OH - Agora Theatre
09/29/2018 - Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theatre
09/30/2018 - Minneapolis, MN - Cabooze
10/2/2018 - Kansas City, MO - Crossroads KC
10/4/2018 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
10/6/2018 - Roanoke, VA - Dr. Pepper Park
10/9/2018 - Oklahoma City. OK - The Tower Theatre
10/10/2018 - Dallas , TX - Gas Monkey
10/12/2018 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
10/19/2018 - Bonita Springs, FL - Ibis Theater
10/23/2018 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
10/24/2018 - Raleigh, NC - Duke Energy Center
10/25/2018 - Richmond, VA - The National
10/28/2018 - Wilmington, DE - The Queen
10/31/2018 - New York, NY - Brooklyn Bowl
11/1/2018 - Boston, MA - The Wilbur

DEAD SARA
+ Welles
7th Street Entry
Sun 09/30/2018 (7pm/$12/Sold Out)
first-avenue.com

Los Angeles’ alternative band Dead Sara is headlining the 7th Street Entry on September 30th.

23-year-old Welles to open. The show is sold out.

Tour dates:

9/14 // Atlanta, GA // Masquerade Purgatory Stage
9/15 // Carrborro, NC // Cat's Cradle
9/17 // Brooklyn, NY // Music Hall
9/18 // Washington, DC // Black Cat Back Room
9/20 // Philadelphia, PA // Boot & Saddle
9/22 // Boston, MA // Middle East Upstairs
9/25 // Detroit, MI // The Shelter
9/27 // Indianapolis, IN // HiFi
9/28 // Columbus, OH // The Basement
9/29 // Chicago, IL // Beat Kitchen
9/30 // Minneapolis, MN // 7th Street Entry
10/2 // Denver, CO // Moon Room
10/3 // Salt Lake City, UT // The State Room
10/5 // Seattle, WA // Barboza
10/7 // Portland, OR // Mississippi Studios
10/11 // San Francisco, CA // Slim's

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Panels at Minnesota Fan Fusion (03-05 Aug 2018)

Minnesota Fan Fusion Read More Minnesota Fan Fusion The long three-day Minnesota Fan Fusion geek/comic convention is over.. Everything was a million times better this year vs MNFF’s debut last year. There was twice the space ...

In our final Minnesota Fan Fusion post, we look at the various panels that were held at the Rivercentre in St Paul on August 3-5, 2018.

MNFF had the entire (or at least the majority of) second floor of the Rivercentre, so they ambitiously expanded panel programming from four small rooms in 2017, to about ten rooms! It was so large that it really wasn’t manageable on any coverage level. The programming book, which was printed about a month ago, became obviously out of date as some panels were cancelled or were moved to another room. To stay up-to-date, you had to use their phone app, which wasn’t exactly reliable either. The sure way of knowing what panels you were at, you actually had to read the sign outside the door.

Looking over their programming, you can tell they built the panels to their celebrity guests. For example, John Rhys-Davies commanded a legion of Lord of the Rings fanbase (all those JRR Tolkien panels), while Danielle Panabaker inspired all the CW/Flash/Arrow panels, etc.

Unfortunately, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau from Game of Thrones cancelled, but there were still some GoT panels, etc.

Another headlining guest, Manu Bennett (from Arrow and Spartacus) also cancelled at the last minute, so they moved Dan Fogler’s panel to Bennett’s spot. Fans who were following the printed programming book may find it disappointing that they had missed his panel if they didn’t visit the ballroom earlier.

The celebrity guest speakers drew in the most crowd in the main ballroom. The lines to the question microphone were usually packed... and sometime questions were repeated if a fan came in late to the Q&A.

In addition to the panels, there was also a game room and gaming event for Pokemon Go!, but it was not properly promoted (it wasn’t printed or made clear in the programming book). You might accidentally find the room if you followed various signage on the second floor.

The main problem with this year’s programming is that there were just way too many panels competing for your attention. I think the original three small rooms and one big room should be enough for everyone. Perhaps one room dedicated to comics-related panels (printed comics and CW shows), one room to Sci-Fi shows (Star Trek vs Star Wars anyone?), and one room to the literary world (Harry Potter and Tolkien). The big room should be reserved for the celebrities, and maybe when not in use, could be used for costume contests.

Overall, despite some minor complaints, we were really lucky to get this type of big “Comic Con” show in the area.

