Sweet songbirds Jude and Michelle Branch will touch down Wednesday at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., as part of their co-headlining tour of Big Ten schools.

The tour began in Minneapolis and will end with the State College performance. The precursor to each city's concert is a Battle of the Bands competition in which local artists compete for the opportunity to open for the duo's show and be evaluated for a recording contract.

Crowbar's contest was held Monday with State College area pop-rock band Nevermoure emerging victorious.

"I'm psyched. Michelle Branch is cool, we've been hearing a lot about her lately," Adam Marino, Nevermoure's lead singer, said. "And I love Jude. I have his first album. It's always good to play in front of the record label people, too, maybe get lucky," he said.

The artists are promoting their latest releases from their mutual label, Maverick Recording Co.

Jude's new album, King of Yesterday, released in September, showcases Jude in a poppier, but still genuine, mode in comparison to his debut album, No One is Really Beautiful, and his song on the City of Angels soundtrack. His heartfelt ballads tell stories about everything from the high school ugly duckling ("The Not So Pretty Princess") to the superficial aesthetic demands the entertainment industry puts on performers ("Sit Ups").

Michelle Branch is a young emerging songstress whom many might recognize due to the success of her hit single "Everywhere." The song has recently made MTV's Total Request Live top ten and as of last week was at the No. 13 spot on the Billboard Hot 100. The teenager writes all her own music and has been playing since she was 14. Her debut album, The Spirit Room, has been climbing the charts 11 weeks and counting.

Both stars are new models for designer Kenneth Cole's "Unlisted" shoe brand's new advertising campaign. The designer is the sponsor for the musicians' current tour. Ads featuring the artists modeling the label's shoes can be found in upcoming issues of Maxim and other popular magazines.

Wednesday's show will mark a winning combination of national and local talent. Nevermoure looks forward to the chance to play their "hard driven rock n' roll with a hook" in this promising forum.

"We do want to thank our fans, all the people that came out and gave us this opportunity," Marino said.