Gorillaz Performed Its First-Ever Cleveland Concert, and It Was Great: Review

A troupe of misfit cartoons hovered over the heads of the human musicians at Rocket Arena on Tuesday night. Real and animated alike, they were all valid members of Gorillaz.

"This is our first-ever visit to Cleveland,” said (human) Gorillaz founder and singer Damon Albarn. “This is an entirely new experience to us."

Indeed, despite the band's successful 28 years of music-making, Tuesday marked its debut in Cleveland — and in the state of Ohio, for that matter. Part-art experiment, part-alternative-hip-hop concert, the show thrust the Downtown arena into an expansive 100 minutes of storytelling, energy and beats.

Albarn isn’t a stranger to Cleveland … but it’s been a while. Nearly 30 years ago, he performed on the Jacobs Pavilion stage as a member of Britpop band Blur, one year before forming Gorillaz. When he did create Gorillaz, Albarn moved into new sonic territory, even collaborating with soul singer Bobby Womack (a Cleveland native!) on songs like “Stylo” and “Cloud of Unknowing.” (Albarn went on to co-produce Womack’s final album, 2012’s The Bravest Man In The Universe.)

So, it was a momentous occasion for Albarn to bring the project to Northeast Ohio. After all, nothing compares to a live Gorillaz show.

On large screens banking the live musicians, animations depicted the decades-long storylines of the fictional band designed by artist Jamie Hewlett: the green bad-boy bassist Murdoc, the spaced-out singer and keyboardist 2-D, the badass fighter-guitarist Noodle and the imposing, wise drummer Russel Hobbs.

Beneath them, Albarn — wearing a brown beret and camo jacket — led the human crew in a set of expansive, genre-bending songs, occasionally stepping down to the front row of the audience to sign vinyl record sleeves and give high-fives. A good fraction of the show was dedicated to Gorillaz’ latest album The Mountain: a lush exploration of grief that found inspiration in Indian classical music on songs like “The Mountain” and “The Sad God.”

Bangers scattered throughout the rest of the set, including hits like “Tomorrow Comes Today,” “On Melancholy Hill” and “Stylo.” Parts of the show featured collaborators Bootie Brown, Posdnuos, Kara Jackson and Deltron 3030 member Del the Funky Homosapien.

Speaking of Deltron 3030, they were the first opener of the night. The crew showcased its laid-back songs like “3030” and “Mastermind” in a quick set, before Little Simz brought her high-energy originals “Thief,” “Point and Kill” and “Young” to the stage as the second opening act. She later returned onstage to perform her fiery verses on Gorillaz’ “Garage Palace.”

Back in 1998, Gorillaz was futuristic in sound, statement and presentation. Now in 2026, the band remains forward-thinking with its concept of a virtual band — and, perhaps, the statement it makes in the age of artificial intelligence. (Important to note: both Albarn and Hewlett have both spoken down on artificial intelligence and have gone to lengths to painstakingly create textured music and hand-drawn short films like The Mountain, The Moon Cave and The Sad God.)

The artistry is the heart of a Gorillaz concert, both in the new batch of songs inspired by a pilgrimage to India, and in the  illustrated, beloved band members singing, strumming and thumping alongside their music-making counterparts around them.

For one evening, it was all real — all of it tangible onstage in Cleveland for the first time — and it was great.

Gorillaz, The Mountain Tour, Oct. 6 at Rocket Arena

1. “The Mountain”

2. “The Happy Dictator”

3. “Tranz”

4. “Last Living Souls”

5. “Tomorrow Comes Today” 

6. “19-2000”

7. “Rhinestone Eyes”

8. “Every Planet We Reach Is Dead”

9. “El Mañana”

10. “On Melancholy Hill”

11. “Orange County” (with Kara Jackson)

12. “O Green World”

13. “Casablanca”

14. “Delirium” 

15. “Andromeda” (with DRAM)

16. “Garage Palace” (with Little Simz)

17. “She's My Collar”

18. “Superfast Jellyfish” (with Posdnuos)

19. “Stylo” (with Bootie Brown)

20. “Kids With Guns”

21. “The Sad God”

Encore:

22. “Cloud of Unknowing”

23. “Rock the House” (with Del the Funky Homosapien)

24. “Dirty Harry” (with Bootie Brown)

25. “Feel Good Inc.” (with Posdnuos)

26. “Clint Eastwood” (with Del the Funky Homosapien)

For more updates about Cleveland, sign up for our Cleveland Magazine Daily newsletter, delivered to your inbox six times a week.

Cleveland Magazine is also available in print, featuring immersive stories, helpful guides and beautiful photography and design.