A coalition of funk and reggae will seize the stage at the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., tonight in what can only be described as a "Blue Panda Deep Groove Throw-down."

Philadelphia-based The Blue Method uses vocals, guitar, trombones, saxophones, trumpets, bass and drums to create its specific "power-soul" sound, said Mike Patriarca, guitarist for the band.

"We're a soul band with heavy influences in funk and rock," he said.

The band has been playing together for four years, touring up and down the East Coast and has gone as far west as Montana to play shows. It also has put out two soul-filled studio albums that have sold upward of 15,000 units, Patriarca said. The band has played State College numerous times and has developed a fan base in the area.

"Penn State is such a big school, it's crazy," he said. "We travel all over the East Coast and we'll be up in a place like Vermont and someone will say they started following us in State College."

As for the Rochester, N.Y.-based Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, the band has also been playing for a little more than four years and has a studio-produced album, Slow Down. The band has toured from the East Coast to the West Coast and all the way back to its musical roots in Jamaica.

"It's amazing traveling in a van with all of my best friends," said Chris O'Brian, drummer for Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad. "It's like a permanent work-vacation road trip."

The bands said they are eagerly anticipating playing the State Theatre tonight, as it will be a new State College venue for both of them. They have played at Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave., in previous years.

"We've probably played in State College seven or eight times, and it really picked up fast," O'Brian said. "In State College in particular, we have a pretty big group of really cool friends who we met explicitly through the music. We like to see those kids every time we go down there."

Since the State Theatre venue has a capacity of more than 550 people, it will allow for a much bigger audience than the usual bar can accommodate.

"We started at Zeno's and more and more people kept coming up to us saying 'we have to get you into a bigger venue,' since there are lines out the door and the place is getting too packed," Patriarca said. "[There are] not a lot of big venues in State College, so the State Theatre is the next step up."

The State Theatre's atmosphere should also provide a stark contrast to the bar venues in State College.

"We do national music, and if the public is happy then that's great. It's a nonprofit theater, so it's a different kind of situation," said Joe Apfelbaum, State Theatre programming manager. "It will be interesting to see how it comes off in the theater where people aren't pouring beers over each other's heads."

Although the bands have the same booking agent and know of each other, they've never played a show together before.

"All of our State College friends speak really highly of [The Blue Method]," O'Brian said. "They all are saying that we 'have to do a super-jam,' and that we 'have to jam out with them.' We'll see if we can set that up."