Skellerpalooza is always a night of original music. But tonight, the focus will shift to original music from Pittsburgh. The city of steel is sending the bands SuperXero, GutterFly and Gearbox to the All American Rathskeller, 108 S. Pugh St., to show off its developing rock scene.

Gutterfly is from the suburbs, and although its singer Kris Pattison said Pittsburgh leaves a lot to be desired as far as a metal scene, things have been getting better.

"We've opened up for Sevendust, Mudvayne and CKY," Pattison said, characterizing his band as heavy rock. "We're melodic like Sevendust, but we're also heavy like Korn."

In the three years Gutterfly has been together, the band has toured nearly every major city on the East Coast, including a stop at the Rathskeller a couple months ago, and recorded a self-titled CD with 13 tracks.

"College towns are really fun to play and this should be no exception," Pattison said, adding,

"I've seen Gearbox a couple times and they are a solid modern rock band, very reminiscent of Fuel and about as heavy."

Gearbox drummer Josh Logan describes his band as an alternative rock band.

"We try to keep mainstream sound from Staind to System of a Down," Logan said.

"We're not a completely different band doing a thing no one else has done before."

Gearbox has been working the Pittsburgh bar circuit since the summer of 2001, and since then has opened for national acts like Pigmy Love Circus, a side project of Tool drummer Dan Carey.

They also have two CDs, which have a few songs getting radio airplay in Pittsburgh.

Pattison has also seen opening band SuperXero and said, "They are a bunch of great guys. I'm excited to be out with them."

According to its Web site, "SuperXero delivers a high intensity blend of hard rock, metal and even emo straight to the base of your skull."

Tonight's show will also be the first since the Rathskeller has begun enforcing a new which affects bands with members under the age of 21.

"It sucks," event organizer Jeff Sabarese said.

"But the 'Skeller has enough to keep its eyes on and wants to avoid any liability issues."

Legally, a person can be admitted to a bar if they are 18 only if the bar employs them.

Unfortunately, the bands that come for open mic nights are not employed by the bar, so younger band members are not allowed to enter, even to perform.

"I'd rather no under 21 people than cancel Skellerpalooza altogether," Saberese said.

He conceded that the only other alternative would be to hire chaperones, but the Rathskeller does not want to invest money in that option.

But this will not affect tonight's show of original music, which begins at 10, starting with SuperXero, followed by Gutterfly at 11 and Gearbox at midnight.

"We're just glad to get the opportunity to play with Pittsburgh bands in a place as old as the Rathskeller," Logan said.