For some of the entertainers playing concerts at South Park or Hartwood Acres this summer, the performances not only come with a play list but a grocery list as well.

For Foghat, a '70s rock band, the list includes Pepperidge Farm Double Chocolate Milano cookies, peanut M&Ms, peach and strawberry yogurt, Ruffles potato chips and a bag of raw almonds.

For the Old 97's, an alternative-country band that played June 28 at Hartwood Acres, it was Honey Nut Cheerios, V-8 juice, Red Bull and Rockstar energy drinks, Vitamin Water, Pepperidge Farm gingerbread men, assorted fruit cookies and a daily newspaper.

But the pack of mint gum they wanted? Out of the question.

"I just thought that was going too far," explained Larry Kuzmanko, the Allegheny County special events director who scrutinized the band's list of more than 30 items and decided what to keep and what to toss.

Mr. Kuzmanko heads the office that is responsible for booking the acts for the summer shows and stocking the dressing rooms with the food, beverages and snacks requested in the hospitality riders that accompany some of the contracts.

While you won't see anything like Van Halen's infamous demand for no brown M&Ms, you will find requests for full-course meals, organic fruits, deli trays, Starbucks coffee, energy drinks, hummus, "something sweet," and even hotel rooms by the swimming pool.

Although some artists aren't shy about asking for alcohol, from Jameson Irish Whiskey to assorted beers and wines, the county shows, which are free to the public, are strictly BYOB affairs. The county won't purchase booze for entertainers.

"You say, look, this is taxpayers' money," Mr. Kuzmanko said. The expenses are in addition to fees, which usually range from $2,000 to $25,000, the county pays for the performances.

So scratched from the Old 97's hospitality rider was the pint of Jameson Irish Whiskey, two bottles of red wine, two cans of Guinness beer, a six-pack of Budweiser and a six pack of Stella Artois.

For the Lao Tizer band, which will perform at South Park on July 31, the show will have to go on without two cases of Corona, Stella Artois, Pacifico or similar beer, three bottles of red wine (Syrah, Shiraz, Cabernet) and a bottle of chilled white wine.

In most cases, the artists are understanding. At times they will even take matters into their own hands. Mr. Kuzmanko remembers driving bluesman Robert Cray to a state store to buy a bottle of Merlot.

Texas rocker James McMurtry wasn't so lucky. Because of Pennsylvania liquor laws, he couldn't find a place to buy alcohol on a Sunday -- and he let his audience know about it, Mr. Kuzmanko said.

Over the years, hospitality riders have become a very common practice in the entertainment industry. Some are the stuff of legend, like the Van Halen M&Ms or the quart of prune juice requested by Kansas.

"It's pretty standard. Every single act, no matter how big or how small, demands something. They want something backstage to eat or drink," said Andrew Goldberg, managing editor of The Smoking Gun Web site, which lists more than 250 riders for famous bands and top stars.

Nobody knows that better than Lisa Wallace, general manager for San Diego-based Behind The Scenes Inc., which caters concerts for some of the biggest acts in the industry.

In its 24 years in business, the company has provided entertainers with soy candles, mattresses, cigars, vintage wines and even socks and underwear. Ms. Wallace said one performer, whom she declined to identify, wouldn't go on stage without a certain brand of boxer short. A female artist refused to do the same without a specific type of throat coating for her voice.

"I think some entertainers are definitely over the top," she said.

But she added most are "pretty sensible." In many cases, the requests are not so much the result of prima donna attitudes as they are an effort to establish a bit of quality control and normalcy during months on the road. In some cases there are also health or dietary considerations.

A lot of it "stems from being unsure what level of service or quality they're getting. They feel they have to be super specific so they're assured they can get exactly what they're used to," she said.

"It goes back to traveling from city to city and not having the luxuries or niceties of home."

Even Van Halen has tried to spin its M&Ms demand from an exercise in self-indulgence to a quality control issue. The theory goes that if the venue gets the candy right, it also will pay attention to more important matters like staging and lighting.

