Clearly Oklahoma City

Last year, I mentioned that a local Harry Potter group was hosting their first annual charity ball near the new year.  Well, this year, the Oklahoma Wizards League (OWL), is back, and they’ve moved their ball to the day before Valentine’s Day.  While last year’s wizard rock extravaganza was called the Yule Ball and was winter-themed, this year, the theme is Carousing With Cupid.  Once again, it will feature some of the top wizard rock bands from around the country.  This year’s concert will be hosted by the one and only Professor Gilderoy Lockhart, the only Hogwarts professor to acknowledge Valentine’s Day in the book series.

What’s wizard rock, you ask?  It’s basically what it sounds like: bands singing about Harry Potter.  The seven different wizard rock bands (six national ones plus one local OKC band) play songs they’ve written based on the popular Harry Potter novels by J.K. Rowling.  It’s much more than just singing about Harry, Hermione, and Ron, of course—these bands pull out all the stops, dancing and putting on a great show for their fans.  Some wizard rock (or wrock) fans travel hundreds of miles to see their favorite bands, and there’s great debate on which band is the best (and cutest).

The event is being headlined by the Ministry for Magic, a group of five guys who have been called the N*Sync of the wizard rock scene.  Other groups include The Remus Lupins, The Whomping Willows, Justin Finch-Fletchley & the Sugar Quills, Gred and Forge, and Oliver Boyd and the Remembralls.  Local group Into The Pensieve was recently added and will play a short set starting at 6:30.

In addition to the amazing bands, food and beverages will be provided to ensure that no wizard or witch goes hungry.  There will also be a silent auction featuring books, autographed band merchandise, unique handmade items, and more.  Proceeds from admission and from the auction will go to the Harry Potter Alliance and STAND, the student led section of the Genocide Intervention Network.  Following the earthquake in Haiti, the OWL group also decided to donate a portion of the profits to Partners in Health for relief work in Haiti.

The first ball and silent auction raised over $2,000 for charity, and the OWL group hopes to raise much more this year.  This year’s auction will include a custom and personalized song written by Christian Caldeira of the group Oliver Boyd & The Remembralls.  The song will be professionally recorded and mailed to the winner on a CD complete with cover art.  An autographed copy of Melissa Anelli’s book Harry: A History will also be up for auction, as will a one-of-a-kind Carousing With Cupid t-shirt that will be autographed by all the bands. 

Like last year, the Carousing With Cupid event will take place at Oklahoma City University’s Great Hall.  It will be held on February 13, 2010, and begins at 7:00 p.m. and will end around 11:00 p.m.  Doors open at 6:30.  Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for children (children under 5 are free) and may be purchased either from the OWL website (www.okwizards.com) or at the door.  The event is being co-hosted by the Oklahoma City University English department and Sigma Tau Delta honor society.

Other blogs about the Wizard Wrock World:

 Blog of The Whomping Willows, one of the bands playing at the event.

The NewsOK blog has an article about the concert.

For more information on the Harry Potter Alliance, here’s their blog.

Finally, Voldemort Can’t Stop The Wrock is a general wizard rock blog that tracks concerts and events around the world.

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