For a few familiar faces on the high school scene, the years they put in as observers have taught them a few things about breaking through to downtown staple status.

State College Area High School alums Lemonsoul and North will take the big stage Monday night at Crowbar, 420 E. College Ave.

As Lemonsoul lead guitarist Ingmar Carlson said, getting a gig as big as the one on Monday for any band new to the bar scene can be brutal.

"It's kind of an interesting thing," Carlson said. "There's a substantial music scene here, a lot of places to play. But since we came up through the high school scene, we still have to sort of make a name for ourselves in the places where the college bands play."

But Lemonsoul seems to be doing pretty well for itself, landing a prime spot on one of the largest stages in town. Carlson said he's been a longtime fan of the place.

"I'd say it's probably one of the better venues in Pennsylvania," Carlson said. "Everything always sounds great, and the bass is crazy."

After a recent lineup shift and a shift in sound, Carlson said the band is ready to take on bigger and better things.

"We got together in the tenth grade, and we were definitely kind of a Southern-rock, classic rock band. But that got kind of tiresome, and the number of classic rock style bands that we knew got to be a bit out of hand," Carlson said. "There's still jamming, but we've got a little bit of a reggae thing going on, and then there's sort of a folk rock thing, too, because Dan [Vidmar, the singer] also plays guitar."

Lemonsoul will be performing with another band that worked its way through the State College High School circuit: North. As Carlson said, the two bands have watched each other grow up and change.

"They're great guys and awesome writers. But I actually haven't seen them play since they were seniors in high school," Carlson said.

Maybe that's because North was on a break. As North singer and guitarist Ed Barton said, their gig last weekend was their first time out since their hiatus began.

"We played shows way back when in high school," Barton said. "But we didn't play at all last year. We've only been playing together again since this past summer, whenever we have time."

Though Barton is quick to point out that North relies on a wide spectrum of indie influences, he cites one as being instrumental to the vast changes the band has made in its sound since taking time off.

"Interpol had a big impact on me for guitar sound," Barton said. "They're one of the best modern dance bands. And I like the idea of moving the crowd. But our sound is pretty far removed from the sort of slow, Britpoppy sound people used to say we reminded them of."

The recently rejuvenated North has no hesitation about rocking the Crowbar stage Monday. In fact, Barton said, they've done it before.

"I love the Crowbar," Barton said. "We played there once in high school. We thought we tore it down. The kids loved that shit."

Though he recognizes the challenges of playing original music in a town best known for its cover bands and drink specials, Barton's take on the State College scene is refreshingly positive.

"I moved here for high school, I wasn't born here," Barton said. "So I think I've always had an optimistic viewpoint. I mean, I've always thought this is the biggest college town ever, and what college towns are supposed to like is going to see music."

Lemonsoul guitarist Dan Vidmar said he has liked seeing music at Crowbar, even before he and his band would take the stage there.

"Obviously we would go to Crowbar growing up to see big bands," Vidmar said. "And that's the place you want to get to -- the point where you get to play a stage like that."

With a new sound, Vidmar said Lemonsoul is ready to jump back into Crowbar and win over some new supporters.

"Over the last three, four, five months, we've been changing our style, writing all new songs. Basically starting over," Vidmar said. "It's hard to explain the style, but it's less of the Southern rock we used to do, and more of a folk, world beat kind of thing."

Though their style has changed in the recent past, Vidmar said one thing hasn't changed: Lemonsoul is still a crowd-pleaser.

"To be honest with you throughout high school we didn't have any trouble playing shows," Vidmar said. "We had places to play, and if we needed to, we'd make our own shows. We put on four, five, six shows ourselves."

But, as Vidmar said, it's time for Lemonsoul to move on to the next level.

"We want to move away from the whole high school scene," Vidmar said. "It's great to have people who like your music, but we want to play for people who don't know who we are."