Next week, one of the "godfathers of alt-country" will be making a stop in State College.

At 8 p.m. next Thursday, alt-country rocker Steve Earle will play to a sold-out crowd at the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave.

"He has the ability to make country rock," said Greg Gabbard, owner of City Lights Records, 316 E. College Ave., and the man who endowed Earle with the "godfather" label.

Earle dropped out of high school to become more involved in the music business at the same time his friends were going through their freshman year. His first gig had him singing backup vocals for Guy Clark's 1975 album Old No. 1.

It wasn't until 1986 that Earle released his first album, Guitar Town, which would end up nabbing him two Grammy nominations: Best Country Male Vocalist and Best Country Song.

Since then, Earle has sidestepped the mainstream and gained a healthy cult following -- even among fans who wouldn't usually listen to country music.

"I like some country music, not a lot, but I like what he did with it," Brad Heffner (sophomore-journalism) said. "There's a little bit of old country mixed with more electric, guitar-heavy stuff."

Kristy Cyone, marketing director for the State Theatre, also enjoys Earle's music for its influence from American roots music.

"He's known for not sticking to the 'country guidelines,' " Cyone said. "[His music] has a little more grit than that."

Gabbard called Earle's style of music "alt-country," a term he described as music "that you won't hear on country radio but music that is still a form of country music."

Heffner also agrees that Earle's brand of country would not fit in with mainstream country.

"I think he has more of a cult following. I don't think he's mainstream at all," Heffner said.

Earle is on the road to promote his latest album, Washington Square Serenade, which was released in September. John King, formerly of the Dust Brothers, produced the album and used electronic beats liberally, something Gabbard thought was "unusual" for Earle's style of music. Regardless, Gabbard still recommends the album.

"I think it's very, very good," Gabbard said. "It's a great Steve Earle album."

Opening for Earle will be Allison Moorer, a Grammy-nominated country singer and also Earle's wife.

On Earle's latest album, he duets with Moorer on the song, "Days Aren't Long Enough." Moorer is not only a Grammy-nominated country artist, but was also nominated for an Academy Award for her song, "A Soft Place to Fall," which was used in the film The Horse Whisperer.

"Allison's music is a little bit more laid-back in the country aspect than Steve Earle," Cyone said.

Moorer is the younger sister of Shelby Lynne, a Grammy Award-winning country artist. Lynne will also be making a trip to the State Theatre during the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts this summer, according to thestatetheatre.org.