CRESCO - While feuding with her record label in 2000, pop-punk princess Drama penned the first so-called wizard rock song, "Ode to Harry Potter."

"The label told me: 'No way, you can't write songs about Harry Potter,'" said the 29-year-old Switchblade Kittens lead singer who goes by only her first name. "But I made the song anyway, and I put it on the Internet for people to download."

In a matter of months, the tune had reached more than 3 million people. The first time Drama and her band played the song live, fans jumped on stage and started singing along.

"That's when we knew we had started a movement," she said.

On Saturday, wizard rock comes to Cresco. The town's library is sponsoring a Harry Potter birthday party, which will feature a set by the California-based Switchblade Kittens and a screening of "The Wizard Rockumentary: A Movie about Rocking and Rowling." All events are free and open to the public.

Event organizer Peggy Ross, of the Friends of the Cresco Public Library, said the movement reminds her of the folk music explosion in the '60s and '70s.

"It's a wonderful, independent music experience," said Ross, who also is organizing wizard dueling competitions, trivia showdowns and Harry look-alike contests for the party. "It's not commercial. It's about people writing and performing music about things that excite them."

Today there are more than 500 Harry Potter bands, which sing songs about and inspired by J.K. Rowling's seven- book series. Most are based in the U.S., including: Harry and the Potters, The Remus Lupins, The Moaning Myrtles, and the Whomping Willows.

The magic of the wizarding world - where a pitch of floo powder can transport you from fireplace to fireplace - initially attracted most fans to the story, admits Ross. But Rowlings' themes of loyalty, morality, faith and love are what has inspired the rabid fandom of Harry Potter bands.

"That is probably the biggest motivating force throughout the whole book - people make the choice to do the right thing," Ross said. "You can put down the books, but that message is so powerful that fans want to stay connected with Harry Potter and the wizarding world."

And for many fans, picking up a guitar and singing about their Hogwarts heroes fills the void left by the end of the series.

"There is a really universal love of Harry Potter and it's an intense love," said Megan Schuyler, who produced "Wizard Rockumentary" with her twin sister Mallory. "It speaks to so many people, and for all of us who lived through the suspense and the anticipation of watching the story unfold, Harry Potter is especially important. I think that's brought our generation's involvement to another level."

The Schuylers, now 23 and living in Spokane, Wash., traveled the country to visit with wizard rockers starting in July 2006. Their 92-minute film was released in April.

"The message that love is the most powerful magic is a very positive message," said Mallory Schuyler. "I think people need more positivity in their lives, so that's something they really latch onto."

Fan outlets like wizard rock allow that force to live on readers' life, even after completing the series. "It's a way to continue the magic and the message," she said.

Contact Mary Stegmeir at (319) 291-1482

or mary.stegmeir@wcfcourier.com.