Dirty Spanglish at media-crazy Harry Potter Book Release in Pasadena's Vromans - By N.L. Belardes
Who has the "Hots For Hermione"?
You could say that Dirty Spanglish is the perfect band to write the Harry Potter song, “Hots For Hermione.” Pop culture influenced? Likely. “Harry Potter came out when I was in the third grade,” says vocalist/guitarist Landen Belardes.
He’s 15 now, and like the rest of Bakersfield punk band Dirty Spanglish, was more than ready for the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows at Pasadena’s Vromans: the oldest and largest bookstore in southern California.
Vromans: a bookscape of Potterness and wiz-rock
For Dirty Spanglish, it was all about Harry Potter fans. They even brought their new song “Hots For Hermione” just for all the fanatical book lovers dressed as their favorite black-robed wizards, tie-loving students, and one-eyed prestidigitators. “We wrote it just for the event; for all the book fans,” Belardes said. He’s also a big fan of the Harry Potter books and films.
What was the book release party like?
Dirty Spanglish talks to L.A. media
Dirty Spanglish talks to more L.A. media
Wall-to-wall screaming fans of all ages were dressed in their best Harry Potter themed garb as representatives from KTTV Fox News 11, KNBC Channel 4, KABC Eyewitness News, the Pasadena Star, and me from ABC 23/Noveltown/Bakotopia were in the Vromans house to watch the excitement build to earth-shattering levels. There couldn’t have been a better time for a Bakersfield band to hit a scene filled with wild young fans and a media frenzy.
Dirty Spanglish: Kris Smith, Shaun Alaniz, Landen Belardes, Nick Alvarado
Dirty Spanglish latest song is a catchy Harry Potter pop punk piece that’s part of the new genre of rock called wizard rock, or ‘wrock’ songs. Believe it or not there are nearly 200 bands around the world who sing exclusively Harry Potter themed songs. Although Dirty Spanglish isn’t a full-fledged ‘wrock’ band, they don’t feel so bad. The entire genre started off that way: one ‘wrock’ song by a rock band. I won’t get into details. It gets complicated.
Posing with fanatical fans
Anyway, Dirty Spanglish has been on a wild media ride lately as a result of their new song. They were mentioned in the L.A. Times story, “Harry Potter, the guest of honor: Booksellers are enlisting Snape debaters, wizard rockers and more to make the launch an event.” I found their ‘wrockiness’ media worthy and wrote a piece for ABC 23 titled, “Local Harry Potter Song 'Wrocks': Youth Band Takes Potter Pop Culture To Their School Of Rock”.
Their song was even on KTTV Fox news L.A. as can be seen by the cameraman Sean Patrick Lewis filming these two ‘wrockerettes’ wildly dancing to “Hots For Hermione”. Band members made several attempts at interviews with KABC Channel 4 and L.A.’s Eyewitness News. It made for good schmoozing from these young teenage rockers.
The party was already well underway by the 10 p.m. start of LA kid band Wild Youth. They’re Disney friendly with a bit of Alanis Morissette meets Avril Lavigne mixed with a dash of 1990s band, the Sundays.
Wild Rockers: Dirty Spanglish meets the Wild Youth
Interesting band connection: Wild Youth’s self-taught keyboardist, Hank is the grandson of Bakersfield music legend, Tommy Collins, one of the fathers of the old Bakersfield Sound. Landen Belardes, guitarist/vocalist for Dirty Spanglish grandfather once did a photo shoot of Collins and Buck Owens. A portion of a street in downtown Bakersfield was closed to shoot the cover for Collin’s album, “Callin’”.
Dirty Spanglish headlined and rocked the house with an 11-song set. Girls and boys danced, although I noticed many wizard girls grooving. Their song “Hots For Hermione” was off the hook as every Harry Potter fan within earshot energized to frightening wizrockish levels. They performed their Harry Potter themed song twice. Their final hurrah was a rousing encore that led right up to the midnight book frenzy.
While Dirty Spanglish signed autographs I wandered in the store to capture the historic first purchase. Hilarious, the girl who bought the book refused to talk to media and ran off, disappearing into the crowd.
The moment of truth. A 'must see' video. Girl runs away with book!
Outside, Dirty Spanglish talked to young wizards while people literally poured out of the store, some with arms filled with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
I popped in the store to follow a cameraman and the lines as they were let in.
Chaos in the book store...
More organized chaos...
The moment of truth. First book sold at 12:01 a.m.
Harry Potter fans can purchase “Hots For Hermione” on a special collectors $5 CD that Dirty Spanglish made for the book event. Supplies are limited.
Contact Dirty Spanglish for CDs or to book shows in your area: www.myspace.com/dirtyspanglish
Labels: Deathly Hallows, Dirty Spanglish, Harry Potter book release, KABC, KNBC, KTTV ABC 23, Noveltown, Pasadena, Vromans
This entry was posted by N.L. Belardes, on
Sunday, July 22, 2007.
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That was such a fun show at the Harry Potter Book release in Pasadena! Dirty Spanglish rocked! Everyone loved them. Hots for Hermione was a big hit! Definitely one of the best Dirty Spanglish shows I've been to. They had groupies dancing and fawning over them. The band is on a roll right now, it seems to be their time. :)
Great photos!
The crowd in the bookstore was crazy over the Harry Potter book! I've never seen that over a book before. And Vromen's was a cool bookstore, I could have got lost in there for hours.
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