Penn State alumnus Van Wagner will bring his musical talents to Otto's Brewery, 2105 N. Atherton St., on Sunday.

"My music doesn't really fit into any category," Wagner said. "But it is always acoustic, and it features rural Pennsylvania."

Wagner has released eight CDs and is currently working on his ninth.

Karl Shellenberger has been Wagner's publicist and longtime friend since the two met in college. "Van's music is a folk and bluegrass mix, but the lyrics have to do with the local area and Pennsylvania," Shellenberger said.

Wagner said his passion for music developed early.

"I grew up in a music family, and I was always exposed to music," he said.

Wagner graduated from Penn State in 1998 as a forest resources and wildlife and fishery science major. He came back for graduate school and earned in 2000 a degree to teach high school agricultural science.

Wagner currently works as a full-time high school teacher in Lewisburg, but he said that hasn't affected his musical career.

"I play at least one show a week," he said.

Shellenberger lives in the State College area and said he does all he can to promote Wagner's music.

"I want to get him up into this area," he said.

With a newborn baby at home, Wagner said he has had to change his schedule and venue choices.

"I used to play a whole lot of bars, but there were too many late, smoky nights," Wagner said. "Now I do more festivals and state park shows, and Otto's is a place where I like to let my hair down."

Otto's Brewery has featured acts like Wagner's before.

Otto's manager Andrea Blumstein said that she is hoping that Van Wagner's acoustic performance will draw a crowd.

"We have been open for three years, and we randomly have acoustic acts come in," Blumstein said. "We get nice crowds for these performances, so Sundays should be similar."

Wagner's performance will begin at 7 p.m. Sunday.

The performance is free and open to all ages.

Wagner said he is looking forward to shows in which he can have fun and not get home too late.

"I have a real nice group of supporters in the State College area," Wagner said. "I hope that it can become a regular thing at Otto's."