After multiple attempts, management at the State Theatre finally received the call it had been waiting for.

Pete Yorn will perform with opener Alberta Cross at

8 tonight at the 130 W. College Ave. theater, a performance that marketing director Kristy Cyone said has been requested by people in town for quite some time.

"We have tried to make dates work in the past. We know he wants to play here -- it's just been a matter of finding a time that makes sense," Cyone said. "We've been trying to get the news out as fast as we can."

The State Theatre had discussions in 2008 about some dates, Executive Director Mike Negra said, and Yorn has been on the Theatre's radar for a while. Yorn released his fourth solo album in July, titled "Back and Fourth." He put out a second album called "Break Up" in September, on which he collaborated with Scarlett Johansson.

Yorn is best known for "Strange Condition," a song he performed on the "Me, Myself & Irene" soundtrack in 2000, Cyone said. After digging into some of his other works, Cyone said she found some great stuff.

"I really like well-done Americana and alternative country," said Greg Gabbard, owner of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave. "He kind of mixes that with a regular rock feel, and I like the combination. He tends to express himself with a bit of melancholy. That's one of my favorite flavors."

Gabbard said Yorn has some history in State College. One of his former employees booked Yorn a few times: once on a rooftop and another time on a side street in town. The theater is perfect for Yorn's type of music, Negra said. Yorn's show speaks to the high caliber of artists the State Theatre is able to bring in, he said.

"Artists go to festivals, they talk to other artists and say 'Hey, the State Theatre is a really cool place to play,' " Negra said. "Even Yonder Mountain, a year ago, we wouldn't have been able to get them in. And it sold out."

Negra said booking acts like The Disco Biscuits, Third Eye Blind, Keb' Mo' and Jonny Lang not only makes his job easier, but attracts the type of crowd needed to sustain a venue like the State Theatre.

Tickets for the show have been on sale for a only month, Cyone said. She said because of last-minute bookings, people should keep tabs on the venue's acts.

"We have more up our sleeve for spring," Negra said.