08/03: Evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe

08/03: Still the Fastest Man Alive?

08/03: Fashion Faux Pas

08/03: The Hobbit - A Far Cry From the Shire

08/03: Harry Potter and the Curse of Being a Media Franchise

08/03: Diversity in the Harry Potter Universe

08/03: Rick and Morty: The Quest for Szechuan (18+)

08/03: Ranking DC Films Through History

08/03: Why YOU Shouldn't Date a Superhero

08/03: Dwarves Against Humanity

08/03: Marvel vs DC Rebooting Universes

08/03: Expanding the World of Harry Potter

08/03: Ummm, Actually: Sci Fi

08/03: Cosplay: Getting Into Character

08/03: Barry Did What? The Antics of the Flash Trivia Game

08/03: Send in the Dementors! The Best & Worst Potter Deaths

08/03: Urban Legends & Other Spooky Things

08/03: Boldly Going Beyond the Original Star Trek

08/03: Star Trek Discover - The Good, Bad & the OMG

08/03: Short Cuts and Tricks Costuming on a Budget

08/04: Dan Jurgens/Howard Chaykin

08/04: An Hour Alone with Howard Victor Chaykin (18+)

08/04: Best 3Some Ever

08/04: Who's Left - Shows that Murder Their Characters

08/04: You’ve Got to be Tolkien Me

08/05: The Tolkien Family Feud

08/05: Hogwarts House Feud!

08/05: Superheroes Fantasy Draft

08/05: Walking Dead Trivia

08/05: Universal Monsters

08/04: Laurie Holden

08/04: Dan Fogler

08/04: Ray Park

08/04: Ray Park

08/05: John Rhys-Davies

08/05: Summer Glau

08/05: John Rhys-Davies

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minnesota Fan Fusion at Rivercentre, St Paul (03-05 August 2018)

Read More Minnesota Fan Fusion Minnesota Fan Fusion (previously known as Minnesota Fan Fest) is coming up on August 3-5, 2018. The event is, once again, held at the Rivercentre in downtown St. Paul. Everything is an upgrade ...

The long three-day Minnesota Fan Fusion geek/comic convention is over..

Everything was a million times better this year vs MNFF’s debut last year. There was twice the space (last year they shared the second floor with some sort of shoe convention), twice the merchandise, twice the number of guests, and, get this, four times the number of panels.

With Wizard World not returning to Minneapolis, MNFF (organized by Phoenix’s Square Egg) is really one of the few companies that organize this type of “Comic Con” in the city. Let’s face it, while Springcon/Fallcon (officially known as MSP ComiCon) are fan favorites… they will never bring in these guests.

Although comic books are our thing, MNFF does offer other options for fans of television, films, books (wow at Harry Potter’s fanbase!), sci-fi (Star Wars), Doctor Who, cosplay, anime, gaming, etc. It was really fun to walk around and see what fans were into. While it shouldn’t surprise anyone, but there was a strong CW fanbase, thanks to its popular DC Comics’ shows like Arrow, The Flash, etc.

FRIDAY
MNFF added Friday to their show. This is usually the day that we come and get a lay of the land. There was a rather long line to get into the showroom, and once in, many went directly to John Rhys-Davies’ line for photo op and autograph.

Thanks to the Hero Initiative, they brought in some great comic creators: Kevin Nowlan, Christopher Priest, Howard Chaykin, Barry Kitson, etc. Friday wasn’t as busy as Saturday, so this is a great day to get all your comics signed and maybe talk to the creator and their works.

SATURDAY
Typically, Saturday is the biggest and longest show day. There’s a lot of walking around and most of the celebrities will work the Saturday shows. This is also usually the day for fans to hear the celebrity guest speak and do a Q&A with the audience.

Danielle Panabaker was the first speaker in the main ballroom. Since Manu Bennett cancelled, Dan Fogler was moved to his spot, followed by Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden, and then Ray Park.

With so many panels all taking place at the same time, you had to really choose what you were interested in and love and find the room. The printed schedule (probably printed months in advance), had some changes, so you had to really rely on MNFF’s phone app to get the latest information. However, I found it was just easier to look at the signs at the door to each panel for the most accurate information.

Saturday is also the day that most of the cosplayers come out to play, partly because of the Masquerade Costume Contest taking place later that day.

