Wheatus is a band with something to prove, and the road to redemption runs through State College.

Abandoned by its record label, Wheatus is taking a more grassroots approach to maintaining a connection to its fans by touring small venues across the country. Now, the tour stops in State College.

The band will play an all-ages show with Emberwell, Scenic and Joel Dobbins at 7 tonight at Chronic Town, 224 W. College Ave. Tickets for the show, organized by Nittany Booking, are available in advance for $10 at City Lights Records or for $12 at the door.

The Northport, N.Y. group released its self-titled first album to positive reviews in 2000, with a successful lead single, "Teenage Dirtbag," which was included in the soundtrack of the feature film Loser that same year.

However, the band's contract with Sony BMG-owned Columbia Records fell through when the company refused to release the band's second album, said lead singer, songwriter and guitarist Brendan B. Brown.

Wheatus requested, and was granted, release from the contract. Since then, the band has struck out on its own to shake the specter of its time with Sony, self-releasing albums and touring extensively to support them.

"We've been touring for about 12 years now," Brown said.

Wheatus has an extremely diverse set of influences, ranging from Motown to heavy metal to country, which results in a distinct sound, Brown said.

"It's hard to describe their sound," said Nittany Booking owner Garrett Bogden. "They're like a pop rock band. The last time I saw them, they played an all-request show. They just had kids yell out songs. They didn't have a set list."

Bogden said Chronic Town's intimate atmosphere will benefit the band's style.

"It's our first show that we're doing at Chronic Town and I think the band fits that room," Bogden said. "It's a really cool space, it's smaller and more intimate than SoZo, and the atmosphere is really cool."

Bogden said the openers, Emberwell, Scenic and Joel Dobbins, were a diverse group of acts whose sounds also fit well with the venue, including Dobbins' acoustic set.

Wheatus has played a wide range of venues, from larger shows in England to American Legion halls and intimate clubs in the United States, Brown said.

"We try very hard to make sure the sound is very clear," he said. "We're not interested in sacrificing clarity for volume. You'll find our shows tend to be a little quieter. We're not into the whole rock show presentation vibe, we're much more of a folk thing."

Some Wheatus fans at Penn State said they were happy to get the opportunity to see the nationally touring act make a stop in State College.

"I'm surprised and pretty stoked for them to come to State College," Tristan Helms (senior-engineering science) said. "It's a good start to my last year."

And the smaller venue gives fans a chance to see the band up close.

"I really like the fact that Wheatus is taking the time to play a small venue in State College," Jeff Foulsham (sophomore-communications) said.

The band has worked to establish a relationship with its fan base following its falling out with Columbia.

"They refused to release our second [album] after our first one did very well," Brown said. "We asked to be released from our contract, we've been self-distributing since 2004."

Brown added the band is happy with its current situation.

Wheatus distributes albums through music download services such as iTunes, which Brown said is more efficient because it cuts out the middleman.

The band also releases some music on vinyl records, with the philosophy that vinyl boasts better sound quality than digital releases.

"We're out of that record deal now and we intend to stay that way," Brown said. "We're independent and that's important to us."