Michael Cleveland + Cody Looper at The Monarch

Name: Michael Cleveland + Cody Looper at The Monarch
Start: 2026-01-08T19:00:00-05:00
Location: 1318 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, KY

Schedule

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026 at 07:00 pm

UTC-05:00

Location

1318 Bardstown Rd., Louisville, KY | Louisville, KY

We’re looking forward to this one folks… Thursday, January 8th we’ll be here at The Monarch with @michaelclevelandfiddle and @codylooperbanjo!
Ticketed Show
Doors 7p // 8p Music
BYOB + ❤️
Michael Cleveland, widely regarded as the defining bluegrass fiddler of his generation, began performing professionally after high school with Dale Ann Bradley and Rhonda Vincent before forming his own band, Flamekeeper, in 2006—now a seven-time recipient of the IBMA’s Instrumental Group of the Year award. A twelve-time IBMA Fiddle Player of the Year and 2018 National Fiddlers Hall of Fame inductee, Cleveland has toured and recorded with legendary artists including Béla Fleck, Tommy Emmanuel, Billy Strings, and Vince Gill. He is a four-time GRAMMY® nominee, including a nomination this year for Best Bluegrass Album with Jason Carter for their collaboration Carter & Cleveland, which also won IBMA’s Album of the Year and Song of the Year (“Outrun the Rain”) at this year’s awards. Cleveland previously won a GRAMMY® for Best Bluegrass Album in 2019 for Tall Fiddler, the same year his inspiring journey was chronicled in the documentary Flamekeeper: The Michael Cleveland Story. A recipient of the NEA National Heritage Fellowship, he continues to expand his artistic reach—his masterful fiddle playing can even be heard in the newest season of King of the Hill.
Cody Looper, a native of Anderson, Indiana, grew up in a musical family and started playing guitar at age 9, thanks to his grandparents. Mentored early on by his grandfathers—bluegrass veteran Bill Looper and banjo player Richard Bilbrey—he quickly expanded to mandolin and banjo, developing a strong Scruggs-style foundation. By 12, he was immersed in bluegrass and went on to perform with groups including Southern Roots, Blue Mafia, New Harmony, and Michael Cleveland & Flamekeeper. After a break to focus on family, Looper returned to the stage, recently touring with Jason Carter and Michael Cleveland. Now back full-time with Flamekeeper, his playing reflects influences from J.D. Crowe, Ron Stewart, Bela Fleck, and many others who helped shape his sound.