Mr. Goldberg said that the requests from Foghat, which plays Aug. 7 at South Park, and Old 97's for the county shows "sound totally reasonable" given some of the outrageous demands by entertainers. Joe Cocker, for example, wanted his beer re-iced several times during each show, he noted.

At times, Ms. Wallace has had to send as many as three employees to make stops at six to seven stores to meet the varied and quirky demands of artists.

For the county shows, the shopping typically falls to Mr. Kuzmanko or special events coordinator Amy Staggs. They usually will take a copy of the rider to a local supermarket to find the items requested by the band or artist.

Ms. Staggs spent about $90 to buy the water, soda, energy drinks, juices, deli meats, Cheerios, cookies, milk and other items for the Old 97's show.

The county will try to meet as many of the requests as possible but there are limits, alcohol being one. It also won't pay for post-show meals, and the dinners it does provide usually involve pasta or chicken, Mr. Kuzmanko said, adding, "We don't feed them lobster."

He also vetoed a clause in the Lao Tizer rider stating that hotel rooms "must not require ATM/credit card swipe for incidental charges at check-in."

"Get real Buddy! You are responsible for all extra hotel charges," Mr. Kuzmanko scrawled on the rider before returning it.

He also makes a point of reminding performers that the shows are in a public park. "We have a very nice trailer," he wrote on a rider for Steve Earle's July 17 show at South Park.

In most cases, the artists or their agents are flexible. Many of the requests are negotiable.

"Most of the time the bands are gracious, the people with the bands are gracious," Mr. Kuzmanko said.

There have been exceptions. One performer, he said, refused to go on stage without a pack of cigarettes. Another demanded a suite at the Omni William Penn Hotel Downtown rather the hotels near the parks that the county typically uses.

Foghat asked that it "would be nice to have rooms near the pool." In most instances, the county seeks to accommodate the artists as long as their requirements are reasonable.

"There's a fine line. You're building relationships. You don't want to tee someone off for a $20 item," Mr. Kuzmanko said. "If it's reasonable we err on the side of being reasonable."

That's why the county likely will splurge for the bag of cashews, assorted fresh organic fruit including bananas, 12 cans of diet Dr Pepper, healthy/organic snacks like apple chips and granola bars, assorted herbal teas and "something sweet" like cookies or chocolate sought by Mr. Earle.

And it will do its best to get alternative-country band Son Volt seven hot meals (three no red meat or pork), eight cans of Red Bull (sugar-free preferred), two vegetable deli trays, one large container of hummus, 48 bottles of still spring water, a one-pound bag of peanut M&Ms, five individual packs of Emergen-C vitamin drink, a box of Snyder's Hard Pretzels, almonds and pistachios and two bags of tortilla chips, with one jar of medium and one jar of hot salsa -- "NO TOSTITOS OR SANTITAS" -- for its Aug. 9 Hartwood show.

Likewise, country artist Ricky Skaggs probably will get the 11 full-course meals with entree (chicken, fish, fajitas, barbecue, steak or roast beef), three vegetables, dinner salad, dessert, and spring water, juices, iced tea, soft drinks and coffee he requested for his July 19 show at Hartwood. However, both he and rocker Patty Smyth, who will perform Aug. 2 at the same venue, specifically requested no alcohol for their performances.

"We try to make the best effort to accommodate our guests. They help us to fulfill our mission to enhance the quality of life for residents," Mr. Kuzmanko said.

But every once in awhile, he strikes out altogether. Like in 2004, when Bruce Springsteen came in for a benefit concert at Heinz Hall to help Hurricane Ivan flood victims.

As Mr. Kuzmanko tells it, all the Boss asked for the entire night was some fried chicken after the show. But it was late, and Pittsburgh, and there was no place open.

"I was unable to deliver a fried chicken to Bruce Springsteen," he sighed. "That was embarrassing."