Ditch the Fam, Hit the Jam
For many of us, the night before Thanksgiving is a whirlwind of last-minute travel and frantic kitchen prep, but in Columbus, that Wednesday night has evolved into something much more meaningful: a high-energy homecoming. It’s a chance to connect with old friends, ditch the family (just for a few hours!), and, most importantly, support our community.
This year’s Turkey Jam—a new annual live music festival and fundraiser hosted by our essential local watering hole The Bottom at The Wicked Hen—is back and bigger than ever, turning a simple idea between two friends into a major fundraising benefit for Feeding the Valley.
The whole concept was sparked last year between Andy Freeman of the band The Active Ingredients, and Whit Prophet, of The Bottom, when the two friends began looking for a high-impact gig idea before the holiday. As Freeman recalls, we were just thinking, “Man, what would be a good night to just do something,” and the idea not only sparked, but immediately exploded. Prophet, who has seen his share of busy nights in his venue, recalls the inaugural event was “probably the busiest I’ve ever seen it,” proving the community was hungry for this kind of mid-week reunion.
This year, they stepped up the production significantly, expanding the concert to fill the entire first floor of the spacious Wicked Hen restaurant and bringing in Chris Johnson of Lakewood Production for professional sound and lighting. The decision to focus all that festive energy toward a local nonprofit was the natural and necessary next step for the holidays, cementing Feeding the Valley (FTV) as the perfect partner.
While the atmosphere will be pure celebration, the mission behind it is critical. The proceeds from the event, along with on-site canned food donations, will be directed to Feeding the Valley, an organization that serves 18 counties and is currently grappling with a severe supply crisis unlike any they have faced since the pandemic. Carleen Frokjer, their marketing and community relations manager, notes that the problem is twofold: rising household costs are stretching family budgets, while FTV itself is facing a steep reduction in government support and donated supplies. The numbers illustrate the pressure: their warehouse has the capacity to store four million pounds of food, but inventory consistently stays around just one million pounds, a deficit which has forced them to halt accepting new partner agencies.
Frokjer highlights the devastating impact of recent changes to core safety net programs, which create a ripple effect. As she explains, data shows that for every dollar cut from SNAP, ten additional meals are needed from food banks, a gap FTV simply cannot close alone. But FTV isn’t waiting for the crisis to pass; they are actively innovating to meet the need with dignity. To combat this growing need, they have established the Community Hunger Relief Fund to purchase food wholesale, and they are even building a brand-new evening food pantry—a “mini grocery store”—designed to serve working people who can’t get to a traditional pantry during the day. The event’s timing is particularly crucial because of FTV’s annual Big Gobble initiative, where they distribute 5,000 full Thanksgiving meals. Margelena Remington, FTV’s chief procurement officer, recalled an elderly resident who cried upon receiving a meal because she was also getting much-needed “human contact” during the isolating holiday season. This level of compassion is what the Turkey Jam aims to support.
Of course, the community reunion is powered by a jam, and this year’s lineup promises a fantastic collision of local talent and musical history. The entire evening is designed as a collaborative celebration, featuring five high-energy acts representing the vibrant scene fostered at The Bottom. You’ll catch Andy and The Active Ingredients, alongside AJ and the Zig Zags and the popular acoustic duo Kindred Spirits (April Norris and Mark Sasser). The stage will also host two particularly unique acts: Lucky Jones and the Black Cats, who bring a special rockabilly, Brian Setzer Orchestra-style sound that Prophet insists is a must-see in town; and Me Shaped Hole, known for bringing an “eclectic” and “crazy, weird energy” to the stage.
To keep the flow seamless and exciting, musicians will move upstairs to the intimate setting of The Bottom to play duo sets in between the main acts downstairs. There’ll be a special menu specific for the event and the entire night will culminate in a collaborative jam session, bringing multiple local musicians together in a truly unforgettable finale.
Ultimately, this is a night for our community to come together—whether you are a Columbus native back in town for the holiday or just looking for a reprieve. The event’s unofficial slogan, as Andy Freeman puts it, “Ditch your fam for Turkey Jam”—and it’s the perfect opportunity to have fun, and catch up with old friends while doing some serious good.
You can support FTV and join the party with your $20 entry ticket, available at getlocaltix.com or at the door.
The Jam is officially set for November 26, 5 p.m. – 12 a.m., at The Wicked Hen/The Bottom…