Thanksgiving may be just around the corner but this year, the stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes \u2014 heck, even the turkey itself \u2014 all take a backseat to the almighty yam. Finally given its own celebration apart from its beloved plate-mates, YamFest<\/a> is set to takeover Stronghold in Barrio Logan on Nov. 21. Contrary to the name, however, this all-ages festival is more about rocking out \u2014 than pigging out. You can save that for the following Thursday.<\/p>\n The organizers behind YamFest have gathered some tastiness of their own for one bountiful musical feast, with nine excellent San Diego musical acts set to take part in a fundraiser for local AIDS charity and food bank, Mama\u2019s Kitchen.<\/p>\n The lineup includes both established veterans and burgeoning stars in San Diego\u2019s garage rock, hip-hop, indie rock and post-punk scenes: Octagrape, Big Bad Buffalo, Future Crooks, Inspired and the Sleep, KIDS, The Bridge, Mechachief, Paper Thin, and Luwejee are all scheduled to perform.<\/p>\n Truth be told, it\u2019s not often that so many different genres are represented on one all-inclusive bill \u2014 a point that isn\u2019t lost on the musicians themselves.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m looking forward to seeing so many different musical cliques come together under one roof,\u201d said Jordon Krimston, frontman for Big Bad Buffalo. \u201cIt’s becoming increasingly common to find people searching for a band with a certain \u2018sound\u2019 to play their show. You have your \u2018punk\u2019 shows, your \u2018rap\u2019 shows, your \u2018shoegaze\u2019 shows \u2014 personally, I think that’s a bit exclusive and uninviting.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fact that Luwejee, a local upcoming acidic rapper, and Mechachief, an LA-based \u2018Lightning-Bolt-meets-garage-rock\u2019 duo, are playing the same show is awesome. Mixed-genre shows need to make a comeback,\u201d Krimston said.<\/p>\n With the impending closure of The Che Caf\u00e9 \u2014 UCSD\u2019s iconic all-ages cultural center \u2014 fast approaching, Stronghold has become more than just another venue in town. Coincidentally, as its name implies, the club is now one of the last remaining refuges for young acts to perform in San Diego \u2014 and one whose stock, unsurprisingly, is on the rise.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Stronghold is really underrated as a venue, in my opinion,\u201d Krimston said. \u201cIt\u2019s usually a gallery\/studio but I would love to see some more shows there \u2014 especially since San Diego is seriously lacking in all-ages venues right now. The room is big, but not too big; the atmosphere is awesome; and it just has a great vibe all around.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Big](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/BBB-at-Stronghold2web.jpg\")
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<\/a>Booking a show, much less an entire charity event, can be a very time-consuming and exhausting task. While it initially began as a meager attempt to resuscitate his dormant band, chief organizer Steve Fernandez quickly turned his aim toward something bigger \u2014 and more philanthropic.<\/p>\n