With the calendar about to turn to 2025, The State Theatre already has a diverse lineup of performances booked for the first half of the coming year.
With blues, jazz, bluegrass, alt-country, drag, tributes to rock and soul greats and a reimagined production, the theater at 130 W. College Ave. in State College has a busy schedule in the making with much to choose from.
In addition to stage performances, the theater has a wide variety of movies on its upcoming schedule, as well as Saturday screenings of The Metropolitan Opera HD Live. And before the ball drops on 2025, The State Theatre will host three First Night performances by acrobat Li Liu and a nighttime show by Blair County band The Pines on New Year’s Eve.
Here’s a snapshot of the 2025 live performance lineup as of Dec. 27. Check thestatetheatre.org for updates and new show announcements.
SASHA VELOUR’S “THE BIG REVEAL”
Jan 24., 8 p.m.
Drag queen and artist Sasha Velour’s new 90-minute show is “an immersive evening of drag, storytelling and live art” in an intricate and intimate theatrical production.
Tickets: $61 premium, $51 rear orchestra, $41 balcony
HOT TUNA
Feb. 5, 8 p.m.
Guitarist Jorma and bassist Jack Casady started Hot Tuna as a side project while they were members of the classic Jefferson Airplane lineup in the late ’60s. More than 50 years later, the two Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees’ blues rock and Americana band is still going strong.
Tickets: $55, $60 day of show
THE CYRUS CHESTNUT JAZZ TRIO AND D. K. HARRELL BLUES BAND
Feb. 7, 7:30 p.m.
Jazz pianist Cyrus Chestnut and blues guitarist D.K. Harrell headline Penn State’s 2025 African American Music Festival. One of the finest jazz pianists of his generation, Chestnut honed his gospel-infused sound and technical mastery alongside the likes of Wynton Marsalis and Jon Hendricks. Louisiana-born Harrell is a fast-emerging blues guitarist and singer whose 2023 debut “The Right Man” garnered critical acclaim.
Tickets: $42 adult, $10 student
AMERICAN AQUARIUM
Feb. 10, 8 p.m.
Alt-country favorites American Aquarium have built a devoted fanbase over their nearly 20 years with stellar songwriting and energetic live shows. The band hits the State Theatre in support of its latest full-length, “The Fear of Standing Still,” released last summer.
Tickets: $35, $40 day of show
13TH ANNUAL ROCK THE ’80s CONCERT
Feb. 15, 7 p.m.
The annual benefit concert supporting the Bob Perks Cancer Assistance Fund will once again feature local acts performing music of the 1980s. This year’s lineup is slated to include Crush, JR Mangan Band, The Extractors, Skoal Brothers, Anchor & Arrow, The Long Afternoon.
Tickets: $40, $60 with pre-show reception
TOMMY CASTRO & THE PAINKILLERS
Feb. 26, 8 p.m.
Over a more than 40-year career, guitarist and singer Tommy Castro has become an electric blue virtuoso. On the upcoming release “Closer to the Bone,” out Feb. 7, Castro and his Painkillers — bassist Randy McDonald, keyboardist Mike Emerson and drummer Bowen Brown — mix his originals with songs by his friends and heroes, such as Johnny Nitro, Magic Slim, Mike Duke, Chris Cain and Johnny “Guitar” Watson.
Tickets: $33, $41 day of show
EAST NASH GRASS (SOLD OUT)
March 6, 8 p.m.
One of the hottest young acts in bluegrass and winners of the International Bluegrass Music Association award for Best New Artist, Nashville-based East Nash Grass will play a sold-out show in the State Theatre Attic.
Waitlist (tickets, if available, are $40)
A TALE OF TWO
March 14, 8 p.m.
The Americana-blues storytelling duo of vocalist Stephanie Adlington and guitarist Aaron Lessard perform at the State Theatre Attic on the heels of their latest album, “Renegade” released in October.
Tickets: $35
THE WOOTEN BROTHERS
April 9, 8 p.m.
The Wooten Brothers are one of the most innovative musical families around, blending jazz, funk, soul, R&B, rock and bluegrass. Victor Wooten is recognized as one of the world’s greatest living bassists and rose to prominence for his Grammy-winning work with Bela Fleck & The Flecktones. Percussionist Roy “Futureman” Wooten is known for his masterful drumming and also emerged as a founding member of the Flecktones. Keyboardist Joseph Wooten is also a vocalist, composer and orchestrator who has played in the Steve Miller Band since 1993. And guitarist Regi Wooten, who has drawn comparisons to all-time greats like Frank Zappa and Chuck Berry, has performed alongside musicians including legendary drummer Ginger Baker.
Tickets: $48, $53 day of show
THE MACHINE PERFORMS PINK FLOYD
April 25, 8 p.m.
For more than 30 years, The Machine has brought the legacy of Pink Floyd to venues around the world. The New York-based quartet performs a diverse mix of hits and deep cuts with faithful accuracy from Pink Floyd’s 16-album catalog, while incorporating theatrical elements and lighting in the spirit of The Floyd’s ’80s live shows.
Tickets: $46, $56 day of show
BACK TO BACK TO BLACK: THE AMY WINEHOUSE CELEBRATION
April 26, 8 p.m.
Vocalist and entertainer Remember Jones presents a celebration of the life and music of Amy Winehouse with a 12-piece band and multiple singers performing her entire 2006 Grammy-winning album “Back to Black.”
CHARLOTTE’S WEB
June 7, 2 p.m.
A reimagined production features bluegrass music and clever set design in a creative spin on the classic story of true love and friendship.
Tickets: $30-$40, $35-$45 day of show.
