Photo courtesy of YAM YAM Side of Yams is a smaller version of the band Yam Yam, which is pictured here. Yam Yam features Xander Moppin (clockwise from left) on bass guitar, Mike Dempsey playing keyboard, Tom Fuller on guitar, Jason Mescia on saxophone and Tyler William Fuller on drums.

PORT ROYAL — It seems only fitting that if you’re holding a benefit concert for the Juniata County Food Pantry, that you’d have a Side of Yams on the menu — as one of the bands.

Side of Yams is a smaller version — usually a trio or quartet — of the five-member band Yam Yam, which formed in 2015 in Harrisburg. Yam Yam is a jazz-funk and fusion band crafting high-energy and groove-driven sound that’s unmistakably their own.

“We play mostly original and instrumental music,” explained saxophonist Jason Mescia. “We all sing here and there.”

Besides Mescia, Yam Yam features Mike Dempsey playing keyboard, Xander Moppin on bass guitar, Tyler William Fuller on drums and Tom Fuller on guitar.

The Side of Yams’ appearance at the annual Save Thanksgiving Benefit Concert at the Port Royal Community Building, 212 W. Fourth St., Port Royal, will not include Fuller. Sponsored by the Big Tree Music and Art Foundation, this year’s concert is scheduled for 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday.

The concert plays a vital role in helping to keep the Juniata County Food Pantry stocked during the holiday season.

This year, that goal becomes even more paramount, considering two million Pennsylvania residents are at risk of having their Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits cut off amid the ongoing federal government shutdown.

Side of Yams is scheduled to perform at 8 a.m.. Drawing influence from 1970s soul, New Orleans jazz, modern jam, and vintage, modern funk, Yam Yam delivers raw, groove-heavy performances that have earned them a dedicated following across the country. “We definitely do some genre bending a little bit,” Mescia said.

While the guys came from various backgrounds, they came together while members of different groups and playing with Shawan Rice, a

deeply soulful and captivating songstress originally from Central Pennsylvania.

Yam Yam has a new album — their fourth studio album — about to drop. “Hopefully, kind of soon,” Mescia clarified.

The band’s self-titled debut album “Yam Yam” (2018) landed at No. 17 on the Billboard Jazz Albums chart, followed by “Double Dippin'” (2021), which reached No. 9 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Albums chart. Their last release, “Slurp Slurp” (2024), continues to showcase their evolution, combining deep musicianship with improvisation.

Known for their live shows and studio albums, Yam Yam has performed at festivals around the country, including the Peach Music Festival, Summer Camp Music Fest, Norfolk Harborfest, Greenville Jazz Fest, Hulaween, Flood City Music Festival and Northland’s Festival.

This year’s lineup at the Save Thanksgiving Benefit Concert features a variety of performers and music:

Tom Yoder

Acoustic finger-style guitar virtuoso Tom Yoder, of Mifflin, opens the show from 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. Yoder studied professionally at the Musicians Institute in downtown Hollywood.

Rotten Belly Blues

Performing at 7 p.m., Rotten Belly Blues is a collective of artists, who perform gigs with as few as two musicians and as many as 15. Led by Rotten Belly Michael, the band plays modern country blues.

Pishima

Slated for the 9 p.m. time slot, Pishima Calloway attended Juniata High School. Her stage name is simply, Pishima.

Admission to the benefit concert is by donation, either money, non-perishable food or personal care items. Proceeds benefit the Juniata County Food Pantry.

For more information, find the Big Tree Music and Art Foundation on Facebook.