City Stages, the Cleveland Museum of Art’s free acclaimed summer concerts featuring the best in global music, has returned. These block parties will take place in front of Transformer Station, on Wednesdays, August 3 and 10, at 7:30 p.m.

Before or during the concerts, attendees are encouraged to visit Transformer Station, one of 30 venues across Cleveland, Oberlin and Akron participating in the 2022 edition of FRONT International: Cleveland Triennial for Contemporary Art through October 2. Titled Oh, Gods of Dust and Rainbows, the free exhibition explores art as an agent of transformation, a mode of healing and a therapeutic process. Staff at the PNC Exhibition Hub at Transformer Station will help visitors plan their journeys through 30 sites, where they will encounter the work of more than 100 contemporary artists.

Transformer Station is located at 1460 W. 29th St. (at the corner of Church Avenue), Cleveland, OH 44113. Normal hours are Wednesday to Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but Transformer Station will remain open until 9 p.m. during City Stages. For more information, visit transformerstation.org.

Arrive early and grab dinner and a drink at one of Ohio City’s bars or restaurants or visit one of the local shops. Seating is limited—bring camp chairs and enjoy an evening of music and dancing in the street.

FREE to all.

City Stages Schedule:

Dobet Gnahoré (August 3). Photo courtesy of the artist.

• Wednesday, August 3, 7:30 p.m.
  Dobet Gnahoré
  Hailing from Côte d’Ivoire, Dobet Gnahoré is a virtuosic singer, dancer, percussionist and songwriter who has taken the modern Afropop sounds of her country in exciting new directions. One of Africa’s brightest stars and most striking talents, Gnahoré uses her words and image to empower a new generation of daring, strong and independent African women. “I want to be able to dance to my music,” asserts Gnahoré.

Cimafunk (August 10). Photo by Larisa López.

Wednesday, August 10, 7:30 p.m.
Cimafunk
Named by Billboard as a “Top 10 Latin Artist to Watch,” Cimafunk is making a name for himself as one of today’s great showmen, performing an electric live show with his nine-person band from Havana. Cimafunk masterfully blends Afro-Cuban sounds and rhythms with global funk, hip-hop and soul—resulting in a progressive, head-bopping celebration of Black music’s power to eclipse borders and cross-pollinate across cultures. 

Parking

Street parking as available, or the Lutheran Hospital parking lot is located at West 28th Street and Franklin Boulevard: