The members of Shonuff say national acts have told them that Shonuff blew them off the stage. With that in mind, it's not unreasonable to expect a raucous, fun set.

"Sometimes the national acts have said, 'Wow! You guys blew us away, your energy was so much greater on stage,' " said Shonuff drummer Jason Grew.

Shonuff will bring its original brand of funked-up alterna-rock to State College tomorrow when the band performs at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave.

The show will give the members of Shonuff a chance to prove how fun they can be.

"Honestly, we are known for our high-energy live shows," Grew said.

The band is based out of Pittsburgh, where all of the members met in their youth.

"Basically, I knew Gene (lead singer/guitarist Gene Walker) since I was eight, but we all knew each other in high school," Grew said. All the members of Shonuff attended Woodland Hills High School in Pittsburgh.

After high school, Grew said, the members of Shonuff were all involved with different bands. Grew was involved with the band Chronic Groove, which included Walker and Shonuff bassist Cliff Foster.

Soon, the future Shonuff members began to drop out of Chronic Groove.

"We were doing stuff we weren't into," Grew said.

That's when Shonuff was born.

"I got Mike (Sellman), the guitar player, and then Foster. Finally we convinced Gene," Grew said.

Rounding out the band is percussionist Jay Constable, who actually got Grew involved in drumming. Grew said that Constable has been drumming since he was five, and one day Constable convinced Grew to try the drum kit. "I was like, 'Whoa!' I knew what I was doing right away," Grew said. He also said that he and Constable used to practice the skills of legendary Led Zeppelin drummer John 'Bonzo' Bonham.

The band's sound has been compared to that of Living Colour, basically deemed funk/rock.

Shonuff has released two albums — one in 1998, The Sho Must Go On, and another in 1999, the live album Are We Live?

Since its formation, Shonuff has become a popular band in its hometown and different college towns.

"We travel a lot, all over, from western New York to Florida," Grew said. "We are probably better known in the south."

Shonuff has not played in the State College area for a few years.

"Actually, one of our first gigs was in State College at Café 210 West (210 W. College Ave.)," Grew said. "We played at Acacia (fraternity, 234 Locust Lane) two years ago."

In years past, Shonuff has also jammed its groove-oriented funk at Crowbar and The Brewery, 233 E. Beaver Ave.

Grew said that Shonuff wants to get back into the State College scene. "We skip some places so close to us, it's ridiculous," he said.

He also noted the difficulty of entering the local scene. "It's hard unless you are nationally-known or a cover band."

Shonuff is known for its eccentric blend of musical genres, having opened for acts as diverse as Wu-Tang Clan, Naughty by Nature, Dave Matthews Band, Jimmie's Chicken Shack and Sponge.

Grew said fans can expect a rocking set from Shonuff that will definitely be danceable.

Shonuff will be sharing the stage at Crowbar with local band Velveeta. There is a $5 cover.