Two Pennsylvania bands with similar musical ideals and a shared interest in the mandolin will share a bill tonight downtown.

Hoots and Hellmouth will be playing with And the Moneynotes at 10:30 tonight at Zeno's Pub, 100 W. College Ave. The cover charge for the over-21 show is $3.

Hoots and Hellmouth originated in Philadelphia and has quickly gained a following in Pennsylvania.

Ted Swanson, who booked the show, said that Hoots and Hellmouth was coming to State College by popular demand.

"We'd been getting requests for them," Swanson said.

Swanson said fans even e-mailed the band's agent about booking a show in State College.

"They're definitely alt-country," Swanson said. "They're gonna fall in with Wilco and the sound of the new Conor Oberst album."

Zeno's bartender Dave Palmer said the group has a heavier edge than a traditional country band.

"The music is pretty much Americana and rock 'n' roll," Palmer said.

Swanson said Zeno's was a logical choice for the band, considering several other rising alt-country artists, including Ryan Adams, played there during their formative stages.

Greg Gabbard, owner of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave., said he hasn't yet had the chance to see Hoots and Hellmouth live. However, he expects a good show based on the strength of the band's material.

"I enjoy the album," Gabbard said. "I've been playing it in the store a lot. They have kind of a rocking Americana feel going on sometimes."

Live music fans in State College will probably be familiar with the opening band, since And the Moneynotes is a veteran of State College's Roustabout! concert series. The band has played at the Darkhorse Tavern, Chronic Town and Bar Bleu.

However, this will be the band's first performance at Zeno's.

"I went to school [at Penn State]," bassist Mike Williams said. "I always thought Zeno's would be a great place to play."

The Scranton collective, which recently released its first full-length album, is a seven-piece outfit that features unique instrumentation. Members of the band play acoustic and electric guitar, electric bass, piano, mandolin, assorted percussion -- including pots and pans and a washboard -- and drums.

"Our sound is between a traditional '50s rock sound with jugband and Texas swing," Williams said. "It ranges."

The two bands playing tonight share an interesting connection.

"I went to high school with their bass player," Williams said.

Swanson said members of And the Moneynotes and Hoots and Hellmouth had a mutual interest in playing a show together, which made booking the two bands for tonight convenient.