Has busking season returned to Asheville?

Posted on by Kat McReynolds
Midnight Snack, who moved to Asheville in February 2015, already seems to be a staple of the downtown busking scene. They call their sound "a blend of old-school psychedelic rock and funk with new-school art rock," on their facebook page and say the band's mission is "to spread love and positivity with addictive recordings and powerful live performances." Photo by Kat McReynolds

As temperatures climbed into the low 70s on Tuesday, March 4, Asheville residents were reminded that even small doses of sunshine can provide a much-needed mood lift following several months of cloudy cold. Accordingly, a steady stream of buskers and passersby took to the streets downtown in appreciation of the day’s allusion to spring.

One quintet, Midnight Snack, set up shop at the corner of College and Haywood streets, serenading the busy intersection with a cover of Talking Heads’ “This Must Be the Place (Naïve Melody)” shortly before sundown.

For the recent Boston-expats, the decision to move to Western North Carolina followed a fall 2014 touring pit stop which won over the whole troupe. It’s no wonder the sign in the band’s open guitar case reads, “Pleasure to meet you!”

Their Asheville story makes Talking Heads’ lyrics — “Home is where I want to be, but I guess I’m already there … Did I find you or you find me?” — all the more poignant.

But Midnight Snack, comprised of now-locals Katie Richter, John Johnson, Mike Johnson, Peter Brownlee and Zack Kardon, certainly wasn’t the only band singing on the sidewalks. Tweet your al fresco music pictures and videos to @mxarts using the hashtag #AVLmusic.

Here’s Midnight Snack in action:

SHARE

Thanks for reading through to the end…

We share your inclination to get the whole story. For the past 25 years, Xpress has been committed to in-depth, balanced reporting about the greater Asheville area. We want everyone to have access to our stories. That’s a big part of why we've never charged for the paper or put up a paywall.

We’re pretty sure that you know journalism faces big challenges these days. Advertising no longer pays the whole cost. Media outlets around the country are asking their readers to chip in. Xpress needs help, too. We hope you’ll consider signing up to be a member of Xpress. For as little as $5 a month — the cost of a craft beer or kombucha — you can help keep local journalism strong. It only takes a moment.

About Kat McReynolds
Kat studied entrepreneurship and music business at the University of Miami and earned her MBA at Appalachian State University. Follow me @katmAVL
View all posts by Kat McReynolds →

Before you comment

The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.

2 thoughts on “Has busking season returned to Asheville?”

Leave a Reply

To leave a reply you may Login with your Mountain Xpress account, connect socially or enter your name and e-mail. Your e-mail address will not be published. All fields are required.