Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., will be immersed in energy tonight when bands from the CMJ College Music Tour rolls in.

Bands Hey Mercedes, Damone and Jet by Day have been playing shows on or near college campuses and will now bring their sound to State College.

"I think it's really cool that Crowbar was handpicked as one of the venues for this tour," said Dave Wells, director of operations for Crowbar.

Illinois natives Hey Mercedes will be performing for the first time in State College and are excited for the show. "We play energetic rock 'n' roll," guitarist/singer Bob Nanna said.

Nanna, bassist Todd Bell and drummer Damon Atkinson started out playing together in 1997 in a band called Braid that Fernando Aguilar of Vagrant Records called "influential indie rock."

Two years later Braid broke up, and its members found themselves "bandless," but still with a desire to make music together.

Hey Mercedes was formed when the trio was joined by guitarist Mark Dawursk, and the group was playing shows by August of 2000.

Since then the band has toured nationwide, and during this tour has hit Bethlehem, New York City, Pittsburgh and Buffalo, N.Y.

The band has released two CDs, one of which, Loses Control, was released earlier this month with an even more energetic sound than Hey Mercedes' previous album, Everynight Fire Works.

Nanna said the group gets influences from all over, but they change frequently.

"It comes from whatever we hear, see and experience from day to day. The bands that influence us are always changing," he said.

Damone of Boston and Jet by Day of Atlanta will also be joining Hey Mercedes on stage with their energy-filled tunes.

Nanna described Damone's music as "poppier" than that of his band, saying that it's pop-punk and has features of '80s music.

He said Jet by Day is energetic rock 'n' roll, but with a darker edge than Hey Mercedes.

Aguilar said the CMJ College Music Tour was a huge event with every kind of music.

"Its different showcases that different record labels put together with groups that are relevant to today's audience. Nearly every record label in the United States was included. It was very exciting," Aguilar said.

Wells is excited to have a piece of that coming to his venue.

"It's a great little show with good bands and it's been well supported. It caps off a month of diverse music nicely and it should be fun," Wells said.