This weekend, get ready to head to Long Beach! It’s the second ever Music Tastes Good, this year headlined by Ween and Sleater-Kinney at Marina Green Park, taking place Saturday, September 30 to Sunday, October 1.

I attended the first edition last fall and had a blast. The stages were spread out enough that there wasn’t any noticeable soundbleed, and there was a lot of local flavor to the festival, both in its musical and food offerings. We’ve got a preview of the event with five things that make it one of Southern California’s most unique music festivals.

Rhye, Built To Spill highlight festival late additions

Amazingly, the Music Tastes Good 2017 lineup has only gotten better since it was first announced. Indie rock legends Built To Spill will play the New Orleans Stage on Saturday at 7:20 PM. After two decades of rocking, they’re still going strong and will make a rare Long Beach appearance. Los Angeles R&B duo Rhye will bring their sultry tunes to the New Orleans Stage on Sunday at 7 PM. I caught them at Coachella 2016 and I nearly melted at the sound of lead singer Milosh’s voice.

Other late additions to the festival include the tUnE-yArDs as well as Diane Coffee and Juana Molina.

Music Tastes Good 2017 isn’t just offering a variety of local Long Beach eats, but they’re also bringing around some dope New Orleans flavors to their Taste Tent. It’ll be emceed by local favorite Prime Alchemy’s Paul Buchanan all weekend. Don’t miss out on NOLA chef Melissa Martin from Mosquito Supper Club and her poached Louisiana shrimp on Saturday. The Taste Tent part of MTG’s website is very in-depth and will give you a look at each chef.

Note: The Taste Tent is not included as part of a general-admission pass. GA + Taste Tent tickets run $150.00 per day or $270.00 for a weekend pass.

The laid-back vibe

I attend a lot of music festivals (Music Tastes Good will be No. 17 for me this year). Music Tastes Good was so laid back last year that I almost forget where I was. There were no raver kids running around full of ecstasy, people seemed to be able to handle their booze, and it was easy to get to the front for pretty much any band I wanted to see. It felt more like a block party than a music festival, and a lineup that lends itself to an older demographic pretty favorably. Also, because it is Long Beach, you’re not getting the pretension that comes with other southern California festivals.

Early start, early end

Not all festivals must go past midnight in order to get bang for your buck. The Music Tastes Good 2017 music starts at noon each day and the festival is complete by 10 PM. That means you get to rock out all day Sunday and still get a good night’s sleep before clocking in at your day job the next day. Sure, it’s nice that festivals like FYF Fest run past midnight, but sometimes you’re just too tired to make it to the finish line and you end up leaving early. At Music Tastes Good, you’ll be able to pack a full weekend in and still get home and get some rest.

The price

With two-day general admission tickets priced at $135.00, single-day tickets priced at $75.00, Music Tastes Good 2017 is pretty damn hard to beat. A lineup of Ween, Sleater-Kinney, Ride, Alvvays, Rhye, Los Lobos, Of Montreal, Built to Spill, and Joyce Manor for that price? Get your tickets now. Children five and under are free, and ages 6-to-12 are eligible for discounted $35.00 tickets when accompanied by a ticket-purchasing adult.

One last pretty dope thing that just arrived in my inbox: Michigan dreampop group Minihorse dropped an EP of covers of songs by bands playing Music Tastes Good this weekend. It’s pretty dope and features songs by Ween, Sleater-Kinney, Alvvays, Ride, Dr. Octagon, and more! Stream it below: