BLAINESWORLD · Blaine Greenfield

4.6.2026 - Bryan Matheny--Founder, Asheville BuskerFest (https://www.ashevillebuskerfest.com/)

April 6, 2026·40 min·3 clips

Brian Matheny claims taking buskers out of Asheville would completely change the literal vibe of the city.

1. BlainesWorld podcast, hosted by Blaine Greenfield from Fairview, North Carolina, features Brian Matheny, founder of Asheville BuskerFest, a new spring street performance festival. 2. Brian Matheny brings over 40 years of music experience, sits on the board of community radio station 103.3 Asheville FM, and plays guitar and harmonica in Asheville band Innocent Mischief alongside singer-songwriter Emily Martin. 3. Matheny describes how his interest in busking was kindled by his bandmate Emily Martin, who got her start performing on Asheville's streets before forming a band. 4. He learned guitar in 1974 at age 12 at a Catholic retreat, initially to meet girls, by asking his brother to teach him a few chords; on returning the following weekend he played the opening bars of Stairway to Heaven for the girls who asked him to perform, then 'put it down and walked away' to their shocked reaction. 5. Matheny argues that Asheville's downtown busking scene is essential to the city's identity: 'if you took the buskers out, the whole vibe of the city would change' — not just the entertainment, but 'the literal vibe of the city.' 6. He defines buskers as performers of all types — musicians, jugglers, magicians, contortionists, seance performers — who perform in public spaces for tips, and notes the Asheville Busker Collective as the nonprofit advocacy organization representing them. 7. Asheville does not require buskers to register or join the collective to perform downtown; buskers follow informal mutual-respect protocols about spots and timing, with city noise ordinances as the main formal constraint. 8. Key downtown busking locations include Pritchard Park, the Flat Iron Building area, Reuter Terrace, Pack Square, and along Biltmore Avenue; most performers naturally gravitate to these spots rather than causing conflicts at other locations. 9. Matheny says he originally envisioned a concurrent busker event alongside AVL Fest, a multi-venue summer music festival he ran in 2023 and 2024, but the grand vision was too complex to execute. 10. Hurricane Helene put AVL Fest on hold, which prompted Matheny to pivot to BuskerFest as a more achievable spring festival, with the May 2-3 timing chosen to fall after spring breakers and before the main summer tourist surge. 11. The festival is free to attend and runs 12-8pm at Pritchard Park on both Saturday and Sunday; three River Arts District satellite stages include All Souls Pizza (10am-3pm), Rad Brewing Company (12-7pm Saturday only), and Wedge Brewery and Foundation (10am-7pm). 12. The festival is being run in conjunction with Rad Renaissance, an events group for River Arts District artists recovering after Helene, designed to draw foot traffic between downtown and the district. 13. Saturday's Pritchard Park lineup opens with a bagpiper at noon and includes Danny Whitson (magician-comedian from Knoxville), Mars Hooligan (juggler and contortionist act), Emma Fruit Loops and Josh Laff (comedy juggling duo), and Claire Dima's burlesque clown acrobatic act with Asheville Vaudeville. 14. All Souls Pizza will feature the Asheville Aerial Artists performing in the background of artist booths, accompanied by classical and jazz guitarist Timothy Kelly and electric violinist Leo Johnson, both of whom are working buskers. 15. A.G. Hammond, described as a 'great blues singer,' is hosting the stage at Rad Brewing Company, and the Lover Faces are hosting at Wedge Brewery and Foundation. 16. Sunday's Pritchard Park programming includes a kazoo band opening and will feature Asheville High School band students in a closing slot before the open mic. 17. An open-mic segment closes Sunday's Pritchard Park schedule with three-song slots; it is primarily musical and mostly open to all, though Matheny may informally prioritize some musicians who were not scheduled for full sets. 18. Buskers are expected to be tipped, with QR codes linked to Venmo or PayPal replacing cash as the primary tipping mechanism; Matheny notes that local busker Lyle Ricards was once robbed, illustrating the safety advantage of digital tipping. 19. Matheny envisions BuskerFest growing into a larger spring festival over time, incorporating food events, flowers, and special components beyond busking, and hopes to partner with the LeZoom bus to connect the festival stages. 20. Best suited for Asheville locals and visitors curious about the city's street performer community or planning to attend the May 2-3 event; listeners from outside the region will find the specific venue names and local references add context but are not required to enjoy the interview.

As heard by us

A relaxed downtown story about buskers, music, and the people who keep Asheville moving.

Brian Matheny's segment stays focused on Asheville Busker Fest and the way buskers shape downtown Asheville's street life. Blaine lets him talk through the unwritten rules, the camaraderie among performers, and the sense that moving through town can feel like one long run of…

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