Jump to content

Draco and the Malfoys

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Wassupwestcoast (talk | contribs) at 19:45, 30 July 2007 (add info about beginnings). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Draco and the Malfoys

Draco and the Malfoys are an indie wizard rock band from Woonsocket, Rhode Island[1] . The band consists of half-brothers[2] Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher[3].Inspired by the J.K. Rowling book series Harry Potter, the two band members dress and claim to be the book's teenage antagonist, Draco Malfoy.


Members

  • Brian Ross (1975-03-26) March 26, 1975 (age 49)[4][2]. - Vocals, Guitar, Bass.
  • Bradley Mehenbacher: (1980-08-01) August 1, 1980 (age 44)[2]. Brad works at a deli in Rhode Island[5] - Vocals, Guitar, Drums.

History

Ross and Mehlenbacher originally conceived Draco and the Malfoys as a parody of Harry and the Potters, who were performing at a local house party[2]. In late 2004, Matt Maggiacomo invited the Harry and the Potters to play at an all-Harry Potter show at his Rhode Island home. That night, Maggiacomo made his debut as The Whomping Willows, and his friends, Mehlenbacher and his brother, Brian Ross, played for the first time as Draco and the Malfoys[5].

ABC news reports that Brian Ross and Bradley Mehlenbacher's:

...love for the Harry Potter book series is no less than that of the DeGeorge brothers, but Brian and Bradley seem to better recognize the absurdity of the bands, even mocking the idea that Paul and Joe represent two differently aged versions of the popular wizard.

"We look like nothing like Draco Malfoy, and are clearly too old to be going to Hogwarts," said Brian, 32, of he and his brother Bradley, soon to be 27. "So we say that we're Draco from years 19 and 15 at Hogwarts."[2].

Ross says in the ABC news story that the mock rivalry between Draco and the Malfoys and the Harry and the Potters is all for show. In fact, the Potters and the Malfoys toured together for a month in the summer of 2007 and often collaborate on albums."[2].

It's a catchy concept, two bands portraying the most beloved and hated characters in the Harry Potter series, both celebrating their passion for the fictional wizard world with catchy tunes and kid-friendly rock concerts."[2].

Neither Draco and the Malfoys nor their nemesis Harry and the Potters think of the burgeoning wizard rock community as a joke, or "even as some bastard-dork cousin of indie-rock"[1]. The Boston Phoenix reports that:

Both groups - Draco and the Malfoys and Harry and the Potters - take their efforts quite seriously, especially at this juncture. Amidst the fervor leading up to the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, wizard rockers seem to be drawing bigger and better crowds, at every show.

For Draco and the Malfoys, the band is an escape from the humdrum pressures of hipster irony — like the Potters, they’re prone to rocking out in libraries. In this venture, says Ross, he and his band are just a pipeline for Pottermania. “With this, we’re all fans of something much larger,” he says. “Everyone shows up to have a good time, never to be a snob about the music, ever, ever, ever.”[1].”

The Boston Phoenix wondered - in spite of fully booked calendars - how long will wizard rock last once there are no new stories to riff on as their musical identity is contingent on the lasting success and popularity of a book series.

Ross sound[ed] almost tearful, in fact, when he professes his faith that the Potter phenomenon will outlast Deathly Hallows. He and his brother have both been in bands where, “if you go four hours away from your hometown, nobody comes to see you.” When the wiz kid is involved, they have a built-in fan base wherever they go. “Our experience with wizard rock has been the best musical experience of our lives,” says Ross. “We don’t really have any interest in stopping at all.”[1]


Lyrics

Ross and Mehenbacher write lyrics from Draco's perspective. Thus dressed in Slytherin-themed costumes (green-striped ties), their anti-Potter lyrics -- "You may have freed our house elf, and brought doubt to our family name/ but your parents still got toasted by a big, green, glowing flame" -- were initially a parody of wizard rock but were met with success and another Harry Potter-themed garage band was born[2]. The lyrics are generally mocking and condescending towards Harry, Ron, and others. They make reference to various Harry Potter objects, such as the Mirror of Erised and the Patronus Charm.


Reception

Draco and the Malfoys have toured with Harry and the Potters and both bands usually charge $5 to $10 for tickets to their shows, though some performances are free[2]. Draco and the Malfoys put their songs on Apple's iTunes for download and have created a MySpace page (see external links).

Discography

Draco and the Malfoys have released two albums as of 2007, the self-titled Draco and the Malfoys and Party Like You're Evil. They collaborated on a holiday CD, A Magical Christmas of Magic with other "wrock," or wizard rock, artists, including their good friends Harry and the Potters[6][7].

Albums

Year Album Cover
2006 Draco and the Malfoys File:Dracoandthemalfoys datm.jpg
2007 Party Like You're Evil! File:Dracoandthemalfoys plye.jpg

Media

References

  1. ^ a b c d Voldemort Can’t Stop The Rock
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i Harry Potter 'Wrockers' Conjure Musical Magic
  3. ^ About Draco and the Malfoys from the band's home page
  4. ^ Brian Ross's birthdate @ Wizard Rock.org
  5. ^ a b Wizard Rock Cite error: The named reference "poststan" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  6. ^ Draco and the Malfoys Wizard Rock.Org
  7. ^ Draco and the Malfoys @ Wizrocklopedia.Com

See also

See also: Harry Potter fandom § Wizard rock, and Harry and the Potters
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Draco_and_the_Malfoys&oldid=148111236"