The underground will resurface tomorrow night when The Asylum holds a free show featuring the groups Perfekt Gentleman, Stopwatch, The Chase Scene and Autotrophs in the Pollock Rec Room.

The show is the third this semester sponsored by The Asylum, an organization that sponsors punk and hardcore shows on campus.

"We try to appeal to people who support an independent music scene," said Tara Murtha (senior-biobehavioral health), secretary for the group.

The Asylum has been in existence for over a decade

in various shapes and sizes and has been part of a vibrant independent music scene in State College in the past. This year finds the group part of a very different situation, as outlets for indie music have been on the decline.

With the exception of several shows at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., the shows put on by The Asylum have been some of the few to feature music by punk, hardcore or indie groups in State College.

"There's no all-ages, do-it-yourself type venue in town," Murtha said. "It's hard to do shows here."

The State College punk scene took a hit over the summer when the Co-Op, a venue that hosted many shows, was forced to close its doors. Crowbar, while doing several punk shows a semester, does not hold all-ages shows on weekends.

"We're like the last thing holding this scene together," said Colin Osborn (senior-environmental resource management), a member and former president of The Asylum.

Despite the shrinking scene for indie music in State College, The Asylum has soldiered on and has experienced increasing support and success for the organization and its shows.

The group earned permanent club status from the Undergraduate Student Government at the beginning of this semester.

Attendance at the group's weekly meetings has also risen.

"Regularly at meetings, we have 40 kids," said

Beth Rusticus (junior-art), president of The Asylum. Meetings used to only consist of 10 to 20 people, she said.

Attendance at the two shows this semester was about 150 people for each show, even though the bands were not well known.

Tanya Lawlor (freshman-elementary education) recently began attending meetings after seeing a flier for one of the group's shows and has enjoyed her experience so far.

"I think it's a really good organization," she said.

Increased support at meetings and shows has been beneficial for the club, but it is still faced with a major problem of funding its shows.

The group incurs numerous costs while sponsoring shows, especially those featuring bigger name bands, and makes no profit from the shows except from the admission fee for non-Penn State students.

The group has applied for funding from several Penn State organizations, including the University Park Allocations Committee and the Association of Residence Hall Students.

The group has received funding from ARHS, who is co-sponsoring tomorrow's show.

The Asylum applied to UPAC for funding for a Nov. 16 show.

UPAC funded a show last spring, but repeatedly denied funding for shows this semester. Until a successful last-minute appeal, UPAC showed little interest in financing The Asylum's shows.

"The committee felt the need for punk rock had already been met both on and off campus," said Jason Lane, the chairman of UPAC.

Others in State College do not share this opinion.

"Other than Crowbar, there's not punk to be had in State College," said Ken Kubala, manager of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave., an independent record store.

City Lights has no problems selling independent music, which means there is an audience for it, Kubala said.

Other groups organizing shows on campus, such as the University Concert Committee, usually bring in larger, more mainstream acts.

"We cover a large area of lots of genres," said Jay Peffer, market research chair for the UCC.

There are advantages and disadvantages to a group with a more narrow focus, he said.

"We attract a completely different audience," Murtha said of The Asylum.

"It's an audience that's large enough that it deserves representation," he added.

With a dedication to the indie music audience, The Asylum plans to continue putting on shows with or without funding from outside sources.

The group instead plans to begin fundraising efforts itself, as well as continuing its applications for outside funding, to ensure that future shows can go on as planned.

"With all the funds we've had denied, and all the bands we want to have, it's something we have to do," Murtha said.

In addition to the November shows, The Asylum has a show planned for Jan. 26 featuring Hot Rod Circuit and The Explosion, two better-known groups. There are also tentative dates for shows in February and April, as well as the group's annual Punk Rock Prom in March.

The group plans to remain active in promoting an independent music scene in State College.

It's a really positive scene, Rusticus said.

"There's a lot of messages about unity and acceptance, not drinking and still having fun," she said.

Doors for the show tomorrow will open at 7:30 p.m., and the show will begin at 8. For more information about the show or about The Asylum, visit the group's Web site at www.clubs.psu.edu/theasylum.