Fans of The Morning Light will get to see the burgeoning music troupe kick off the fall concert season at SoZo's, 256 E. Beaver Ave, at 7:30 tonight.

Made up of five friends that grew up in and around Pittsburgh, the band concluded its tour opening for The Hush Sound last night in New Jersey.

The band is now promoting the Sept. 23 release of its first full-release album, which is self-titled, and will tour with The Rocket Summer later in the fall.

The Morning Light's live performances provide less of a cacophony of loud rock tableaus and more a symphony of harmony from the quintet, said Matt Colussy, guitarist and back up vocalist.

"You get to hear more than one person's voice," Colussy said. "It keeps the attention off of just one singer. Each individual band member has their moment to do their thing."

The group's core genres are emo, rock and pop -- "but not cheesy pop" -- and it puts the piano on a bit of a pedestal, Colussy said.

"It's a beautiful instrument and it's a shame more people don't use it," Colussy said. "It's a great complement to every other instrument in the band and a nice weapon to have in the arsenal in regard to sound."

Colussy dropped out of Duquesne University to focus on the pop-punk band he was in at the time, Transition, with Harrison Wargo, a bassist-turned-pianist and singer.

When Transition broke up, Wargo and Colussy went on to find a lead singer, a drummer and a bassist for a new band -- The Morning Light.

Last May, the band self-released copies of its premiere EP Sounds of Love before signing with Fearless Records, Colussy said.

Fearless Records has dealt with past clientele including bands such as The Plain White-T's and At the Drive-in according to the Fearless Records Web site.

Colussy added the alternative rock-oriented record label re-released the EP and escalated the marketing and distribution of it.

Matt Poynor (junior-civil engineering), who stumbled across the band while perusing the Internet, said it has great potential to float into the mainstream via positive word of mouth.

"The Sounds of Love EP, with true life lyrics coupled with the constantly changing tempo, keeps me entertained all the way through," Poynor said.

With the band recording music under a label, Colussy warns its new album is going to be different.

It will still contain several catchy foot-tapping tunes, but there will be a distinct additional dose of melody and musicality.

The group incorporated much more instruments -- "anything we could get our hands on," Colussy said.

Will Snyder, organizer at SoZo's said he trusted State College booking company Nittany Booking's proposal to book the band at the forefront of the concert season.

"The band members are excellent musicians from what I know of them," Snyder said.

He added Nittany Booking puts together a great combination of great music.

"It's encouraging for bands to play here," Snyder said. "Most are students themselves or can relate to the crowd."