SUNDAY
Sunday was known as “Family Day”, so you did actually see a lot of parents and their kids in costumes. Sunday is usually the best day to go shopping.

There were only two celebrity speakers for Sunday, John Rhys-Davies and Summer Glau.

Bob Ross

Unbreakable David Dunn and Luke Cage

Ghost Busters

Indiana Jones & Harley Quinn

Luigi, Mario, and Princess Peach

Invisible Jet

Wednesday Adams

Professor Genki (Saints Row) and She-Ra

Nova and Supergirl

John Constantine

Link & Zelda

Cubone (Pokemon)

Spider-Gwen and Miles Morales

Jon Snow

Doctor Who

Casey Jones with Harley Quinn and Batman

Deathstroke, Hawkeye, and Thor

Kingpin

Ash (Evil Dead)

Super Saiyan White Goku (Dragon Ball Z)

Lara Croft (Tomb Raider) and Nathan Drake (Uncharted)

American McGee’s Alice

Jessica Jones and Jessica Jones

Iron Fist and Iron Fist

Star Wars

Star Wars

Star Wars

Thor: Ragnarok with Leeloo (Fifth Element)

Black Panther

Spider-Gwen, Riddler, and Jedi

Poison Ivy and Harley Quinn

Scarecrow

DJ Superstars: Daft Punk, Deadmau5, and Marshmello

Bloodborne, Punisher, Wolverine, Borderlands (Moxxi & Zer0), and Harry Potter

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Photos: Minnesota Fan Fusion at Rivercenter, St Paul (03 Aug 2018)

Read More Minnesota Fan Fest Minnesota Fan Fusion (previously known as Minnesota Fan Fest) is coming up on August 3-5, 2018. The event is, once again, held at the Rivercentre in downtown St. Paul. Everything is an upgrade from last year ...

Here are some photos from day one of Minnesota Fan Fusion.

TV & FILM

Dan Fogler

Danielle Panabaker

John Rhys-Davies

Laurie Holden

Ray Park

Summer Glau

AUTHORS

Andrew DeYoung

Brian Farrey

H.M. Bouwman

J.M. Lee

S.A. Bodeen

Sarah Ahiers

COSPLAYERS

AvantGeek

Kristen Lanae

COMICS & ARTISTS

Andy Kuhn

Barry Kitson

Brian & Kristy Miller

Chris Allo

Christopher Priest

Dan Jurgens

Dave Wheeler

Don Rosa

Gordon Purcell

Greg Land

Howard Chaykin

J.N. Monk

Jae Lee

Kevin Nowlan

Lee and Ty Blauersouth

Megan Sloane

Peter David

Rick Leonardi

Theo Nicole Lorenz

Z. Akhmetova

Nightwing(s)

Lord of the Ring

Loki

Dan Jurgens

Robin

Hi-Fi Colors

Howard Chaykin

Indiana Jones

Jae Lee

Kevin Nowlan

Animal

Black Canary

Barry Kitson

Christopher Priest

Don Rosa

Asajj Ventress

Captain America

Velma

Star Wars

Daredevil and Spider-Man

Peter David

Star Wars

Darth Vader

Andy Kuhn

Yu-Gi-Oh

Harry Potter

Harley Quinn

Greg Land

Gordon Purcell

Fallout (with Nuka Cola Girl)

Fallout

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Minnesota Fan Fusion returns August 3-5, 2018

MN Fan Fusion Read More Minnesota Fan Fest Vu and John on W♥M Radio, talking about Minnesota Fan Fest (19-20 Aug 2017). The event at Rivercentre in St Paul will feature celebrity guests Jason David Frank from Power ...

Minnesota Fan Fusion (previously known as Minnesota Fan Fest) is coming up on August 3-5, 2018. The event is, once again, held at the Rivercentre in downtown St. Paul. Everything is an upgrade from last year, including adding another day (Friday), and doubling all their guests.

The main attractions are the film & television celebrities, but, personally speaking, we really enjoy sitting and listening to fans talk about their passion on these panels-heavy shows. In fact, they’ve double-down and the panels have expanded to four times from last year!

For Deathstroke, the Terminator fans, you’ll be pleased to know that Manu Bennett (who plays Deathstroke in Arrow), Summer Glau (who plays Deathstroke’s daughter Ravager) and Christopher Priest (who wrote Deathstroke vol 4) will be appearing together.

