By Melissa Mansfield
The Associated Press

When these musicians come to town, you might have to hide the groceries instead of the women and children.

A variety of jam bands are collecting donations of food and money at concerts across the country. An October concert in Albany, N.Y., by the String Cheese Incident brought in more than 1,100 food items for a local food bank.

"We recognized early on that giving back to those communities that the band visits was something we wanted to do," said String Cheese bass player Keith Moseley. "We're very grateful to be surrounded by a community that wants to be involved and contribute to positive change."

It's part of a growing trend in the $1.7 billion concert industry, which last year drew 42 million people to venues across the country, according to Billboard.

Phish, which in August drew 75,000 fans to northern Maine for a two-day show, created the Waterwheel Foundation to raise money for environmental and social nonprofit organizations. This summer, it raised $55,000 for 18 groups. Since its inception in 1997, the group has raised about $420,000 for 180 groups. Recently, Phish also has been registering fans to vote.

"It was very important to the band members to do what they could to ensure they left behind a positive impact whenever they played," said Waterwheel's Amy Skelton. This year's beneficiaries have included prison literacy programs, women's shelters, community music programs and a camp for children with HIV.

Panic Fans for Food, inspired by the jam band Widespread Panic, has collected 18,222 pounds of food and $27,311 since 1999.

"This is people giving dollars and fives," said Joshua Stack, director of the Washington-based group. He now runs collections at a third of the band's concerts. "We've helped a lot of people, that's for sure."

And fans of other bands, including Ekoostik Hookah and Strangefolk, have collected tens of thousands of food items for local distribution.

"As I tell everyone who stops by the table, one item can make a difference in someone not going hungry," said Strangefolk volunteer Donald Pearson.

Today's jam bands - known for long songs in concert- trace both their musical roots and social conscience to 1960s groups such as the Grateful Dead.

The String Cheese Incident effort got underway after fan Justin Baker approached the band in the spring of 2002 about his Colorado-based group, Conscious Alliance. The food service organization became a "Gouda Cause" - nonprofit groups the band endorses by allowing them to collect donations at concerts.

Baker collected 4,000 cans at his first event in Colorado, and got 8,000 cans in seven nights as the String Cheese Incident performed from Philadelphia to Boston.

"A lot of good people in the String Cheese community have stepped up and helped out," said Baker, 23. Since high school, Baker has been helping get food to people who might not otherwise eat. He has raised enough money to build a food storage facility for the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota.

"I think people have realized that music and good causes go very well together," said Moseley of the String Cheese Incident. "Music lovers just have the right kind of heart."

On the Web: www.ConsciousAlliance.org