Alt-country rocker Wayne "The Train" Hancock has slammed head-on into State College in recent years and, true to his nickname, is on schedule for another stop downtown tonight.

Hancock will liven up the scene with his self-described "juke joint swing" at 10:30 p.m. at Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave.

"We always have a good time in State College," Hancock said, referring to himself and band mates Eddie Biebel, lead guitar and Chris Rhoades, bass.

Hancock's music, a unique fusion of honky-tonk, swing, big band and blues, eludes most traditional labels.

"We are horribly excited for him to come," Zeno's employee and Hancock fan Tom Spaulding said.

Although he jokingly said he once considered being a professional alcoholic, Hancock is glad he found what he's supposed to be doing -- making music -- at an early age. With his music on the radio by age 15, Hancock went on to tour briefly as an opening act for the heavily bearded, electric guitar-wielding trio that is ZZ Top.

Top's raw rock 'n' roll and Hancock's twangy honky-tonk coexisting in the same venue?

"Their music and my music kind of glared at each other from across the room," he recalled.

After several failed attempts to get kicked off the tour -- like telling rabid ZZ Top fans to go to hell when they booed him -- Hancock swore off both heavy metal and big-time tours.

To him, he said, the music of the head-banging hair bands just isn't as meaningful for the audience as his distinctive hillbilly style.

"When you go see hard rock shows, it makes you mad," Hancock said. "My shows make you feel good."

It's musicians like Hancock who "allow you to be cool without having to sound pissed off," according to a quotation from Miles Copeland, Hancock's label owner and former Police manager, on Hancock's official Web site.

If all goes well, tonight's audience should feel good and not be pissed off for at least two hours, the minimum length Hancock promises his lively honky-tonk set to last.

"This stuff is better than any drug I've ever done," he said of his music. "Once you get hooked into it, man, it's like your best friend."

As for doing away with lavish touring, Hancock is now self-managed and has turned to playing small gigs, like tonight's show, in lieu of large concerts.

"You can say more to 50 people than you can to 15,000," he said. "I like getting one-on-one with people."

Hancock further demonstrates his desire to make his music more personal by devoting as much time as possible to playing for his fans, even if it means spending fewer hours in the recording studio.

He recorded the song "Miller, Jack and Mad Dog," off A-Town Blues, in two takes; completing his entire second CD, That's What Daddy Wants, took just three days.

"Every minute I'm in the studio is a minute I'm not playing live," he said.

The rewards Hancock reaps for his talents have exceeded monetary value and have gone on to achieve out-of-this-world status. Literally.

With deep roots in Texas, Hancock grew ties with the mission control crew in Houston. At first he would only see them at his gigs, and for a while he didn't realize they worked for NASA. But the crewmembers liked what they were hearing so much that the blaring horn in That's What Daddy Wants' title track was used to wake the astronauts on the space shuttle Columbia.

When questioned about this accomplishment, Hancock's voice and hearty laugh grew quiet.

"I don't like to brag..." he said.

And it seems as though this modesty is sincere; instead of boasting, he went on to talk about how he was banned from a Nebraska venue for making inappropriate comments about an audience member's mother.

Hancock's stop in State College marks roughly the midpoint of his current tour, which kicked off in Georgia and will come to a close in Wisconsin.

"I'm one of those guys that will always be doing this," he said. " 'Till I'm dead."