Wizards of lit-based rock

Harry and the Potters

Tomorrow, 7:00 p.m.

Artists Upstairs

911 Penn…

Harry and the Potters

Tomorrow, 7:00 p.m.

Artists Upstairs

911 Penn Ave.

$7 or $5 with student ID

All ages

www.artistsupstairs.com

What do you get when you combine a love for the “Harry Potter” series with a punk-rock attitude? You just might get Harry and the Potters, an indie band that is setting the world ablaze with its catchy lyrics and deliciously nerdy new genre, “wizard-rock.”

Started by the DeGeorge brothers, Paul and Joe, Harry and the Potters has been entertaining the “muggle” music world since 2002. By combining upbeat punk songs with the world of Harry Potter, the band has accumulated an impressive fan base. The brothers have toured libraries and rock clubs all around the United States and the United Kingdom.

Now, Pittsburghers will get a chance to check out wizard rock when the band appears at the Artists Upstairs tomorrow evening.

Adorned with spectacles, v-neck sweaters and crimson-and-gold scarves, the members of Harry and the Potters set out to entertain book lovers and hipsters alike. The band sings raw and edgy songs of teenage angst. Harry Potter-themed angst, that is.

The members of Harry and the Potters sing and write about what the Potter characters would sing about, if they could. In “The Foil, Malfoy,” the group sings about the Potter villain: “Draco Malfoy/What’s your problem?/Your friends think you’re rad/’cause you treat me so bad.” The lyrics put a punk spin on Harry Potter.

Harry and the Potters has a raw, unpolished sound. The boys often use synthesized keyboards to create their beat and they both have the habit of singing a few songs off key. Even with these setbacks, Harry and the Potters can still rock hard. With songs like “Voldemort Can’t Stop the Rock” and “Cornelius Fudge is an Ass,” we’re left wondering why more artists don’t sing about the wizarding world.

It is the band members’ enthusiasm for their music that keeps songs like “My Teacher is a Werewolf” from getting too corny. In fact, these songs are so infectious that lyrics like “My teacher is a werewolf/He’s liable to bite someone in class” will stick in the listener’s head for days.

Harry and the Potters was recently named one of the top 10 live shows of 2005 by Pitchfork Media (www.pitchforkmedia.com). The spellbinding duo will also be appearing with Uncle Monsterface, an indie band that the members describe as “sock-puppet quirk-rock”.

With one band that sings with sock puppets and another that sings the praises of the magical world of Harry Potter, tomorrow’s show should make for an evening to remember.