Hello magical friends, and welcome to episode 105 of WZRD Radio! I’m your hostwitch Bess and before we get in to today’s episode I’ve got a bit of business.
As you know, WZRD is now a team of two, with your hostwitch staffing the main office and our beloved Special Correspondent in the Field DQ gallavanting about and meeting you all in person. Well, it felt important that we have some sort of token for folks who might happen across Dream Quaffle while they’re Corresponding. To that effect we’ve knocked up three potential designs of buttons but we need your help making the final decision on which one will be the official Special Correspondent in the Field swag.
I’ve made a public poll on the WZRD Patreon, with a picture of each button option, that anyone can vote on. You don’t have to be a magical patron! Just pop on over to Patreon.com/WZRDRadioPod and tell us which one you think is best.
And while you do that, here’s some music! First up is “Troll in the Dungeons” by Stephanie and the Quaffles.
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You just heard “Troll in the Dungeons” by Stephanie and the Quaffles [lyrics], Ginny and the Heartbreakers with “Halloween at Hogwarts” [lyrics], “The Basilisk and the Halloween Feast” from Seven Potters [lyrics], and homo qui vixit’s “Halloween” [lyrics].
And now, magical friends, it’s time for another check in with the one and only DQ.
Salutations! This is Special Correspondent in the Field DQ with a field report on Back To School At Hogwarts Day at the South Chattanooga Public Libary in Tennessee. In the interest of full disclosure, I was meant to be in Chattanooga for the Literary Ink Convention in July. Unfortunately, illness kept me from being able to perform there. However, the stars have a very interesting way of arranging themselves sometimes; a represetantive from the Chattanooga Public Library approached your hostwitch at the WZRD Radio table at that very convention and asked if she knew of any wizard rockers who might be interested in coming to their library to perform some music for Back To Hogwarts Day.
When I heard about this, I jumped at the opportunity! I’ve never gotten to play a library before, and libraries are a rich part of the wizard rock tradition. So I packed the family up and I took them down to Tennesee for the first weekend in September. Incidentally, if you’re ever in the Chattanooga area and you need recommendations for fine restaurants at a reasonable price or exciting nightlife opportunities, feel free to let me know. And a special shout-out to my good friend Jennifer Edge who runs Mainline Tattoo parlor and is the proprietor of the Literary Ink Tattoo convention, for squeezing me in for an appointment while I was in town.
On Back To School At Hogwarts Day at the library I arrived and found a quaint and charming library of exciting and passionate staff. They had the place perfectly decorated to look exactly like Hogwarts for the kids. There was a Sorting Hat so the kids could choose their house, there was a quidditch pitch out in the yard so the kids could go and play their favorite wizarding sport, and there was a station inside for children to make their very own flash-frozen, butterbeer-flavored ice cream. All in all, it was unlike any other wizard rock performance I’ve given. It wasn’t so much about me performing for people as it was about providing ambient wizard rock to help further immerse people in the experience of being at Hogwarts, and I was only too happy to oblige. The community in Chattanooga is thriving, enthusiastic, and very loving and supportive and it was a privilege to be able to participate in this library show for them. If they should ever be in need of ambient wizard rock again, they know that they can call upon Dream Quaffle.
This is Special Correspondent in the Field DQ signing off.
Thank you, DQ, for that report! And I can personally vouch that Chattanooga is a delightful place for wizards.
It’s time for our next bit of music, starting with Amy Snow and “Fat Lady.”
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You just heard Amy Snow’s “Fat Lady” [lyrics], “Champion” by Marked as His Equal [lyrics], The Dead Ringers with “Deathday Waltz,” and “Deathday” from Crookshank.
It’s spooky season, magical friends! And with that comes a whole plethora of fun things to do. Here are just a few:
Fort Wayne, IN is hosting “Hogworks” on October 5th, which will include all kinds of panels and workshops and, frankly, sounds amazing while also fundraising for charities. [link]
Tonks and the Aurors is wrocking out in Lebanon, OH on October 12 at Wizards Weekend with Mulberry St. Books. [link]
The Harry Potter Academic Conference is celebrating 13 years of magical scholarship in Philadelphia, PA this year. [link]
There’s going to be a delectable Hogwarts Fall Feast series in Grant Park, IL starting on October 18th that includes a scavenger hunt and other fun as well as a feast worthy of Hogwarts. [link]
Have you ever seen Harry Potter fan fiction ballet? Well if you’re in Fredrick, MD on October 19th you’ll be able to, and I hope you’ll tell me all about it. [link]
October 20th is going to be “Witches & Wizards of Woodstock 2024” in Woodstock, IL. There’ll be owls and sorting hats, among other magical creatures. [link]
If you happen to be in Holly, MI October 25th, you can catch Dream Quaffle at Holly’s Mischief & Magic After Dark! [link]
And if you’re looking for a casual Halloween experience, look no farther than Rugby, UK, where a Harry Potter Afternoon Tea will be taking place on October 31st. [link]
As for what I missed last month…
Dream Quaffle released their first live album! [link]
The annual Sampler came out, and it’s the second-biggest ever! [link]
And Neville’s Diary brought back “Least Expected” [link], “The Awkward Kid” [link], AND “Spread the Rumor” [link].
All these events and more can be found on the Potterhead Calendar of the WZRD website.
Here’s Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills leading our final music break with “Trollin’ for Lovin’.
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That was “Trollin’ for Lovin’” by Justin Finch-Fletchley and the Sugar Quills, Ninen ¾ and “Werewolf on the Grounds” and “Halloween is Fun But…” by Room of Whateva [lyrics].
Congratulations to Lillian, who got episode 103’s theme within minutes of it going live. That was incredibly impressive.
And with that, episode 105 comes to a close. I hope you all had fun. I know I did!
If you heard your new favorite song, go to the transcript at WZRDRadioPod.com, follow the link, and buy yourself a copy. You’ll get a great new addition to your music collection and a wizard rocker will know they’ve got a fan. And you know what I always say: without our wizard rockers, we wouldn’t be here.
You can support WZRD and the Community Wrock Fund by joining the Patreon at Patreon.com/WZRDRadioPod. There are two, five, and ten dollar tiers that all get the same perks, including early episodes and bonus content, and support the Fund in helping our wizard rockers get their music out there.
You can still guess this episode’s theme on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok at WZRDRadioPod. You can also get in touch by commenting on the transcript or emailing me at WZRDRadioPod@gmail.com.
Until next time, magical friends: Well, I think that’s everything of importance…
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