H-E-B in major Texas city takes live music to the next level mid-grocery run

There’s a few things you’d expect to find in an H-E-B on any given Tuesday. It is a grocery store, so you’ll be able to stock up your fridge and grab whatever you need from the tortilleria or the butcher. What you probably won’t anticipate is a pop-up concert between the produce aisle and the bakery, but that’s what some Austinites got on Tuesday, September 23, as one viral TikTok documents.

The creator who posted the video, dubbed a “fever dream” by one commenter, told MySA it was captured at the H-E-B on South Congress Avenue in Austin. The video that has been viewed almost 300,000 times shows a hip-hop duo called Thelonious Love performing smack in the middle of the store, which had commenters confirming, “No store does more than my HEB,” as one wrote. Another wrote that the video shows why “Texas [is] so unserious,” and a third said, “Imma tell my kids this is the real Snoop Dogg and Eminem.” While some enjoyed the performance (and others were “so sad” they missed it), one commenter said, “lol this why people think HEB is overstimulating.” (That’s where curbside pickup might come in handy.)

There’s a reason why shoppers had a soundtrack that day. The pop-up concert was part of the 20th annual Health Alliance for Austin Musicians Day Music Festival, which takes place at multiple locations across the city. In 2024, the HAAM Day festival raised $890,000 through the support of 440 musicians who performed for a total of 240 hours, the website states. At the South Congress H-E-B alone on Tuesday, Thelonious Love was only one of 13 performing acts, with sets taking place from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to a sign inside the store.

The only question is, does the H-E-B music festival beat the meet-and-greet Cardi B held at a Houston-area Walmart that same day? We’re not sure, but it’s safe to say that there was something in the water at Texas grocery stores this week.