One of America's top party bands will invade one of America's top party towns this Wednesday when Reel Big Fish skanks its way into Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave., for an all-ages show.

The band, with a ska-core style made famous by hits such as "Sell Out" and "She Has a Girlfriend Now" from its Turn the Radio Off LP, has always been an ideal fit for college towns, said Reel Big Fish publicist Mike Cubillos.

"Every year they tour these colleges nationally, and if people are looking for a good time, they'll find it at a Reel Big Fish show," Cubillos said.

Dave Wells, director of operations for Crowbar, said Reel Big Fish, unlike some other bands that have passed through State College, has always found an audience for its performances in the area.

"This is the third or fourth time back for Reel Big Fish," Wells said. "They always put on a great show."

One of the reasons Reel Big Fish appeals to the college-aged crowd is the band members' sense of humor, Cubillos said.

"You'll find that the band members have banter back and forth onstage," he said. "They crack a lot of jokes, off-color humor. They're almost like comedians when they're up there."

Cubillos said the band's musical style has evolved in the years since Reel Big Fish hit the big time.

"They're rooted in Southern California pop punk with some horns, but they're not even ska at this point; they're more of a party band," he said.

Getting the party started at Wednesday's event will be openers Suburban Legends and Lucky Boys Confusion, the latter of which played at Movin' On 2002.

Lucky Boys Confusion singer and songwriter Stubhy said the Movin' On show remains one of his favorites.

"That show was great; it was one of my most memorable shows," he said. "The college kids were really into it, and they were singing all of the songs."

Returning to State College, Stubhy said he knows Lucky Boys fans will enjoy his band's unique brand of rock, which is more serious than that of the headliners.

"With our songs, the subject matter is a lot more serious, but we get all our aggression out on stage, and then, we're a good time party band," he said. "But I know our styles will blend just fine."

Suburban Legends frontman Tim Maurer said his band draws from a wide range of musical styles that makes its performances especially fun for audiences.

"A wide range of music influences us," he said. "We have some jazz, bluesy overtones, straight-up rock, indie rock, whatever."

Maurer said his band has become well seasoned on the road, playing 962 shows in 2002. The shows were done mostly over the summer, when Suburan Legends played four shows a day at California's Downtown Disney.

"It was like boot camp," Maurer said. "When it first started, it was scary and kind of tough. But it became second nature and conditioned us to tour and do what we're doing now. We can do any show, whether there's five people there or 500."

Playing in front of a relatively large audience this Wednesday will give Suburban Legends the opportunity to show off its fast-paced performance style, Maurer said.

"Some bands just stay there and play," he said. "But we put in dance moves, choreography. It makes the show more of a challenge and more exciting for us but also for the audience."

The members of Lucky Boys Confusion also do everything they can to make their group's live performances unique and exciting for the audience, Stubhy said.

"Our shows are really raw live," he said. "We're not perfect; it's a real rock show. The best thing we can be is real. That's the whole point: the difference between listening to a CD and rocking out."