Music Tastes Good returns for its third year in downtown Long Beach

                                                                                                                                                        Adam Pacheco

The general consensus on music festivals is that they’re hot, they’re packed and they’re expensive.

Long Beach’s Music Tastes Good is working to dispel that mindset. The festival opened Saturday, introducing thousands of attendees to its first day of live music and food in Downtown Long Beach.

Also known as Music Tastes Good Volume 3, the two-day festival marries music and food into an experience very unique for a music festival. Since it’s only in its third year, the festival is subject to smaller crowds compared to veteran-events as well as cheaper pricing — $149 for a single day pass at FYF versus MTG’s $85.  

Along with a diverse range of food options, the festival boasts an interesting line-up ranging from alternative, rock and hip-hop. This year’s headliners include New Order, James Blake, Janelle Monáe and Broken Social Scene.

Something unique to the festival is its emphasis on featuring Long Beach as a whole.

Long Beach based alternative duo The Black Noise were first to take the spotlight on the Franklin Stage, one of two of the musical stages available at the fest.

While the crowd was patchy with early viewers, that didn’t deter vocalist Donovan Brown and guitarist Victor Ujadughele from performing with conviction.

The whine of Ujadughele’s guitar complemented the crooning that Brown was delivering center stage, mouth close to the mic as if it was only him and no one else.

The group says Long Beach has contributed to how its sound has transformed and developed.

“This city I think has allowed me to experience how a community can [help] float you, sustain you when other communities might not,” Brown said. “When in comparison to LA it’s a lot easier for us to do things [here in Long Beach], like people have just been more receptive to what we’re doing and happy to see us contribute to the scene and contributing to the art.”

Ujadughele agreed saying, “for the most part we just rep the flag of Long Beach.”

“[Long Beach] is one of the best music scenes you’ll ever find so I think our ultimate goal is to bring that energy back over here which is why I support Music Tastes Good,” Ujadughele said.

The songs played at the festival ranged from mellow head-bopping songs to bass-booming dancing music, causing the audience to react accordingly.  

“In the beginning [of my career] all I wanted to do was make R&B music but now if you listen to our music you can call it folk, you can call it funk; you can call it jazz; you can call it whatever,” Ujadughele said.  

Food is just as important to getting a holistic experience at the festival. This year, all attendees of MTG were offered entry to The Taste Tent, a food sampling station, unlike last year where only VIPs were granted access.  

The tent was cool compared to the heated exterior festival-goers were greeted with outside and filled with chefs from all over the country.

Dina Amadril of Long Beach Creamery was a featured chef in The Taste Tent and offered guests a sweet treat.

“I think one element [that makes our ice cream special] is the organic nature and we try to go beyond organic a lot of times,” Amadril said. “Flavor is one thing that makes us different from a lot of other ice cream and the fact that we collaborate with a lot of local businesses.”

The flavor that “pays the rent” is burnt caramel, according to Amadril.

“It’s a very scary flavor to make in your first couple times making it but once you get used to it, you burn yourself and you get over it then you’re okay after that,” Amadril said with a chuckle.

Flitting between the Franklin and smaller, Golden Stage, visitors caught performances from groups including London-based punk group Shame, whose lead vocalist stage dived into the eager crowd’s outstretched hands or from bowl cut-sporting Oliver Tree who danced around the stage in ‘80s inspired garb.

In between sets, attendees were seen lazing around in the grass under the protectant shade of trees, something that talent buyer for MTG, Jon Halperin boasted about in what makes the festival distinct from others.

As night approached, jackets replaced tank tops and more people appeared to see the final acts of the night.

Rapper Lil B performed to a sizeable crowd of earnest and at times dubious fans as he had them repeat lines like “Ellen Degeneres” and “I love food.”

When asked what his fans meant to him after an impromptu meet and greet in the crowd, Lil B said, “Everything. You see I’m out here with you right now, you know what I’m saying? Because fans are people.”

The final and arguably most anticipated act of the night was ‘80s English rock band, New Order. Joy Division and New Order shirts created a wave of black and grey while long-time fans listened to the nostalgic tunes.

“I’m pretty fucking excited,” Costa Mesa resident, Wendy French said before their set. “I grew up hearing New Order.”

Compared to other performances, phones were scarcely seen in the hands of onlookers as they took in the music and instead danced the night away.

Although Music Tastes Good does not have as many bells and whistles that other mainstream music festivals possess, its simplicity and dedication to representing the city make for a big presentation.