An article about the New York Mets outfield of the 1960s inspired Ira Kaplan to christen Yo La Tengo.

Lead guitarist and vocalist Kaplan, who happens to be a loyal Mets fan, said the outfielders would shout "Yo La Tengo!" which means "I got it!" to alert their Spanish-speaking shortstop. However, it seems the band of the same name has seen more success than the error-prone Mets of the '60s.

Yo La Tengo, now a proud underground group from Hoboken, New Jersey, will play its pretty, folk-like, acoustic music tonight at the Veteran of Foreign Wars Building, 139 N. Barnard St.

Kaplan, drummer Georgia Hubley, bassist Wilbo and electric guitarist Kevin Salem will feature music from Fakebook, a compilation of five original tracks and 11 cover songs from artists such as Cat Stevens, The Kinks and more obscure bands.

Founders Kaplan and Hubley, also husband and wife, have created harmonies reminiscent of Peter, Paul and Mary and the Mamas and the Papas. Yo La Tengo has brought back a musical feeling from other eras, yet it adds its own style and meaning to the music.

Kaplan, once a music critic for New York Rocker magazine, said he always had an ambition to be in a band, and his wife had been a big influence in helping him make this difficult decision to start playing.

With Fakebook, the band's fourth album, Kaplan and Hubley generated a 50's and 60's feel. "But we're not trying to evoke any nostalgia," Kaplan said.

Steve Joerg, the band's representative from Bar/None Records, said "there's a lot of different sides to the band as with any good band." He said he believes the album expresses the acoustic side of the band.

The band's prior albums were "louder rock 'n' roll type of stuff," Joerg said. "This is the first album where they're really unplugged."

Kaplan said the State College show stemmed from Yo La Tengo's invitation to play a spot on National Public Radio.