Music Is Magic at LeakyCon10!’s Wizard Rock Concert

LeakyCon10! is here, and MuggleNet was on the scene celebrating in Boston, Massachusetts, this weekend. With Potter celebrity guests, podcasters, and wrock musicians, the weekend was set to be an amazing time for everyone!

This was my first wizard rock concert, and I had a delightful time. LeakyCon10!’s wrock concert featured Lauren Fairweather, Tonks and the Aurors, Draco and the Malfoys, and Harry and the Potters. Besides the billed performers, con attendees were also treated to performances by Matt Maggiacomo of the Whomping Willows and Neil Fridd, the amazing prop/dragon master who works with Harry and the Potters.

Additionally, almost every wrocker there played backup for another group – Brian Ross of Draco and the Malfoys was onstage for a majority of the three-hour show – and many of the musicians played multiple instruments throughout the night. This made the concert extra special because it was a group collaboration on the power of wrock.

The show opened with Lauren Fairweather, who started with her classic song “It’s Real for Us.” She then played a few songs from her new album, With You, Whatever Happens, including the album’s titular song. Fairweather’s newest album was released last year, and the crowd definitely knew the songs.

After a short break, Draco and the Malfoys came on. I’ve been a fan of theirs for over a decade, so when they opened with “Potions Yesterday,” I was a little excited. The Malfoys stuck to mostly songs off their first album like “My Dad Is Rich.” Draco and the Malfoys didn’t have much time for talking with the crowd and just let their songs do the talking. Since their songs are such a delight, we were all fine with it.

Then it was time for Tonks and the Aurors. Steph Anderson opened with “Harry Potter’s Alive,” which appears on her newest album, Huffleriot, and is a great tune. Anderson is a very talented musician who sings and strums her custom Hufflepuff guitar and puts on a good show.

After Anderson’s performance, it was time to hear from the Boy Who Lived. The first three groups shared the first two hours, and the last hour was devoted to Harry and the Potters, who performed at the first LeakyCon.

I’m also a longtime fan of Harry and the Potters, and seeing them in person lived up to my expectations. They are fully in character as Harry and Harry (which is what I will call them here). Bradley Mehlenbacher from Draco and the Malfoys played percussion for the duo, and at one point, Harry said, “Let’s give it up for Lauren Fairweather, Tonks and the Aurors, and no one else!” 

The Harrys played a few classic songs but made sure to devote most of their performance to their new album, Lumos. Many of the new songs are political, and Harry explained the meanings behind the politically charged songs they played, including “On the Importance of Media Literacy Under Authoritarian Rule” and “No Pure[-]blood Supremacy.”

The Harrys create the perfect mix of political call to action and fun. Fridd, who’s from Terror Pigeon Dance Revolt, did an amazing job bringing out props and putting on absurd costumes, like a phoenix costume that squirted tears. The props were hilarious, and the entire show was a delight. Here’s Harry under his Invisibility Cloak.

“Anyone been camping for about 400 pages?” Harry asked before singing “Gone Campin’.” They invited the audience to sit on the floor around a magical campfire with them and sit we did.

Other props included chef hats, pots and pans, fish, a blow-up dragon, and a huge stuffed snake. I have to give amazing props to Fridd. He was everywhere with these props, including in the audience, backstage, and onstage. He dressed up as a giant phoenix and a sword. He was amazing.

As they wrapped up their time on stage, the Harrys implored the audience to take the spell that had been cast that night and use it to “push the world a little further toward justice and equality.”

Seeing an amazingly talented group of musicians come together to make magic made me feel like Potter fans can certainly do anything. The wrock concert is not an event to be missed.