a concert all about knitting!

Last night I amazingly didn't have any commitments to anything (e.g. meeting, practice, etc., which has occurred essentially every night for the past two weeks). So...I went to watch Harry and the Potters!!

The Potters are a punk/rock duo from Boston, and I heard about them over at Alison's blog. For those who don't know, Alison of "the blue blog" is a big Harry Potter fan and incorporates HP stuff in many a knitting project. She also hosts the Sockapaloooza and other knitalongs I've done. Thus, when I think of the Potters, I think of knitting and socks.

Well...

I was picking up some groceries the other day, and on my way out I saw a flyer for Harry and the Potters coming to play a concert in Pittsburgh! So I set out last night to visit Artists Upstairs, which in and of itself is a unique concept/place - it is self-described as "an educational arts organization devoted to the promotion and development of new works that explore the inter-relationship between movement, media, sound, visual arts and theatre." An example of this: sitting in the warehouse-like huge room (with one wall spray-painted to read "DO NOT DEMO") is a bicycle that has what looks like papier-mach'e dragon parts extending from the front and back. Visual art, right? Well...probably, but I definitely saw one of the people who I think works there (she was wearing wings and bug-looking goggle-glasses) riding it around the room, also.

Such was my impression of the venue, but I was really there to see the Potters. First I had to watch the opening band, called Uncle Monsterface. This band is really not my style, but there were a couple redeeming factors. First, any band that has a keytar is worth giving a bit of respect, and they certainly do. Second, they play some really awesome (although somewhat...disturbing) digital video in the background (you might be able to see it in the below really awful picture...I am so not able to take pictures!). And third - the best! - they have a sock-puppet show going on the entire time.

fans were invited on stage to "rock out" with blow-up guitars, sock puppets, and a cowbell.a sock puppet with lead singer marty. i asked for a picture with a sock because i knit socks. he looked at me weird. hey, i'm not the one wearing a whistle around my neck!

Hooray for socks! In light of the fact that I'd discovered the Potters at Alison's place, I brought along my sock to work on before the show and between sets.

and old lady and her knitting... oh, did i mention that most of the crowd was in high school? most of the rest were their parents.

Finally it was time for the Potters!! Many of the fans were decked out in some sort of Harry-Potter-esque garb - scarves (not many authentic ones...and none from PoA...this knitter knows way too much about HP scarves now!!), ties, grey sweaters, robes, even a guy who looked a lot like Snape and who carried around a wand. The Potters, who are brothers, came out dressed like Harry - they play the part really well, explaining that they're Harry Potter Year 4 and Harry Potter Year 7, and giving a little blurb about what was going on when they (as in Harry) "wrote" each song. They also did an excellent job of getting the crowd involved, and truly were a good live show to watch and experience! I was glad that there weren't any injuries (see their March 4 entries on their tour diary), and I had to laugh when I saw that they are now selling toothbrushes along with shirts and CD's on their merchandise table!

After the show, I convinced Harry Year 7 (aka Paul) to pose with me and my sock. (Again, crappy photo...I need to figure out the modes on my camera better...)

rockin'!

It was a fun, fun night. And the knitting-ness wasn't over, for once I left the show and was walking through downtown to get to my bus-stop, I took a wrong turn and ended up in front of a yarn store that I had heard existed but had never seen. Ooooh. Now I'm going to have to go downtown and get lost again so I can visit it!

Yay for Harry Potter and knitting!!!!