Preview

Summer Solstice Party

When: 6 p.m.-2 a.m. Saturday.

Where: Cleveland Museum of Art, 11150 East Blvd., Cleveland.

Tickets: On sale at clevelandart.org, or charge by phone, 216-421-7340. Prices vary by times:

• Starting at 6 p.m., general admission is $175 ($125 for museum members), which includes hors d'oeuvres and an open bar until 8 p.m.

• At 7:30 p.m., general admission is $60 ($40 for museum members), which includes appetizers and a cash bar.

• At 10 p.m., tickets are $20 at the door ($15 advance), which includes snacks and a cash bar.

More Solstice

A harmonic convergence of musicians

Summer Solstice isn't just another day

In ancient times, the summer solstice was marked with music, dancing and huge bonfires to ward off evil spirits.

As far as the Cleveland Museum of Art's third annual Summer Solstice Party goes, two out of three ain't bad.

Music? Check. Dancing? Check. Huge bonfires to ward off evil spirits? Not so much, although the festivities Saturday night will include a video installation.

Eat your hearts out, Druids.

Solstice, as the event is known for short, is "a way for the museum to present itself in a more informal, summertime-fun kind of way," says Tom Welsh, the museum's associate director of music.

The shindig's soundtrack will skew younger and younger as the night goes on, until the celebration ultimately morphs into a full-blown dance party.

"The music is forward-thinking and fun," Welsh says. "It's a wildly eclectic mix of totally cool music from artists who are happening right now."

Chicha Libre frontman Olivier Conan, a Frenchman with a deep love for Peruvian cumbia music, aka "chicha," is looking forward to his New York City-based band's Cleveland debut at the party.

"Most people who have never heard our music seem to react positively," Conan says.

"It's happy music that's supposed to make you move. . . . Cumbia has a very universal appeal. It's trendy in Europe right now. People respond to the rhythm. It's like early rock 'n' roll.

"We also use a lot of psychedelic elements, which are totally familiar to Americans. They really latch on to that, too. It's a gateway to understanding the music and not having it feel too foreign or exotic. This is music that you can understand right away."

Musical acts will perform on a large stage on the museum's south lawn, with Auguste Rodin's famous "Thinker" sculpture looking on. A looping video installation titled "Happy Birthday Summer" by Cleveland artist Kasumi will be shown on the museum fa ade. The museum galleries will remain open, too, with curators on hand for "flash" art lectures.

The first Solstice celebration was held in 2009 to mark the opening of the museum's East Wing. It drew 4,000 partyers.

"It was intended to be a one-off celebration," Welsh says. "When it turned out to be more successful than anyone here had imagined, it quickly became clear to us that this should be an annual event."

A capacity crowd of 5,000 revelers packed last year's bash. Organizers anticipate another sellout this year. (At press time, a limited number of tickets were still available.)

"We've really struck a chord in Cleveland," Welsh says. "People want this. People love it. We've received an avalanche of goodwill and good feedback."

The party will be a homecoming for Moon Hooch drummer James Muschler, a 2007 graduate of Cleveland Heights High School.

His trio also includes two saxophone players, Wenzl McGowen and Mike Wilbur. They started playing together last year, after meeting at the New School in Moon Hooch's hometown of New York City.

"Our music is dance music," Muschler says. "We've been calling it cave music as a joke, because it's like house music, but it's more jagged and more wild."

He gives props to the Summer Solstice Party for serving a higher purpose.

"As long as I was there, Cleveland cultivated a really stimulating musical environment," Muschler says. "The trend among school systems is to cut funding for the arts. So anything that can be done to stimulate artistic growth in the community is crucial for maintaining the health of the community."