In Harlem in the '20s, cash-strapped tenants turned their apartments into makeshift night clubs and charged friends, neighbors and all other interested parties for admission (if you have 10 minutes or so to set aside for history, click here for background).

Now, local musicians are adopting the spirit of those parties to aid area food pantries. On Oct. 7, local musicians will host their first Rent Party, a concert they hope will become a monthly event, at the South Orange Elks Lodge. The inaugural concert features local bands Shark Hat and Felt, and the proceeds benefit the food pantries at Our Lady of Sorrows in South Orange and St. Joseph's Church in Maplewood.

"There's clearly an ongoing need to support these two food pantries," Rent Party organizer Chris Dickson said via e-mail. "Whatever we raise at these things will be a drop in the bucket for these folks. The OLS Food Pantry is handing out more than 100 bags of groceries a week and St. Joes is doing about the same."

The idea started when Bob Fanneron of the Elks approached Dickson about organizing something to assist the two food pantries. Dickson, a Maplewood resident, has a wealth of experience with local charitable concerts after putting on the Battle of the Basement Bands concerts and the food drive at Maplewoodstock.

"There are so many bands looking for a place to play and the Elks [Club] has a great space, so it seemed like a natural [fit]," Dickson said. "It's going to be fun."

The opportunity to hold a regular monthly event allows for some flexibility with the approach. Dickson hopes the Rent Parties can vary in volume and content; loud rock bands could be swapped out for quieter acoustic acts or non-musical entertainment like comedians.

"This will be smaller, more intimate than, say, Battle of the Basement Bands," Dickson said. "It's also going to be a lot 'looser.' Some nights will be bands, some nights might be acoustic acts."

The concert starts at 7 p.m. and goes to 11 p.m. Minimum donation at the door is $5, but the organizers encourage attendees to give more, if possible. There will be a cash bar at the concert, which Dickson implied would play a part in the Rent Party's appeal.

 "The music will be good and the beer will be cold," he said. "That's a good start, right?"