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Jon Shain, Will McFarlane, Sally Spring & Peter Holsapple; Birds & Arrows; New Town Drunks 

For the 10th year in a row, singer-songwriter Jon Shain is celebrating Thanksgiving by organizing a benefit concert. "Most of us musicians, we would very much like to be able to give a lot of money to different causes that we're involved in," Shain says. "But unfortunately, most of the people I know don't have that kind of money. Basically, we have our time." Contributing their time for the occasion are Peter Holsapple, co-founder of N.C. alternative pop legends the dB's and an accomplished songwriter and sideman, the great blues guitarist Will McFarlane and Sally Spring, whose acoustic-based music is sparse, haunting and beautiful. Also joining in are the New Town Drunks with their jaunty, melancholic folk-pop, and Birds & Arrows, who specialize in tender emotions and soaring choruses. It's an awesome, expansive Americana lineup.

"The selfish reason that I did it is that so many different musicians that I know were always on the road or not getting to see each other's shows. So this is a chance that we get to all get together and do some playing together," says Shain. "That's the jam part of Post-Turkey Day Jam." A thoughtful fingerpicker, Shain looks forward to getting onstage with his fellow musicians: "We usually just kind of jump in and start playing on each others' material without any rehearsal. Those spontaneous moments are usually my favorite time." Proceeds this year benefit the Inter-Faith Council for Social Service, which provides food, shelter, direct services and advocacy for those in need in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. —Andrew Ritchey