Ska royalty comes to State College tonight when The Toasters, founding fathers of American ska, perform at The Brewery.

Rob "Bucket" Hingley, vocalist and guitarist for the group, said The Toasters recently toured the West Coast on the "Ska Is Dead" tour with fellow ska groups Voodoo Glow Skulls, Mustard Plug, Deal's Gone Bad, Monkey and Synthetic Elements. The band has toured solo since Feb. 8. Local bands The Whatleys, Hipster Death Machine and The Deuces will open the show.

"We're working our way back to the East Coast, and the State College gig is part of that," Hingley said.

Ska originated in Jamaica in the 1960s; bands of this first generation of ska were known as part of the First Wave.

"We play ska, which is a mix between punk rock, jazz, reggae and soul," Hingley said.

British musicians interested in the Jamaican form of ska began melding the music with punk in the mid-to-late 1970s, which became known as the Second Wave of ska. Hingley, a British expatriate, formed The Toasters in 1981 in New York City as one of the first American groups influenced by the 2 Tone movement.

The ska revival that followed in North America was named the Third Wave of ska, which The Toasters are often credited for founding.

Steve Porter, bassist for opening band The Whatleys, said he's listened to The Toasters' music for a long time.

"I'm very excited about playing with them," Porter said. "They're legends in the world of ska."

The Toasters have toured and recorded consistently since its inception. The group released a new studio album, One More Bullet, in 2007, for the band's 25th anniversary. Hingley said the group, which has experienced a revolving door of band members over its 27 years, still tours extensively. He said touring is a necessity for a blue collar band.

"You can't make one thin dime selling recorded music," Hingley said, adding The Toasters play more than 220 dates a year.

Hingley said, despite the band's full touring schedule, there was some worry this tour wouldn't attract as many concertgoers because of recent economic troubles across the country. However, ticket sales have been brisk, which he attributed to people using the music as an escape from those troubles.

"The tour's been pretty good. I was concerned all this doom and gloom recession would put a damper on it," Hingley said.

Hingley added the band has been to State College many times, but in the past did so at what was formerly the Crowbar.

"We played a lot back when students were allowed to drink, before Ronald Reagan changed all that," he said.