Walk(men) this way

The Orange County Performing Artscenter’s small, intimate Samueli Theater is maybe the last place you would expect to find indie rockers The Walkmen.

As part of OCPAC’s new Off Center program, the young, high-energy band will perform on the same stage formerly frequented by string quartets and small jazz combos playing to sedate audiences sipping wine at cabaret tables.

“We’re going to blow the doors off the place,” lead singer Hamilton Leithauser said when a reporter told him about the venue’s size, setup and typical ambience.

The band’s bread and butter has been a hybrid of vintage rock ’n’ roll, and a high-distortion, anthemic style more characteristic of modern rock.

Versatility is a big part of The Walkmen’s charm. They play everything from soft, soulful acoustic piano ballads to up-tempo, heavy rock tunes appealing to a wide variety of audiences.

Recently they have been taking some cues from Roy Orbison and expanding the size of their band to include a few brass and classical stringed instruments.

“We’re inspired by [Orbison’s] huge instrumentation and huge production on each song, and of course his great voice,” Leithauser said.

Leithauser’s clear, tuneful voice is a pleasant contrast to some of the more atonal, dissonant singing styles that have become ubiquitous in popular music and punk rock.

The Walkmen hope to have their newest album finished by the time they are set to hit the Samueli stage. They are in the process of signing with a new label and, with any luck, Leithauser said, the album will be released in May or June.

“The material has two distinct styles,” Leithauser said. “Half of it has a bigger sound and more instruments, and the other half is more stripped-down. It’s like two completely different albums.”

Leithauser said the Samueli Theater will be a nice change of scenery for the band and that they’re looking forward to playing for the Orange County audience.

“We get bored of the standard black rock clubs sometimes,” Leithauser said. “It will be nice to play at a more upscale venue.”

Bringing unconventional acts like The Walkmen to the center is the goal of the whole Off Center series that Terrence Dwyer, the president of the Performing Arts Center, launched, he said.

This season the series will feature everything from indie rock bands, to hip-hop, to an orchestra of electric guitars.

“We want to broaden the scope of the programming mix and attract a more diverse audience from Orange County,” Dwyer said. “The goal is to get on people’s radar.”

To this effect, Dwyer said the center has tried to keep ticket prices low.

Tickets to the Walkmen show are $20 for general admission, but the space will be set up to accommodate 600 people in the 4,600-square-foot auditorium that usually seats between 320 and 375 fans.

That means no seats for the general admission audience, making the typically subdued theater look like a raucous mosh pit.

Of course, for a little more money fans can enjoy the performance from the VIP section on the second level that will have seats, a private bar, and a much smaller crowd.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: The Walkmen featuring Delta Spirit

WHEN: Tonight at 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: Orange County Performing Artscenter’s Samueli Theater

COST: $20 to $40

ALAN BLANK may be reached at (714) 966-4623 or at alan.blank@latimes.com.