A Richmond corner store is becoming a live music hot spot
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Mocha Market is at 700 Idlewood Ave. in Oregon Hill. Photo: Karri Peifer/Axios
A little neighborhood market in Oregon Hill is quickly becoming a live music destination.
Why it matters: Local Sal Alshami is on a mission to level up the corner market experience in Richmond, one free show at a time.
State of play: Alshami's father, Ezaddin, opened Mocha Gourmet Market in 2021 after taking over Fine Food Market, which had been a neighborhood grocer in the space for decades.
- The family has multiple Richmond markets, including Northside Gourmet Market in Northside and NGM Summit Market in Scott's Addition, and most have similar offerings, like wine, beer and snacks.
- But with Mocha, because of its proximity to VCU and the number of students who populate the area, Alshami wanted to do something special.
- And last year, he got the green light from his dad to execute his big idea: hosting free concerts in the parking lot as a way to bring people together and give back to the community.
All he had to do was find the bands, which turned out to be easier than he thought due to the number of students carrying instruments who walked near the store, Alshami tells Axios.
Zoom in: Mocha Gourmet Market's format was simple: Invite a band, post the details in the store window and see who showed up. Then, ask attendees if they want to play at the next one.
- By the end of the first show in October, the store had lined up bands for weeks to come, just from musicians in the audience.
- A few dozen concert-goers quickly turned into more, which turned into a few hundred locals showing up to hear all kinds of live bands or DJs.
- Bands brought people, people brought food trucks and vendors, and eventually, Alshami had created a recurring community event where everyone was welcome and the price was always free.
Alshami has since refined the setup. Some shows start at 6pm, others at 8. There's always one on Thursdays — overlapping with the Broad Street Bullies' weekly rideouts — sometimes Fridays, Saturdays or even Tuesdays.
- He posts the show schedule on the store's Instagram and in the store window for neighbors who aren't on social.
- Smaller shows, which he judges based on engagement with the social posts, happen inside the store — sometimes on the beer aisle, but usually near the chips, where Alshami had a pool table installed last year.
- Bigger shows can draw up to 400 people, and those happen in the parking lot.
What's next: Tanenzaph plays at the market this Thursday from 6pm-midnight, followed by DJ Duiik on Friday, 6-8pm.
The bottom line: Alshami says he's just getting started. Stay tuned for a big Halloween blowout and more weekly shows in the meantime.