For comic book television fans, they should be happy to see The Walking Dead’s Laurie Holden and Flash’s Danielle Panabaker. Although people will know Panabaker as Killer Frost, she was brilliant in the Sci-Fi Time Lapse 2014 film. Lord of the Rings (and video game fans) should be happy to see that John Rhys-Davies will also be here.

There are also plenty of comic book artists and writers in attendance. Too many to mention, but just quickly looking over the list, we see a few favorites: Howard Chaykin (Blackhawks and American Flagg), Greg Land (Sojourn and The Ultimate Fantastic Four), Jae Lee (Hellshock and The Inhumans), Kevin Nowlan (a unique style on Tomorrow Stories with the great Alan Moore), and Rick Leonardi (Cloak & Dagger). Please note that cheesecake artist Frank Cho has cancelled his appearance.

Tickets available at minnesotafanfusion.com

TV & FILM Dan Fogler Danielle Panabaker John Rhys-Davies Laurie Holden Manu Bennett Ray Park Summer Glau AUTHORS Andrew DeYoung Brian Farrey H.M. Bouwman J.M. Lee S.A. Bodeen Sarah Ahiers COSPLAYERS AvantGeek Kristen Lanae

COMICS & ARTISTS Andy Kuhn Barbara Schulz Barry Kitson Bill Willingham Brian & Kristy Miller Chris Allo Christopher Priest Dan Jurgens Dave Wheeler Don Rosa Gordon Purcell Greg Land Howard Chaykin J.N. Monk Jae Lee Kevin Nowlan Lee and Ty Blauersouth Megan Sloane Peter David Rick Leonardi Theo Nicole Lorenz Z. Akhmetova

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Wizard World at Minneapolis Convention Center (03 May 2015)

Wizard World 2015 Schedule May 22-24 – Wizard World Comic Con St. Louis Jun 12-14 – Wizard World Comic Con Des Moines Jun 19-21 – Wizard World Comic Con Sacramento Jun 19-21 – Wizard World Comic Con Albuquerque Jul 31-Aug 2 – Wizard World Comic Con Richmond Aug 20-23 – Wizard World Comic Con Chicago Aug 22-23 – Bruce Campbell’s Groovy Fest Sep 4-6 – Wizard World Comic Con San Jose Sep 11-13, Wizard World Comic Con Pittsburgh Sep 18-20 – Wizard World Comic Con Columbus Sep 25-27 – Wizard World Comic Con Nashville Oct 2-4 – Wizard World Comic Con Ft. Lauderdale Oct 23-25 – Wizard World Comic Con Tulsa Oct 30-31 – Wizard World Comic Con Austin Nov 6-8 – Wizard World Comic Con Louisville Nov 20-22 – Wizard World Comic Con Reno Read More Wizard World Minneapolis The second annual Wizard World Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Convention Center just ended on Sunday. Compared to last year, I felt this year more fans were attending the panels... … Brent Spiner I am a pretty big fan of Star Trek. I have previously mentioned how much I love Data from Star Trek and was glad to see that the actor, Brent Spiner, had recorded Ol' Yellow Eyes Is Back. ... …

Sunday was the last day for Wizard World Minneapolis at the Minneapolis Convention Center.

For a complete Wizard World Minneapolis 2015-related articles, see below:

Wizard World at Minneapolis Convention Center (02 May 2015)

Critical Hit at Wizard World, Mpls Convention Center (02 May 2015)

Official Wizard World After Party, feat. Peelander-Z at Pourhouse, Minneapolis (02 May 2015)

Wizard World at Minneapolis Convention Center (01 May 2015)

Wizard World Minneapolis - MOA Kickoff event (30 Apr 2015)

Wizard World Minneapolis Photo Gallery

With a late start on Sunday's show, due to the late night Wizard World Official After Party, left us with only a few two panels, before giving us just under an hour to do last minute shopping in the main room.

Brent Spiner

We got in early to get a good seat to see Brent Spiner, who is most famous for playing the android Lieutenant Commander Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Spiner was a delight, you can tell he's done this a thousand times. With all the cameras and phone going up to snap a photo of the actor, he even posed for us before answering any questions.

