Humble Heart Thrift Store in Ocean Beach has added music entertainment to its mix.

“We are super excited that we’ve recently become a legit live music venue,” said owner Christina Riley of the retail shop at 4873 Newport Ave. “We have several shows per week in the evenings featuring a wide variety of not only local bands but bands from all over the world – Canada, Singapore, even Japan, as well as bands from across the United States. It’s been amazing how quickly the word has spread and how great the need was for another all-ages venue in the community.”

Riley said Humble Heart got its permits to operate as a live music venue at the end of December, noting they’ve had “dozens of shows since and have dozens more in the works.”

“We are also so excited to announce the opening of our new performance-based music school, The Heart of Rock N Roll,” Riley said adding her latest business venture will debut Wednesday, June 28.

Plus, Riley pointed out, “We will also be celebrating our second anniversary in OB hosting a free family and community event that day showing off our music studios and large outdoor area, both of which have never been open to the public. We will have lots of fun activities set up and live music from our very own teachers.  It’s going to be an amazing event.”

Humble Heart got drawn into the music business slowly, at first just selling guitars and other instruments, which soon became a draw for area musicians. “We quickly saw the need for a place for local and traveling bands to play,” noted Riley.

Humble Heart recently participated in the “Night Out On Newport” fundraiser in the 4800 block of Newport Avenue on May 4 benefiting music programs at Correia Middle and Point Loma High schools. As part of that event, PLHS and Correia Jazz Ensembles performed at Humble Heart. “The jazz bands did their whole finale here, and then there was a rock band that played at the very end: It was a full house,” Riley pointed out.

Of their new music venue, Riley said, “We host the shows, run the shows, and the bands’ book directly with us and they perform on the stage.”

The thrift store owner noted their live performances typically involve three to five bands and can last up to three hours.

Riley added their new music school will have several teachers from local bands. “We’re going to teach guitar and we’ll have vocal teachers for both kids and adults,” she said. ‘We’ll have kid’s group lessons outdoors. And the cool thing about our music school is that, bimonthly, we’ll have an opportunity for students to perform in front of a crowd.”

Riley said they’re also considering hosting comedy shows every last Friday of the month starting in September, as well as open mic opportunities to be offered soon on the first Wednesday of every month.

Humble Heart’s spacious resale outlet also boasts a generous and seemingly inexhaustible assortment of clothes, art, photography, plants, and furniture. Family-owned and run, it’s the perfect space for an eclectic place. Other top-selling items include plants, kitchenware, sports jerseys, electronics, and antiques.

Music in general, guitars in particular, have always been an essential part of Humble’s retail mix. The thrift store doesn’t just have second-hand instruments. It sells both new and used guitars and accessories. Riley said she cleans up guitars and restrings them when they come in. “I want musicians to know that we’re here,” she said.

Want to know more? Visit theheartob.com.