IDAHO SPRINGS -- Having grown up in New Jersey, Matthew “Matt” McCloskey moved to Fort Collins in 2020. After five years, he now considers Colorado his home.
McCloskey first started playing in his pre-teens, performing in open mics at around 13 years old. His parents, who were also musicians, frequently took him to a local coffee shop for the open mic there, and he’s never stopped playing gigs.
McCloskey started writing songs by the time he reached his late teens, collaborating with his high school band and writing his own material. Before moving to Colorado, he played in a rock band called The Punch Bowl with Ryan Harford, Chris “Softy” Pertain, and Chris Amato. They released a self-titled album in 2018 before taking an indefinite break, reuniting in 2024 for a three-night local tour.
McCloskey changes the balance of originals and covers in his shows depending on how long they last. For much longer gigs that last at least three hours, he’ll typically perform more covers, but for gigs that are fewer than or around two hours, he’ll balance originals and covers as much as he can.
Because of the band’s rock stylings, Punch Bowl songs don’t always translate to McCloskey’s solo acoustic guitar performances, although he’ll include songs from the band whenever he can. He’s been able to write more original music and expand his catalog over the years, using his songs to share his life experiences.
McCloskey typically plays solo, but for select tours, he’ll play with drummer and percussionist Brett Ross, who plays in multiple other projects such as Mungo’s List. When he’s not on shift as an English teacher in Fort Collins, he spends as much time as he can practicing and playing music.
McCloskey loves being able to connect with people and travel to places across the world through his music, and his priority in playing it is just to have fun performing. Even though he performs as often as he can, he still considers it a hobby and wants to encourage others to embrace the fun and freedom of playing music.
Matthew McCloskey will be performing at Two Bears Tap and Grill, located at 33295 US-6 in Idaho Springs, on Saturday, July 19, 2025, starting at 1 p.m. To keep up with his music, you can follow @matt_mccloskey_music on Instagram and find him on Facebook.
McCloskey’s original songs “Different Skies” and “Whoever That Is” are available everywhere, and you can watch him perform live on the Black and Blues Music and Brews YouTube channel as part of their “Locals Lounge” series.
