Two modern guitar gods will share the same stage in State College next week.

The reason? They're in the same band.

Rock writer David Fricke named moe. guitarists Chuck Garvey and Al Schnier to his "Top 20 New Guitar Gods" list in Rolling Stone magazine last year.

The two will be playing with moe. at 8 p.m. Wednesday at the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave. The show is already sold out.

Garvey, despite his guitar god status, remains humble.

"The rock god thing is very flattering," Garvey said. "It's great for someone like David Fricke to say something like that about me, but there are hundreds of guitarists out there who are equally deserving."

Garvey attributed some of his growth as an influential guitarist to the musicians who influenced him.

"Early on, I listened to Pete Townshend," Garvey said. "The Who's Live at Leeds is a big influence on me."

Garvey also listed Andy Summers and Frank Zappa as influences.

The 571-seat historic State Theatre is an unusual venue choice for a band Garvey said is accustomed to playing venues that seat upward of 1,500.

"I love places like that because they definitely have a lot of charm," Garvey said. "I'm looking forward to coming there, a sold-out show in a cool theater like that, that's a recipe for a good time."

State Theatre Executive Director Mike Negra described the decision to book the band as a "no-brainer." He said the show was the fastest sellout since the theater reopened.

"moe. has a very dedicated following," Negra said. "It's going to be a lovefest between the fans and the band."

Garvey said the unusual tour stop came as a result of choosing a tour route that would allow fans to follow the band from show to show.

"It's kind of rare that we would play at a college campus," Garvey said.

moe. was formed by Garvey, singer/bassist Rob Derhak and saxophonist Ray Schwartz at the University of Buffalo in 1989.

"Rob and I met in college," Garvey said. "He wasn't playing an instrument at the time. He had just started playing acoustic guitar, and I had been playing electric guitar for a few years before college. Basically, we just started jamming together."

The band claimed its unique name when members discovered "Moe" was already in use by another group. From these humble beginnings, moe. has built up a huge national following.

"We get to play at festivals like Bonnaroo in front of 80,000 people," Garvey said. "It's a great job; it's a great career. We're very fortunate."

Garvey said moe.'s concert repertoire is constantly changing in a manner similar to other jam bands.

"We play for three to three-and-a-half hours," he said. "In that time, you'll hear a bunch of different styles of music, anywhere from bluegrass to hard rock. We don't repeat music. You won't hear the same song again for three or four shows."

The shifting set list isn't the only similarity moe. has to other jam bands.

"There's lots of improvising, in a style that might be similar to the Allman Brothers or the Grateful Dead," Garvey said. "Our band is constantly trying new things. We're taking chances where a lot of bands play the exact same set every night."

Garvey said he expects the show to be an enjoyable experience.

"Our light show and the audio really benefit from a good venue like [the State Theatre]," Garvey said. "It's going to be a fun time."

Negra agreed that the show may benefit from the theater's intimate setting.

"It could be the best moe. show you'll ever see," Negra said.