When I first saw the line-up for The Smokers Club Festival I was ecstatic, to say the least. Even though I was dripping with excitement, I had several questions. Where is the festival located? Why haven’t I heard of it before? How am I going to get there? What will the crowd be like? To my surprise, I discovered the festival is held in Long Beach, CA, which is best known as a port city and draws people from all over the world. Accessible by plane, bus, train, and even boat, the opportunities to actually get to the location are endless. The Smokers Club is a very new festival which due to its location and proximity to other festivals can be overshadowed. Don’t be fooled by its discreet nature, this festival can change your life.

When I arrived at the Queen Mary, an old cruise ship that has been renovated into a hotel, I was pleasantly surprised to see the diversity amongst the crowd. The backgrounds ranged from an interest in Hip-Hop, Rap, Trap Music and Pop, but they all had one very important thing in common: they really like to smoke. Smoker’s Club is just that - a club for smokers! Across the country recently there has been an attitude towards “tolerating” smoking. This festival not only tolerates smoking; it HIGHLY encourages it.

Day One started off with a bang as a crowd favorite, Lil’ Skies, performed by surfing through the fans, climbing up pillars, and all without missing a beat. Another favorite from the first day was School Boy Q, 2-Chainz, the surprise performance by Young Thug, and the headlining performance by Wiz Khalifa who stunned the crowd by performing his 2010 album, Kush & Orange Juice: The Mixtape in its entirety.

The excitement continued as Day Two promised another All-Star line-up. With performers like, The Underachievers, J.I.D., Dave East, Dom Kennedy, Kid Cudi, and crowd favorite Earl Sweatshirt, there was a genre that catered to every festival-goer's taste. The stand out performance of Day Two, in my opinion, was Isaiah Rashad who’s energy surged through the crowd and brought the vibe to a whole new level.

From the scenery and music, to the food and fashion, Smokers Club was an experience like no other. I recommend that anyone and everyone attend this festival in the future and take away a lifetime of memories that may be a little hazy.