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Goodbye Pikesville Party at Colette: The craft cocktail community was shocked a few weeks back when it was announced that Baltimore’s beloved Pikesville Rye had been discontinued. (Apparently, us Baltimoreans are the only ones in the country who drink the stuff, so Rittenhouse could no longer justify its production.) Luckily, Colette has a few bottles of the white-label whiskey stashed away for safekeeping. On Thanksgiving Eve, give the special spirit a proper sendoff at this party featuring live DJ entertainment, whiskey cocktail specials, and rye-infused desserts. 1709 N. Charles St., 443-835-2945

Friendsgiving Fête at The Chausseur: From charity fundraisers to holiday parties, this convivial corner spot is a known go-to for neighborhood get-togethers. At a special pre-Turkey Day bash, munch on duck-fat tots, order a round of discounted drinks, and enjoy the company of old friends. Plus, in the spirit of giving, bring a few canned goods for a chance to win raffle prizes. 3328 Foster Ave., 410-327-6984

Thanksgiving Cooking Class at Schola: If the bar scene isn’t your thing, ditch the lines and prepare for Turkey Day at this cooking class led by chef Jerry Pellegrino. Whether you’re throwing together a feast for the masses or just hoping to perfect a potluck pleaser, the tutorial will go over all of the basics including how to whip up a green bean casserole, macaroni and cheese, cranberry sauce, pumpkin soda bread, and maple-sausage stuffing. 1005 N. Charles St., 443-714-7516, $49

Thanksgiving Eve Bash at Michael’s Café: Head to this Timonium mainstay for its annual Black Wednesday party featuring drink specials and plenty of live music. Snag a seat at the indoor bar to jam to live alternative covers by the Luthervillians, or venture onto the heated outdoor patio to enjoy music spun by DJ Leni K. 2119 York Road, Timonium, 410-252-2022

The Last Waltz Live Toy Drive: At this special Waverly Brewing Company show, a handful of local bands are coming together to perform covers from The Last Waltz—Martin Scorcese’s 1978 documentary detailing the final performance of roots rock group The Band. Spend your “Dranksgiving” sipping craft drafts while bobbing your head to familiar renditions (think “Up on Cripple Creek”) from the likes of local rockers Mike Darby, Reggie Styte, and Dunn Brandt. The brewery will be collecting unwrapped gifts to be donated to Healthcare for the Homeless all night long. 1625 Union Ave., 443-438-5765

Thanksgiving Eve Party at Bond Street Social: With sleek woods, leather furnishings, and flickering fireplaces, this aptly named gathering place on the water in Fells Point is a great spot to catch up with friends you haven’t seen in a while. For the price of admission, enjoy one drink on the house, complimentary passed hors d’oeuvres, and DJ entertainment from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. 901 S. Bond St., 443-449-6234, $10

Friendsgiving at Black Flag Brewing: This brand new brewery in Columbia is celebrating its first Thanksgiving with a beer bash in its taproom showcasing signature releases like the Z. Morris blonde ale and the Mother of Dragons porter made with cherry wood-smoked malts. Make the most of your Turkey Wednesday by touring the brewery, filling a growler or two to stock up for the holidays, and feasting on pit beef and pulled pork from Laurel-based caterer Giggy’s BBQ. 9315 Snowden River Parkway, Ste. C, Columbia, 443-864-5139

The Bridge’s 15th Anniversary Thanksgiving Eve: The Bridge may have “broken up” a few times, but you can always count on the beloved local funk and blues band to reunite the night before Thanksgiving to commemorate the anniversary of their first show. It’s been 15 years since the sextet first started jamming together, and on November 23 they’re keeping their yearly tradition alive, taking the stage at Ram’s Head Live for a special performance with local electronic funk rockers Electric Love Machine (ELM). Grab a beer, squeeze your way into the crowd, and get nostalgic with familiar tunes like “Big Wheel” and “Easy Jane.” 20 Market Place, 410-244-1131, $29.50

Black Phriday at Baltimore Soundstage: Technically, this one is happening after Thanksgiving, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention Psycho Killers’ annual Black Friday Show to benefit Toys for Tots. This year, the local Talking Heads cover band is switching things up by collaborating with members of ELM and Weekapaug Orchestra to perform a special tribute to Phish. Beloved Baltimore soul singer Bosley is also featured on the lineup for the special event, which annually collects unwrapped toys to be donated to families in need during the holidays. 124 Market Place, 410-244-0057, $15-18

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“At first I said, ‘Who knows who this could be?'” Porter says. “But I did a little digging and realized he lives in Baltimore.”

