WAVERLY -- From the mid-1970s opening of Stebs in Cedar Falls to the time Nirvana made punk rock cool to the more recent straight-edge punk subculture, the "Secret History of the Cedar Valley" has it all covered. The multimedia exhibit, which opens today with a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Wartburg College art gallery, offers a view of the local underground music scene of the past 30 years.

The exhibit features a string of old concert photos, original album cover and poster designs, plus a reading corner for those who want to brush up on punk culture or flip through one of many zines (alternative, small press newsletters). Visitors who want to check out a specific band can stop by one the listening stations.

Matthew Wilson, art professor and art gallery director, said the exhibit was made to draw in more than the usual gallery-going crowd.

"One of my goals was to create a situation that would involve portions of the larger community, not just artists or those involved in higher learning," he said. "It's celebrating all this music that was produced and so much of it was never heard."

Dave Deibler, a member of House of Large Sizes, said he was amazed by the sheer number of bands represented, many of them indeed a secret in the Cedar Valley.

The exhibit also takes great strides in bridging the all-too-familiar musical generation gap.

"A lot of these kids don't know about the older bands of the '80s and a lot of the older bands think music died when they stopped making it, so I just wanted to connect those two groups," Wilson said.

Among the bands with featured artifacts are House of Large Sizes, Dreadnex and Spirit of the Stairway. Often, the concert venues are just as important as the bands, as proven by Dean's Parkade Lounge in Cedar Falls. Wilson describes a scene in which one side of the lounge was filled with beer-drinking Hank Williams, Jr. fans while there was a punk concert going on in the next room.

Wilson said the Cedar Valley music scene is often overlooked in favor of Des Moines or Iowa City and he hopes the event will provide an "ego boost" for the area and bring support to local musicians.

"The thing we're taught is that there's nothing going on here. We're just kind of self-deprecating," Deibler said. "It's a story I get tired of telling, that there is some great music around here. If you go to the show you'll see that there is just a wealth of people making music."

The exhibit was funded and produced in what Wilson calls the typical punk DIY (do-it-yourself) style. He said the need for artifacts was spread through word of mouth, and volunteers helped publicize and set up the event. The event's Web site, www.thesecrethistory.org, is a Wikipedia site that was set up as a research tool for the event and has more than 100 contributors.

"There are people flying in from San Franscisco, Oregon and all over the state to see the show. It shows how much they value the bands and the music that comes out of this area," said Wilson.

A 10 p.m. concert at the Reverb will follow the gallery's opening reception and feature local bands Modern Life is War, Beat Strings, Brooks Strause, the Torpedo Darlings and Checkmate. Tickets run $6 for the 21-plus crowd and $8 for those under 21.

The "Secret History of the Cedar Valley"

What: a multimedia display to celebrate the local underground music scene of the past 30 years

When: March 17 through April 14 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Where: Waldemar A. Schmidt Gallery at Wartburg College

More info: Contact Matthew Wilson at 352-8351 or visit www.thesecrethistory.org

Cost: free and open to the public