This fearless guitarist has been dressing up as a headless horseman and playing acoustic while riding a bike

We’re all pretty familiar with headless guitars, but how about a headless guitarist?

Meet Matthew Dunkle, who has been riding around the town of Concord, Massachusetts on a bicycle while dressed as the headless horseman – and strumming an acoustic guitar.

Sounds difficult? It is. 

As he told local news station WBZ, “I’m pedaling. I’m going up hills. I’m going down hills. I’m exerting myself. I’m sweating profusely under this costume right now.”

Man rides bicycle while headless and playing guitar

(Image credit: Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Nevertheless, Dunkle is committed to his craft. “I don’t get paid to do this,” he says. “I get home from work, I’m tired and I dust myself off and I put on the suit and I go out there and I dig into it.”

But it’s worth it. As he told KLTV, “I’ve always wanted to reach out and build community through my music, and my talent, and my enthusiasm."

Which doesn’t mean it’s not dangerous. “I have fallen, yes,” Dunkle says.

Dunkle plans on retiring the costume after Halloween, so if you want to catch a glimpse of the Headless Horseman get to Concord, stat. 

Just watch out for bikers who can’t see you coming…

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month**

Join now for unlimited access

US pricing $3.99 per month or $39.00 per year

UK pricing £2.99 per month or £29.00 per year 

Europe pricing €3.49 per month or €34.00 per year

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Prices from £2.99/$3.99/€3.49

Richard Bienstock

Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.