Girls can wear poodle skirts, guys can don leather jackets and everyone is expected to dance at the State Theatre on Aug. 15, Jocko Marcellino said.

"We bring you to the hop and make you do the dances," Marcellino, member of rock and roll band, Sha Na Na said. "The dances will be from years past, such as the twist and the hand jive."

At 7 p.m. and 10 p.m., Sha Na Na will perform two shows featuring hits from the '50s and '60s, which will include a little bit of doo wop, great American rock 'n' roll, and rhythm and blues, said Mike Negra, director for the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave.

The band was formed in 1969 at Columbia University, Marcellino said. He said he arrived as a freshman and was part of many different bands, one of which became Sha Na Na.

"We started playing on campus, and the band became a hit. We went down to Yale to play, and then two guys saw us at a nightclub. We were planning to go home for the summer at the time but found out these were the guys holding Woodstock," he said, adding excitedly, "We were the last band to get added to Woodstock."

Marcellino, only 19 at the time, was the youngest performer at the music and arts festival.

"We were in the documentary about Woodstock, and it's the biggest documentary of all time," he said. "It catapulted us into a record deal."

After Woodstock, the band was chosen to perform in the musical turned movie, Grease, Marcellino said.

"We were Johnny Casino and the Gamblers in Grease, and our band had more songs than any other artist on the soundtrack," he said.

The band also had an internationally known "Sha Na Na" TV variety show, shown in the late 1970s, Marcellino said.

"These strong pieces of media have given us longevity," he said. "And it all goes back to having a great live show."

The band will be playing two shows, which Negra said is unusual for the venue. The 7 p.m. show was approaching sell-out, so the theater decided to add on another at 10 p.m., he said. Having two shows in one night brought the price of tickets down, too. Tickets are $22 for adults and $12 for children 14 and under, Negra said.

"The show is going to be a rocking good show for all," he said. "The guys have so much enthusiasm and the music they play is infectious. Everyone is just going to come there with a nostalgia, and it's going to be a good time."

The band currently has eight members and everyone plays an instrument, sings and dances, Marcellino said. The show is action packed, and the band has a Broadway tradition, he added.

"Our attitude is -- let's put on a show , get out there and play some good rock 'n' roll," he said. "I promise we deliver."

When asked about the band's name, Marcellino said it comes from the song "Get a Job" by the Silhouettes.

"The song has a doo wop feel, and our name comes from the nonsense heard in the background. It doesn't mean anything and is sung in harmony," he said softly singing the background "sha na na na, sha na na na."

Despite the State Theatre being a bit smaller than many of the venues the band plays at, Marcellino said he loves the smaller, older theaters because they are intimate.

Sha Na Na's performance is probably the most fun type of show the State Theatre has had, Negra said.

"They are just enjoying life," he said, "and that's the way they treat these shows."