The man who may be the next great American songwriter, Josh Ritter, is bringing his band to State College for a night of lyrical storytelling.

Ritter and his band, touring in support of his 2007 album The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, will play at 8 p.m. Saturday at the State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave. The opening act will be Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers. Tickets are available at the State Theatre box office for $23.

"He's known for a folk-indie rock kind of blend," State Theatre marketing director Kristy Cyone said. "He has a loyal and growing fanbase."

Ritter was born in 1976 in Moscow, Idaho, to two neuroscientists. Cyone said Ritter's parents' record collection offered him his first exposure to music. As the story goes, he bought his first guitar after hearing the opening track from Bob Dylan's Nashville Skyline, a Dylan and Johnny Cash duet called "Girl From the North Country."

"Obviously, he was influenced by them pretty immediately," Cyone said.

While attending Oberlin College in Ohio, Ritter followed in his parents' footsteps and majored in neuroscience. However, his heart was with his music. In 1999, he recorded his first album, Josh Ritter, at a recording studio on the Oberlin campus and self-released the record. Since then, he's released four more full-length records as well as several live recordings and EPs.

"He's pretty highly regarded," Cyone said. "He's been on several different shows, including Letterman, and he's been compared to Bob Dylan."

People first took notice of his similarities to Dylan following the release of Ritter's first album. According to allmusic.com, recognition of his talents spread when he landed a gig opening shows on a Dylan tour. Cyone said Ritter's music evokes Dylan yet maintains some more contemporary style.

"The Bob Dylan comparison comes more from the sound of his music than from the song structure," Cyone said.

Critics have made numerous other comparisons between Ritter and some of the most well-known and respected singer-songwriters of the 20th century: Dylan, John Prine and Townes Van Zandt, to name a few. It's heady company, but Ritter's fans say he's deserving of the praise.

"Bob Dylan is by far my favorite musical artist," Adam Hosey (senior-film and secondary education) said, adding he loves Dylan's ability to tell stories in his music. Hosey said he feels Ritter is the heir apparent to Dylan's position as king of lyrical storytelling.

"Personally, I think Ritter does that better than anyone around," Hosey said.

Despite the distinctly American folk-flavored nature of Ritter's music, foreign audiences have been quicker to embrace him. In fact, several of his recordings (various singles, the Good Man EP and In the Dark - Live at Vicar Street) were released exclusively in Ireland.

Cyone said Ritter's focus on strong, lyrical songwriting appeals more to music fans in the United Kingdom than the United States, where pop music has moved away from an appreciation for storytelling in songwriting. She added, however, American audiences are also warming up to his music.

Although Ritter has found more success across the pond than at home, he certainly has his share of fans at Penn State.

"I love Ritter's music," Emily Buehler (freshman-psychology) said. "He's folky, but the music is really rich and pretty. He's an amazing songwriter."

His songs often tell the stories of underdog characters to whom fans can relate, such as the shy protagonist of "Kathleen," from the 2003 release Hello Starling.

"His lyrics are generally stories, which are very poignant and have the power to make you feel at peace," Buehler said.

Hosey agreed it's easy to relate to the themes contained in Ritter's music, saying "The Temptation of Adam" is his favorite love song. He also said the first line in "Kathleen" -- "All the other girls here are stars/You are the Northern Lights" -- is one of his favorite lyrics.

"Above all, his lyrics are both simple and deep at the same time, and very approachable," Hosey said.

The candid emotional content of Ritter's songs also seems to strike a chord among his fans.

"I like artists like Ryan Adams and David Gray a lot, too, for their poetic lyrics, but the subject matter is always so depressing," Hosey said. "Ritter has those sad songs, but he also has wonderfully happy songs. His music conveys such a wide range of human emotions."

Former Penn State Altoona student and current resident of the Pittsburgh area Anthony Jardine said he has tickets for Ritter's show the day after the State Theatre performance at the Diesel Club Lounge in Pittsburgh.

"I have been an avid Josh Ritter listener for a while," Jardine said. "I love how he is able to lure the listener to his notions and emotional attachment. I would compare him to a modern, existential Nick Drake, lyrically and vocally, yet refined and original in his own sense."

Ritter's reputation as a great storyteller extends to his live performances. Buehler said his show incorporates a lot of between-song banter.

"I saw him once in Philadelphia," Buehler said. "He's really funny in person and tells interesting stories about his songs."

Hosey said he was excited for the chance to see Ritter play in State College and jumped at the opportunity. He didn't take any chances, buying his tickets the day they went on sale to ensure optimal seating.

"I was the first person to buy tickets and I'll be front and center on Saturday night," Hosey said. "The front row at the State is awesome because it puts you so close to the stage. I'm hoping to get him to play 'Temptation of Adam' and dedicate it to me, since it is my name, after all."

Cyone said it's no accident the State Theatre booked an act with such a local following. The State Theatre attempts to gauge the student interest in shows before booking them.

"For a lot of the shows we do at the State Theatre, we check and see how many people have the band listed in their Facebook profiles," Cyone said, adding the theater always welcomes comments and suggestions on future acts.

Samantha Crain and the Midnight Shivers will open the show. Cyone said Crain, an Oklahoma native who's just 22 years old, recently released her first full-length album, Songs in the Night, with the Ramseur record label. Her music demonstrates her appreciation for American folk songwriting, including similar influences to Ritter's.

"She has a very unique sound, very raw," Cyone said.

More than half of the available tickets for the show had been sold by press time, and Cyone said sales have been picking up as the concert date nears.

"We're really excited that we got the show," Cyone said.