Instrumental surf rock music is not dead. And just because the nearest beach is hours away doesn't mean State College can't have its own gnarly surf scene.

The mask-wearing surf rockers of Los Straitjackets will bring their quirky guitar-driven sound Monday to Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave.

The band is currently on tour in support of its latest release, Sing Along with Los Straitjackets, the group's first album to feature vocals.

The group's live shows include original songs and obscure covers, often slightly altered with Los Straitjackets' own unique twists. Concert-goers can expect good music and good times, according to drummer Jimmy Lester.

"It's kind of like '60s TV-theme music," Lester said. "America's instrumentals."

The band's first incarnation, The Straitjackets, originally formed in Nashville in 1988. Featuring guitarists Eddie Angel and Danny Amis and drummer Lester, the group's sound was the product of a generation fed on images of surfing fun and influenced by surf rock icons such as The Ventures.

"Every kid I knew that grew up playing an instrument wanted to play surf music. I don't know any drummer whose first song wasn't 'Wipeout,' " Lester said.

Originally, the group did not obtain much success outside of the Nashville area, and the members decided to split up. After a six-year break, the band reunited, changed its name to Los Straitjackets and began recording and touring heavily in the mid-'90s with the addition of Scott Esbeck on bass. They have recorded four instrumental albums and have been touring the U.S. extensively since 1996.

The band's most notorious trademarks are their colorful and outrageous Mexican wrestling masks, always worn by each member at every performance. According to Lester, this idea helped the group gain its success after reforming.

"At first, we were a little apprehensive (of wearing the masks). But once we put them on and looked in the mirror, we said, 'we gotta do this.' The masks kind of helped get the ball rolling for us," Lester said.

The band is also somewhat famous for its four appearances on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. In its most recent performance, Los Straitjackets played its own instrumental version of "My Heart Will Go On," Celine Dion's dramatic love theme from Titanic, in an adaptation that recalled images of riding the crests of waves sooner than drowning beneath them.

For Sing Along with Los Straitjackets, the band decided to modify its normally vocal-less setup by recruiting singers for each of the album's 14 tracks.

"Some instrumental bands just decide to add vocals after a while, but we said to ourselves, 'Let's get a bunch of guest vocalists to do it.' So, we had a long list of names we wanted. Some actually came by accident – it seems like once the word got out that we were doing this, everyone was interested," Lester said.

Many of the special guests featured on the album have already worked with or performed on the same bill as Los Straitjackets.

Guest artists include Reverend Horton Heat, Mike Campbell (of The Heartbreakers), Leigh Nash (of Sixpence None The Richer) and Grammy Winner Dave Alvin.

Vocalist Big Sandy, who also appears on the album, will be doing most of the singing for the group on this tour, which continues into November with additional dates to be announced.

Tickets for Los Straitjackets are still on sale through the Crowbar.

The show is for all ages.