Spiner had the audience eating out of his hands, who were mostly diehard Star Trek fans.... who are sometime a little too quirky. When moderator Aaron Sagers' request to keep the questions brief, the very first fan read a rather long-winded love letter to Data. Without even acknowledging what was said, Spiner just said, "yes!" and then jokingly agreed to marry the (male) fan.

Some interesting came out of the Q&A, for example, everyone at the rehearsal thought Data's name was pronounced "dat-ta". That is, until Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean-Luc Picard), said "day-ta". Since then, the pronunciation stuck.

As for Data's quirky movements, it was because of his contact lens and layers of makeup. Spiner couldn't actually see so he would often move his head around to get a view... unknowingly adding to the character's unique look and style.

The next film we will see Spiner in will be Independence Day 2, which is said to be in theaters around July 4, 2016, exactly 30 years from the original theatrical release of the first film.

James & Oliver Phelps

James & Oliver Phelps (the Weasley brothers), had the most people I've ever seen in room 100E! It was completely full, with the first four sections reserved for VIP attendees. Unseated fans had to stand up along the wall and also overflowed into the hall. I knew Harry Potter was popular, but who knew it was this popular, especially after the final movie Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part 2) ended three years ago in 2011.

The mostly teenage girl audience eagerly lined up for the microphone to ask all sort of Harry Potter-related questions, which the Phelps did their best to answer. Sometime I felt they were almost disappointed to learn that the Phelps are really into real-world sports (soccer) or that they enjoy going to concerts and just being normal boys their age.

Although it wasn't quite answered, one of the question they started out with was how to tell the two apart. Of course, James (or was it Oliver?) said he was the good-looking one.

Wizard World Comic Con's next show is taking place right now in Philadelphia (May 7-10).

Photo Gallery of Wizard World Minneapolis from May 2-May 3:

Tardis Prime (Dr Who/Transformers)	Captain America (1940s)	Legend of Dragoon	Attack on Titan	Ermac (Mortal Kombat)
Master Chief (Halo)	Hulk Hogan	Stannis and Renly Baratheon (Game of Thrones)	Storm (X-Men)	Assassin's Creed
Ash (Army of Darkness)	Judge Cormier (Judge Dredd)	Trigun and Meryl Stryfe	Super Mario Brothers	Loki and Lady Thor
Star Trek Ensign and Black Canary	The Payday Gang	Combra: Destro, Cobra Commander, and Baroness (G.I.Joe)	Tingle (Legend of Zelda)	Pokemon Pathfinder Team

Wizard World Minneapolis at Minneapolis Convention Center (02 May 2015) Attack on Titan: Survey Corps' Special Operations Squad

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Harry Potter and the Phenomenon of Wizard Rock

Hedwig's Theme

Today, the latest installment in the Harry Potter film series was released. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the fifth film based on the popular book series by J.K. Rowling. So, it's only fitting that I post some Harry Potter related music. To kick this post off is the theme song. Arranged by award-winning and legendary composer John Williams, "Hedwig's Theme" was originally featured on the soundtrack to The Sorcerer's Stone (otherwise known as The Philosopher's Stone). It's since been featured in every Harry Potter film to date including The Goblet of Fire by Patrick Doyle and The Order of the Phoenix by Nicholas Hooper. Two teenagers who go by the name of Advanced Potion-Making created a rock version paying homage to John Williams and the series.

Lumos (Hedwig's Theme)

Williams was supposed to compose the soundtrack to The Goblet of Fire, but due to scheduling conflicts, he was not able to. Why? Well, he was working on a couple of small films that you might have heard of called Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, Memoirs of a Geisha, and War of the Worlds. He provided the soundtracks to the first three films in the series, but for the second, The Chamber of Secrets, fellow composer William Ross helped to finish it and received adaptation credits. The Goblet of Fire was done by Patrick Doyle who also scored Eragon while The Order of the Phoenix was by Nicholas Hooper who scored The Girl in the Café. He's also rumored to be the composer of The Half-Blood Prince.


Now for some Wizard Rock! What is Wizard Rock? Well, basically artists create music all based on the Harry Potter franchise. It could be anything from Harry himself to some reference to potions or magic, as long as it has to do with the series. It's all for the love of music and reading. Now, there are way too many bands to post on here so I chose the ones I enjoyed the most. Besides, many of the Wizard Rock musicians only have one song in their repertoire. The below musicians have created more than one song and have been around for quite some time.

