Not that you need reasons to hang out in questionable establishments and listen to music, but we're here to provide them anyway. Why? Because this time, the usual slop we hand you - you have nothing better to do, watching TV is dull, there are noisy squirrels in your attic -- isn't necessary. We have a genuine attraction to share in this weekend's I Love Music Festival, which features more than 60 regional bands playing at three venues and plenty of ancillary fun in the form of giveaways, drink specials, live painting, etc. So here you two go: Five Reasons to Attend this Weekend's I Love Music Festival.

1 The lineup. We mean, whoa. There isn't enough space here for the entire list, but we'll throw out a few names: Ghost Buffalo, American Relay, John-Alex Mason, Laura Goldhamer, Git Some. Crazy cross-genre antics!

2 The venues. You simply can't go wrong seeing a show at Carioca Cafe, aka Bar Bar, and the other two participating establishments - underground collective Blast-o-Mat and the Old Curtis Street Bar - bristle with more street cred than Tom Waits pushing a shopping cart loaded with stolen bourbon.

3 The cost. Entry to Blast-o-Mat and Old Curtis shows is only $5. All Bar Bar shows are free. Whoa.

4 The swag. There will be free raffles every half-hour for gift certificates to record stores, tattoo shows, skate stores and the like. Also a $2 Bloody Mary bar and cans of Pabst for a buck. We like.

5 The lineup, again. Since we ran out of room earlier, try on: Pink Hawks, Munimula, Kingdom of Magic, The Fanatics, Doo Crowder and Clinging to the Trees of A Forest Fire. About the only genre organizers missed is barbershop harmony.

The I Love Music Festival is today, Saturday and Sunday at Carioca Cafe, aka Bar Bar (2060 Champa St.), Old Curtis Street Bar (2100 Curtis St.) and Blast-o-Mat (2935 W. Seventh St.).