Mixing very different genres of music together may seem strange, but tomorrow night’s highly-anticipated concert at the Bryce Jordan Center will prove otherwise.

State College favorite Dave Matthews is performing at the Jordan Center with fellow jammers including Tim Reynolds and Phish’s Trey Anastasio. He is also bringing country star Emmylou Harris.

Playing her first concert with Dave Matthews and Friends, Harris, accompanied by her band Spyboy, offers an interesting addition to the jam-band lineup.

Harris’s successful career has established her as a country legend with 11 Grammy awards and the Billboard Century Award. Her latest album, Stumble Into Grace, features her skills as a songwriter on practically every track.

Bernie Punt, director of sales and marketing for the Center, said although Stumble Into Grace was released in September, there is no way to determine exactly what Harris will play tomorrow.

"The audience is in store for a lot of surprises," he said.

Furthermore, Punt explained that the format of the concert as a whole is also unpredictable. Even though Harris and Spyboy are considered the supporting act, "they could be performing at any time during the concert."

The inclusion of a country singer with Dave Matthews and Friends is unusual, but fans of Harris know she will add a great deal of energy and excitement to the show.

Greg Gabbard, owner of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave., identifies himself as a huge fan, owning practically all of her albums.

"Basically, Emmylou Harris sounds like an angel singing backup with anyone," he said.

Gabbard believes that concertgoers who are familiar with Harris’s legendary status may appreciate her more than fans exclusively of Dave and Friends, but he is optimistic about the results of the collaboration with the well-known musician.

"At the very best, it’s going to expose what she does to people who don’t know much about her," he said.

Likewise, Punt believes Harris will attract a whole new fan base in State College after the show with the popular Matthews.

"She has definitely crossed over a couple generations," he said.

"She’s always been a well-respected artist, but I think now the younger musicians are starting to realize that she is one of the legends."

In fact, singer/songwriter Dawn Kinnard, a State College native, cites Harris as one of her musical influences.

"I’ve listened to her since high school. Her Red Dirt Girl album is the one I would listen to over and over again," Kinnard said.

Like Punt, Kinnard expects Harris to acquire many new fans through this concert. While discussing Harris’s recent sound, Kinnard said, "Younger people can probably be able to identify with it. The instrumentation is a little more modern."

Gabbard acknowledges that Harris will present a different style of music than the main act, allowing for what he called "an interesting juxtaposition."

For the people wanting only to see Dave Matthews, Gabbard believes it is worthwhile to see Harris’s performance.

"Tell them to go early and catch her," he said.

Tickets are still available for the concert. Due to the mass appeal of the show, the Center opened up the sections behind the stage after the main seats quickly sold out.

No matter where attendees sit, Punt is certain that they will enjoy a particularly fabulous show that students will be disappointed to have missed.

"It’s quite an ensemble of musicians gathering together," he said. "I think the fact that it’s the last day of classes for you guys, it’s been a tough year, a great fall for Penn State music fans, it’s a great way to end the whole semester."