After a debut album that went multi-platinum, most bands would take a long drink of satisfaction and comfortably rest on their laurels.

Linkin Park, however, chose the beverage less-sipped and followed up its first record Hybrid Theory with the equally dynamic and evolutionary sophomore endeavor Meteora, which it is promoting as headliner of the Projekt Revolution tour, touching down at 9 tonight in Penn State.

The band is excited to deliver its new material to its fans in this "fun little college town," the band's DJ/sampler, Joseph Hahn, said. Linkin Park is making its second appearance in Happy Valley and looks forward to the good mix of people that the band is accustomed to finding at its shows, Hahn said.

"It's great because we see from young kids to their parents. The hardcore moshers and biker dudes in the front and the chilled-out people in the back," Hahn said.

The six-piece So-Cal outfit never expected to grow from passing out fliers in attempts to sell out the Whiskey a Go Go on Sunset Boulevard to selling out crowds at stadiums, Hahn said. Recently hailed by Spin magazine as "the biggest band on the planet," Hahn said the band has grown past all initial objectives.

"Our goal was to play shows, period. We started with small steps and eventually it grew to what it is today," Hahn said.

The band's influences of hip-hop and new-wave electronica along with its experimental nature are evident on its latest disc, using seemingly out-of-genre instruments such as live strings, a piano and a Japanese flute. Hahn said he sees the band's nature to constantly evolve as the fuel for creating its new art.

"We are evolving with everything we write. We're playing better and more confident; we are trying to push the envelope with everything," Hahn said.

The fathering of Meteora began during pit stops of the Ozzfest Tour in 2001. Hahn said the road gave birth to a lot of the album's initial inspirations. Even the album's name is derived from an encounter with a Greek outdoors magazine with the word "meteora" (which translates to "hovering in air") placed over the cover photograph of a lush, mountainous landscape.

"When we saw it we knew we wanted to make something that magnificent. We didn't achieve that magnificence, but we feel satisfied," Hahn said.

Though their touring schedule is emotionally and physically draining, the members of Linkin Park found no qualms in continuing their attack on the venues of the rock-listening public, Hahn said.

"We like to write the best music we can, and the reward is the live show," he said.

Hahn also said performing never gets old.

"It's the best part," he said, "We do interviews all day, but the reason we're here is to play music. That's our time to share with the audience. When someone comes to the show, it's our music in raw energy form."

After enjoying so much success, it may seem hard to imagine how Linkin Park can still write such pain-drenched ballads. Hahn pointed out that "life is a constant struggle no matter where you are in it."

"Just because we're successful doesn't mean we don't have problems," he said.

The band members also recognize that the world has its fair share as well, and they still find time on a tumultuous schedule to lend a hand. Linkin Park started a program that gives spouses of overseas troops a break from their stressful lives.

"When we're on tour we give free tickets to the soldiers' wives," Hahn said. "It doesn't change or fix anything, but it gives them a break for a couple hours."