Dolby, who was a pioneering musician best known for his 1982 hit “She Blinded Me With Science,” indeed lives in Fells Point, and is Homewood Professor of the Arts at The Johns Hopkins University and an artistic director of the program in Sound on Film, a joint venture between Hopkins and MICA.

But, in this message, he was simply making an inquiry about Porter’s band, the Psycho Killers.

“Apparently, he was at a show at The 8×10 when we saw one of our posters,” says Porter, who plays bass in the Talking Heads tribute band. “He checked us out on YouTube, said that he’s a huge Talking Heads fan, and that he would love to sing a song with us.”

In fact, Dolby was being a bit modest. While he does consider the Talking Heads a big musical influence, he also has a personal relationship with the band members, as they all came up together during the 1970s. In fact, Dolby and David Byrne have performed together in the past.

A plan came together and Dolby will play a few songs with the Psycho Killers on November 27 at Baltimore Soundstage. At first, the two acts wanted the show to be a secret, but once Dolby heard it was a benefit for Toys for Tots, he encouraged promotion.

“I never thought we’d play a show with him,” Porter says. “He and The Talking Heads are contemporaries, so it’s pretty cool we’re even on his radar. He was so innovative with samples and electronic music. He’s a guy who still has a ton of influence today.”

While the band hasn’t gotten together with Dolby to rehearse yet, the goal is they will collaborate on a few songs on stage.

“When he first reached out, he was naming songs he wanted to play and these were not songs that the average Talking Heads fan would know,” Porter says. “He has a deep knowledge and was pulling out all these rare tracks.”

Local funk band Litz will be opening the show, where attendees are encouraged to bring toys to donate in exchange for a chance to win a pair of free tickets to an upcoming Soundstage show.

“This worked out perfectly because obviously he’s from England, so he’ll be around for Thanksgiving,” Porter says. “And this is one of our favorite shows to play because it gives us a chance to give back to the community.”

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The Charm City-based Talking Heads cover band will be playing a show to benefit Toys for Tots at Baltimore Soundstage on November 28.

“I think it’s going to be a pretty unique show,” says Psycho Killers bassist Ryan Porter. “We play in Baltimore once every few months and Black Friday is a great opportunity to give people who are coming home a chance to see us.”

Toys for Tots, a national organization committed to giving holiday gifts to less-fortunate children, will be collecting unwrapped toys from audience members at the show. As an additional incentive, Baltimore Soundstage has thrown raffle tickets into the mix, giving anyone who donates toys a chance to win. Four winners will receive two tickets to any show of their choice, and one very lucky winner will be given two tickets to every show at the venue in 2015.

“The cool thing about it is it doesn’t even have to be a big donation,” Porter says. “I never realized how much even little toys mean to kids, I bring home little things for my 5-year-old all the time and he freaks out.”

In this truly collaborative effort, the band first reached out to friends at local retailer and performance art troupe Proper Playground Clothing Co., to make this special holiday show unlike any other.

Proper Playground will be on hand to transform the space with special lights and décor, and will also be featuring live performance art like stilt walkers and live painters. Artist Adrienne Price, who designed to flyers to promote the show, will also be there selling her own original artwork.

Although many different players are at work to make this night one to remember, the music itself will be at the forefront of this special event.

“We definitely have some surprises up our sleeves,” Porter says. “We like to mix it up every show and we never play the same setlist twice.”

Porter says that Psycho Killers is excited to be able to give back to the community, especially during this time of year.

“It’s just coming together to be a really special night,” he says. “We’ve done benefit shows in the past, but this is the first time we’ve come up with the idea ourselves.”

Tickets for the all-ages show are $15 and doors open at 8 p.m.

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