The attraction of tonight's Roustabout! may be too strong to resist, as Brooklyn-based Sheryl's Magnetic Aura return to town with regulars The Bullet Parade for State College's weekly fix of original indie rock at the Darkhorse Tavern, 128 E. College Ave.
DJs Tyler Kulp and Jeff Bundy will be spinning records between sets. The show is scheduled to start at 10:30 p.m.
With an appearance at Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave., two years ago, it is not the first time Sheryl's Magnetic Aura has passed through State College, but tonight's gig will be the band's Roustabout! debut.
The group was invited to perform at the event last semester, but had to cancel due to an illness.
"Our drummer couldn't get out of bed," front man Jarvis Taveniere said. "It sucked."
Sheryl's Magnetic Aura formed about three years ago, developing from Taveniere's solo work. A split 7-inch record with Rapider Than Horsepower was recently released, but the Aura is opting to limit its tour schedule for the time being, choosing instead to focus on developing its sound into something, as Taveniere put it, "a little darker and more mature."
"When I first heard the [new] songs I was like, holy mackerel!" said Bullet Parade member and event organizer Jeff Van Fossan.
According to the Cosmonaut Records Web site, www.cosmonautrecords.com, "Sheryl's isn't just another emo band," because it "relies on the kind of grit and grime that keeps Modest Mouse regular."
"I guess we're just a rock band, but we used to be a lot poppier, so we're trying to rework ourselves a bit," Taveniere said. "There's a lot of bands [like that] in New York."
Taveniere said the group has been listening to harder, more independent acts like Fugazi, Nation of Ulysses and Brainiac, and mellower ones such as singer-songwriter M. Ward.
"We just try to be a little different," he added.
Although they've had the opportunity to support such indie giants as Yo La Tengo and Mercury Rev in the past, the members of the Aura are looking forward to a headlining spot in State College as a venue for showcasing the band's own evolving sound.
"It's fun going to play there," Taveniere said. "Last time, we got a free hotel room, which was nice for a change."
Taveniere and band mates have befriended both new and old members of State College's indie rock scene, including Van Fossan and Bundy, who is also a member of The Red Light.
Van Fossan said if it wasn't for Bundy he would never have heard of Sheryl's Magnetic Aura, recalling the show at Zeno's two years ago in which the band followed Bundy's group. "Everyone stopped talking and was staring at them, mouths agape."
Bundy and Kulp will also be on hand to keep the music alive between bands. Kulp said his record selection would encompass the usual Roustabout! themes of soul, Brit pop and indie rock, mixing old favorites with current hits.
In addition, Kulp plans to spin a few recent soul reissues, including obscure R&B legends such as King Coleman and The Mighty Hannibal.
Tonight's show comes on the heels of last week's slightly altered Roustabout! Headliner Hero Pattern had to cancel its appearance because of the snowstorm and The Bullet Parade played two sets to make up for the band's absence.
"Fortunately, the liquor and the adrenaline got us through," Van Fossan said.
