Nerd alert!

Rock ‘n’ roll superheroes wearing black and blue spandex uniforms, rubber helmets and black eye masks will take the stage at Downtown Brewing Co. tonight.

The Aquabats’ quirky, new wave melodies and their signature punk rock sound will fill the air as they perform for the first time this year in San Luis Obispo.

“I like the venue at Downtown Brew because it’s small, and bands like that seem to have a lot of fun,” said Peter Oyler, a computer science senior. “People don’t just go to listen to the music, they go for the experience.”

The band’s uniquely sarcastic, Saturday-morning humor will be on display at 6:30 p.m. tonight. Tickets are $17 in advance at DTB’s box office, Boo Boo Records or at the door. Also performing at the show is Hunter Revenge of AFI.

The Aquabats will be performing songs from their first full-length album since their label, Goldenvoice Records, shut down in 2000. “Charge!” was released in 2005 after fans kept the band alive online. It features songs such as “Nerd Alert!” and “Fashion Zombies!”

“They’re really goofy,” said long-time fan Lee Barats, a mechanical engineering senior. He has been listening to The Aquabats for nearly five years.

Barats first heard their music when a friend’s brother played a CD of theirs in his home state of Idaho.

“They were underground where I was from,” he said. “They all dress up in costumes and a lot of the audience members do also.”

Songs, props and costumes resulted from random tangents and inside jokes among the band, according to The Aquabats’ Web site.

During their shows, they perform skits and sometimes play home-made videos between songs, Barats said.

“I really like their music and had a really good time at the last (show),” he said.