The Hippies are Back

Surely whoever named “Hippiefest” intended some winking self-deprecation with such a dated and square-sounding moniker. It’s like a panic-inducing word that law-and-order types would pin on any gathering of nonconformists. Better yet, it’s what cooler-than-thou hipsters would condescendingly call a concert of half-dead relics from a less jaded era, an era in which young people actually—get this–thought they could spread love, end discrimination and stop an unnecessary war with freaking music, or something like that. Intentional or not, the name’s message is something like, “It didn’t work then and it’s not going to work now, but let’s listen to old music and enjoy the narcotic comfort of nostalgia for a day, shall we? Hey, maybe the surviving members of the band you came for will actually nail a harmony or two.”

The lineup of once-great bands doesn’t deserve such a ridiculous name, although the word “featuring”–as in “The Zombies featuring Colin Blumstone and Rod Argent.”—is prevalent to the point of absurdity. Other partially reassembled acts include Mountain, The Turtles and Badfinger, along with Iron Butterfly, Mitch Ryder and Dallas’ own Kenny Daniel. Country Joe McDonald will perform and emcee. Ya think he’ll play the “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag?” That’ll show the pigs. As McDonald now sings, “Next stop is Iran.” Hippiefest: A Concert for Peace and Love is 7 p.m. Sunday at Nokia Theatre in Grand Prairie, where parking is $15 to $30 and beers cost nearly that much. Tickets are $49.50 plus $9.65. Call 214-373-8000 or ticketmaster.com.

Sun., Aug. 5, 7 p.m.