Walking down the street in downtown Athens, Ga., Elf Power lead singer Andrew Rieger was inspired by what he saw. Etched into the sidewalk were the words that would eventually become the name of his band -- Elf Power.

Tonight, Elf Power will take its blend of folk-rock and psychedelic sounds from Athens to State College for the first time. The indie band will stop at 9 tonight at Chronic Town, 224 W. College Ave., promoting its ninth full-length album, In A Cave.

The band, which formed in 1994 in Athens, has spent the last 14 years touring and releasing numerous hit albums.

After many line-up changes, the current members are lead vocalist and guitarist Rieger, guitarist Jimmy Hughes, bassist Derek Almstead, drummer Eric Harris, keyboardist, guitarist and accordion player Laura Carter and cellist and keyboardist Heather McIntosh.

"We're all great friends as well as fun and inventive musicians," Rieger said.

As an original member of the indie music label Elephant 6 Collective the band earned a reputation as innovators on the indie scene. That reputation continues with the release of In A Cave.

Rieger added the new album is strongly influenced by the likes of The Kinks, Dinosaur Jr., Black Flag, Brian Eno (Roxy Music) and The Beatles.

"We have a lot of college-age fans, so the shows are usually fun," Reiger said.

Jeff VanFossan, co-owner of Chronic Town, said people can expect good music at the show.

"It's a great chance for students to see a new band in an intimate setting," VanFossan said. "I think they're an incredible band and I have a lot of respect for them both musically and professionally," VanFossan said. "We're lucky to have them play at Chronic Town."

Elf Power's tour kicked off last week and will continue throughout the summer with stops across the United States, Sweden, Norway, Ireland and the United Kingdom, according to the band's Web site, elfpower.com.

VanFossan's production company, Roustabout!, has been putting on shows in State College since 2000.