It's Valentine's Day 1984. The Screaming Ducks break onto the Penn State music scene for the first time. The group's performance at the Brickhouse Tavern is the beginning of a legacy.

Fast forward two decades, and the Ducks, now a seasoned veteran of local stages and still playing the same classic rock covers, is getting ready to celebrate its 20th anniversary 9:30 tonight at Players Nite Club, 112 W. College Ave. Admission to the 21-and-over show is $5.

"They were here two years ago, and it was a really busy night," said Colin Bitner, assistant manager of Players. "They are a good band, and they're always a lot of fun."

Band members took time to reminisce about the memories they've collected\.

John Cunningham, one of the Ducks' guitarists and a frequent solo performer around State College, came to town and started performing acoustic shows in 1980. When a drummer friend talked him into playing a Valentine's concert in 1984 with a group of buddies, Cunningham had no idea that spontaneous gig would turn into a long-lasting band.

"We played at the Brewery [233 E. Beaver Ave.] on Friday nights for 16 years and at the Phyrst [111 1/2 E. Beaver Ave.] on Thursday nights for 15 years," Cunningham said. "Eventually, we gave up the steady jobs and weekly gigs, but we have never stopped playing."

The Screaming Ducks certainly has gotten around. Besides playing at local venues, the band has opened for several national acts including The Guess Who and Ziggy Marley.

"We take classic rock and play it our way," said Andy Tolins, one of the band's guitarists who regularly plays around town sans the Ducks. "There is always a group of college kids interested in classic rock. Rock 'n' roll is good music to get together, dance and drink beer to."

Cunningham agreed with his bandmate.

"We have been mainly a bar band, a garage band," he said. "We play a wide range of music from Creedence, The Doors and the Dead to Neil Young and even blues."

Being a part of The Ducks gives these musicians the opportunity to let down their hair a bit. This laid-back attitude may be the reason the Ducks has stayed together for so long.

"We do it right, and we have the right attitude," Cunningham said. "We've never had the goal to make it big. It's all about fun for us, and that's probably why we've lasted for 20 years."

Even though so much time has passed since that long-ago Valentine's Day, the Screaming Ducks still remains popular with a wide range of age groups.

"Surprisingly, not much has changed over the years," Cunningham said. "It was a different scene with a freer atmosphere back in the day, but college kids still seem to love our band."

Members of the Screaming Ducks are looking forward to the anniversary celebration, Tolins said.

They expect alumni and longtime Ducks fans to return to town to see the band perform.

"We've always had an anniversary party to celebrate the beginning," Cunningham said. "This year, we are adding a piano and some sax players. All the guys who have ever played in the band will be there, so it's kind of like a reunion."