Hello magical friends, and welcome to episode 120 of WZRD Radio! I’m your hostwitch Bess and I hope you’re all hard at work on your Summer! Of! Fun! The sun is shining, the air is warm, and it’s time to have fun with friends.
Speaking of fun with friends congratulations to Celia, who was the first one to guess episode 118’s theme of “bathrooms.” That was a particularly silly one and I’m glad you figured it out.
Let’s get into this month’s music! First up we have the Department of Mystery and “Avada Kedavra.”
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That was “Avada Kedavra” from Department of Mystery, “The Villainous Tale of Flesh, Blood, & Bone” from Hawthorn & Holly [lyrics], and Time Bomb with “Avada Kedavra” [lyrics].
And now we’ve got another segment from our roving reporter, Special Correspondent in the Field DQ!
ScitF DQ: Hello magical friends and welcome to this side of summer. This is Special Correspondent in the Field DQ with another Friends of Wrock highlight just for you. Today we are highlighting Whimsy and Zest, which is owned by Cassidy and managed by Allie. I will admit to having to ask for some clarification on that one because I met these two charming young ladies at LeakyCon Denver in 2022, and they’ve been dear friends of mine ever since. But anytime I’ve been at an event where Whimsy and Zest was a vendor, I have never seen one of them without the other. According to Cassidy, she’s been crafting her whole life, but it wasn’t until 2016 that she started making things to sell. When asked if she has a favorite product or item that she makes, she said she actually is annoyed by every single product that she makes while she’s actively making it, but loves the products once they’re done. She thinks her favorite has to be buttons because they’re such a pain. Apparently they’re heavy, they hurt her wrist and they take so long to make enough of them, but she refuses to stop doing it.
Speaking of LeakyCon Denver, it was the same year at LeakyCon Orlando, where Cass met Allie for the very first time. Apparently, Allie spent so much time at the booth Cass thought she knew her later and ended up inviting her to join for LeakyCcon Denver. And the rest, as she says, is history. But it was especially fun for the first year to shock people when they admitted how new of friends they were.
This is the advice that Cass has for people who are just starting out. Have a plan and a person you can bounce ideas off of. Anytime you want to add a new product, do some research, and make sure people actually want it. Get ahead of your organization early and stick to it. Collect email addresses even if you don’t have plans to start an email list yet. Do as I say and not as I do, and promote your shop on social media. I’m the worst at making content, and I think frequently what my business could be like if more people knew I existed. Finally, make sure it’s fun. It’ll still be work, and you’ll still get stressed, but there’s no point in starting a business you don’t enjoy. Those already exist.
If you’d like to take a look at what Whimsy and Zest has to offer for yourself, you can follow them on Instagram at WhimsyandZest, or you can check out their Etsy shop WhimsyAndZest.etsy.com, and if you’d like to meet them in person, you can check them out at EnchantiCon and RomanceCon later in the year. And as a wizard rocker, I would be remiss if I did not tell the public that Whimsy and Zest stickers look fantastic on a ukulele. I should know because I have several. This is Special Correspondent in the Field, DQ saying, thank you Whimsy and Zest for being a Friend of Wrock.
Thank you so much for chatting with another of our friends of wrock, DQ! I can’t wait to see who you meet next.
Alright everyone, aguamenti break! Go refill your water while Mudblud brings us “Avada Kedavra, My Heart.”
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That was Mudblud’s “Avada Kedavra, My Heart” [lyrics], “Voldemort Killed the Hufflepuff Star” from Kwikspell [lyrics], and Muggle Death Camp with “Avada Kedavra.”
Oh my gosh, magical friends, it’s a good month for the fandom! But if you don’t see something you want to check out, why not host your own event?
First of all, Striking Down Diggory has promised us a new album, with a potential listening party and tie-in merch! So keep an eye on them.
June 2nd in Oslo, Norway brings us a Harry Potter Quiz at Proud Mary with house points at stake! [link]
Galesburg, MI is hosting a stained glass workshop on June 8th, where attendees will be making the book one flying keys. Sounds like fun to me. [link]
Starting on June 12th, St. Louis MO has a weekly Harry Potter movie series running, with trivia after! [link]
June 14th in Kalamazoo, MI is “Harry Potter Night at the Ballpark,” and they’re promising the players will play quidditch. [link]
Also on June 14th we’ve got Wizards Weekend Day in Antioch, IL which sounds like a day full of magic. [link]
If you’re a roller skater and you happen to be in Lincoln Park, MI on June 21st, you can check out Harry Potter Skate day where we’re also promised quidditch and a horcrux hunt. [link]
On June 22nd there’s going to be a Harry Potter Drag Brunch in Birmingham, AL, which is always a good time. [link]
And don’t worry! There’s plenty for you to be doing even if all these events are too far away.
Are you feeling musical, or curious about giving it a shot? Create a song to submit to the Wizard Rock Sampler (submissions due June 30th). [link]
You can also send a little ditty into the “Just Joy” comp, WZRD’s 5th anniversary celebration compilation (submissions due July 31st). [link]
AND! Once you’ve tried your hand at being a wizard rockstar there’s also the Summer! Of! Fun! Zine! This is a new project that’s open to all art, fics, essays, puzzles, whatever, from every corner of the Harry Potter fandom. And, like Just Joy, everyone who contributes will get a physical copy! [link]
If you’re looking for something lower-key, this month’s Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Jam over on the ‘Pedia is themed “romance.”
As for what I missed last month…
The good news is, nothing! But I’m delighted to inform you that The Galleon Guy has printed Cast, Cast, Cast A Spell AND Cast, Cast, Cast A Spell 2 into physical CDs. If you want a copy, message him on Discord.
All these events and more can be found on the Potterhead Calendar page of the WZRD website
I know, that’s a lot! So here’s a music break to help you stop your head spinning. Pigwideon is first, with “Avada Kedavra.”
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That was “Avada Kedavra” by Pigwidgeon, Steve Goodie’s “Avada Kedavra,” and Jessie and the Curse Breakers and “The Battle of Hogwarts” [lyrics].
And that’s the end of the episode! Go forth and create something magical.
Until next time, magical friends: Hopefully your heads are all a little fuller than they were…
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