This Book Is So Awesome

The Wrath of Hermione

Harry and the Potters
The most popular of the Wizard Rock musicians and the guys that started it all are Harry and the Potters. They're two brothers named Paul and Joe DeGeorge who started the band in 2002. Joe planned a rock show in his backyard, but all the bands cancelled. So he grabbed his brother, wrote some songs, and played them for a couple of people. "This Book Is So Awesome" is only 30 seconds in length, so I also posted another song of theirs', "The Wrath of Hermione", which is unreleased.
Website | Virb | MySpace | DL "Book" | DL "Hermione"

In Which I Kick Harry Potter In the Face

Draco and the Malfoys
Draco and the Malfoys are two brothers, Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher who write songs from the perspective of Harry Potter's nemesis/adversary, Draco Malfoy. Not much info besides that, well except that they're from Rhode Island and they'll be touring the states and parts of Canada with Harry and the Potters until mid-August. But what else do you need to know?
Website | MySpace

I'm Ron Weasley

Ron and the Weasleys
Ron and the Weasleys, you can guess, are based on Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley. They're two brothers (yes, again) and each represent Ron at a different age. John represents "Ron" at year 3 and Mike represents "Ronald" at year 7. They started the band after booking a show for fellow Wizard Rockers, Harry and the Potters. After that show, other Wizard Rock bands started appearing and they felt the need to represent Ron Weasley.
MySpace

Not Your Messenger

The Hermione Crookshanks Experience
EDIT: Thanks to Lauren from The Moaning Myrtles for pointing out that there IS a band (well two, but only one has music online) called Hermione and the Grangers. Well, here's a "band" based on her name called The Hermione Crookshanks Experience from California. It's a one-girl band; she plays guitar, bass, drum machine, keyboards, sings vocals and records on a MacBook.
MySpace

And Then I Died

The Moaning Myrtles
This girl-due based their name on the ghostly girl in the bathroom that does the weird whiny moaning, which could get annoying, but their music isn't. Just like many other Wizard Rock bands, they too were inspired by Harry and the Potters to create a band based on the series. And since Harry Potter fans seem to have this whole comradership, Alex Carpenter from The Remus Lupins provided some acoustic guitar on The Moaning Myrtles album.

Website | MySpace

Looking For Trouble

The Remus Lupins
Although the name is plural, it's actually one guy, Alex Carpenter. Here's the description from his site: "The Remus Lupins began when Alex Carpenter looked at his bookshelf and held his guitar in his hand. A sudden lightning bolt of creativity jumped into his fingers and he began to play, and to write songs about Harry Potter. Since then, he hasn't been able to shake the habit and keeps writing them." He's touring this summer with two other guys, though they're more of a backing band.

Website | MySpace

Your Flying Car

The Whomping Willows
The Whomping Williows is plural, but once again is only one person, Matt Maggiacomo. He also runs a "record label" called Cheap Rent. A little description... "We form friendships with bands and we do our best to help them release and promote their music. We also encourage our bands to maintain DIY ethics so they never feel the need to sign with a corporate record label." Most of the bands on Cheap Rent are Wizard Rock bands.

MySpace | Cheap Rent

Concerning the Dementors...

The Mudbloods
The Mudbloods are five guys from Texas who took their name from the derogatory term that describes a muggle-born wizard. Draco uses the term as an insult to Hermione since she is one. Much like the other Wizard Rock bands, The Mudbloods tend to play in uniform, sporting the sweater over a buttoned-shirt with tie look. Sorry, they didn't provide much info on their site.
MySpace

If you're curious about this whole Wizard Rock phenomenon and want to delve deeper into the enchanted maze, there are a couple of websites that have much more information and lists bands that currently either have music already or are just starting out.

Wizard Rock - "Your source for the latest in Wizard Rock"
Real Wizard Rock - "Lyrics for your favorite Wizard Rock Bands"
Wizrocklopedia - They "aim to record the past, present, and future of all things related to wizard rock and hope to shed more light on the movement itself."
Wizard Rockumentary - "The Wizard Rockumentary is an independent feature length documentary exploring Harry Potter fandom, the Wizard Rock community, and the goals of these musicians to promote literacy."

So, check those sites out and watch the film when you can. The IMAX version supposedly has some crazy 3-D ending. And the last book in the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, comes out July 21. 

.

Jason // Warner Bros. | The Order of the Phoenix | Wikipedia