The band star69, like its name implies, is trying to get back in touch with something itss seen glimpses of before.

Drummer Kevin Soffera has previously played arenas with Seether and Breaking Benjamin, while singer and guitarist Stephen McKnight was becoming a celebrity in his own right in Japan. The musician even appeared in commercials with golf legend Tiger Woods.

The two men will combine their talents with ex-Emily's Toybox bassist, Leon Karpovich, as star69 to bring the sounds of their new power trio to the Cell Block, 420 E. College Ave. at 10:30 tonight.

The Philadelphia-based modern rock group has only been touring together for about two and a half years.

Despite this, the band is already gaining momentum. They have even gone so far as to play 250 shows in a year, McKnight said.

"We started a new band right after the economy started to go down, but we are having great success," he said.

This, however, is nothing compared to what McKnight experienced during his seven years as an expatriate in Japan.

While living in the island country, the American citizen sang for a successful band, and then went on to produce 15 albums.

He also wrote the music for the original Guitar Hero game, known in Japan as Guitar Freaks, McKnight said.

After these successes, he decided he wanted to start a new band from scratch.

This new band, with only three members, takes a cue from other three-piece rock groups like Green Day, Muse and Cream, which McKnight said influenced his band's direction.

"When I solo, you can really hear what the bass and drums are doing and how the instruments all interact," he said.

"We do have some loops and samples -- about 15 to 20 percent -- but we aren't dependent on that. It enhances, but we can play the night without it."

The band takes influence from many different kinds of rock music, including everything from classic rock like Led Zeppelin to newer bands like Stone Temple Pilots and Incubus, McKnight said.

The band's sound seems to come from a melting pot of many of these different styles.

"As a singer, I sound more on the soulful side," McKnight said. "Kevin's drumming is groove-oriented at the same time that it's technical. We're slightly blues-y but definitely not blues rock."

Though star69 focuses on play-ing original music, tonight's show will feature its share of cover

songs.

"The majority of the audience will be 21-year-old girls that want to hear 'Jessie's Girl' but we aren't going to play it," he said.

The band played the Cell Block several times in 2007, until the club decided to stop having bands play last year.

But band nights are back and star69 will play in place of Joe Bachman & The Crew, who usually hold a weekly Thursday night residency but are taking the week off.

Though star69 may not be touring arenas quite yet, all of its members take their music and performances very seriously.

"I have a recording studio I

run as well, and so does Kevin," said McKnight. "We are all full-

time musicians with no other day jobs."