With her blend of smooth-voiced folk and hillbilly melody, Texas singer-songwriter Nanci Griffith will bring some country to the rural oasis of State College this weekend.

Griffith will be performing at 8 p.m. Friday at The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave.

Released by Rounder Records in November 2006, Ruby's Torch is Griffith's most recent album. Now, she's stopping in State College to perform what Rolling Stone called her unique "folkabilly" music.

Kristy Cyone, marketing and sales manager for The State Theatre, said everyone in her office was excited when they found out Griffith was coming to town.

"You can call it progressive country, you can call it folk country, contemporary country," she said. "But her voice is really what notes the music ... she has such a pure, stripped down voice, and it's really incredible."

Griffith's voice is no stranger to the public, though. She began performing at the young age of 14 when legendary songwriter Tom Russell heard her singing around a campfire at the Kerrville Folk Festival.

Now, she has five Grammy Award nominations under her belt, on top of one win for her Other Voices, Other Rooms album recorded in 1993, featuring her interpretation of other artists' songs.

But when Griffith performs this weekend, she won't be on stage alone. Since 1986, the performer has been faithful to her string and brass backup band The Blue Moon Orchestra, which provides background music and vocals alongside Griffith's singing.

Though she was unfamiliar with Griffith, Allison Gabriel (senior-psychology), the president of Oriana Singers club on campus, spoke highly of seeing accomplished vocalists in person.

"At Penn State, we have so many opportunities to see these things. I think it's important for students to expose themselves," she said. "It's important for students to ... try something different."

Gabriel said performing is a true passion of hers as well.

"I think the cool thing about watching live performances is that you get to see a little bit of the individual person come out of their music," she said. "You don't really get that with just talking to them."

Susan Riddiford Shedd, operations manager at The State Theatre, said the show was almost sold out, even more than a week before the concert.

"She's about a 100 [tickets] away from being sold out," she said. "It definitely will sell out."

Tickets are on sale for $37 through the State Theatre box office.

Cyone thought local students should take advantage of what she called a "high-quality performer."

"I think students should really take the time, [especially] in an area like this where we're just starting to get this caliber of singers," she said. "The more you get used to stepping out of your comfort zone, you realize you'll have a lot more interest than you thought you did," Cyone said.

Cyone didn't think people had to be a fan of strictly folk music to enjoy Griffith's performance.

"I like to think that even though there are different genres, you get to a point where you don't prefer your music by genre, but by talent," she said. "This is just one of those kinds of singer-songwriters that everyone can appreciate from the talent that she has."