Neo-hippies

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Neo-hippies (or "hepcats") is a self-applied term used by 21st century people who believe in some form of the 1960's hippie philosophy. Some of these are sons, daughters and grandchildren of the original hippies.

While there are references to the peace and justice themes advocated by their 1960s counterparts, they have not participated in civil disobedience and demonstrations to a similar degree. Many criticisms of the hippie period following the Summer of Love continue to resonate: critics say neo-hippies can be shallow and hedonistic, and that their lifestyle is often fueled by drugs and the same middle-class money it claims to oppose. Two claims also commonly made by critics are that many new hippies are no more than superficial believers in the original culture, and that those who are true believers have largely disconnected from society.

Hippies and neo-hippies often promote "living off the (electrical) grid", growing one's own organic food, and making clothes by hand, which is easier when living in rural settings. Many older hippies today are political dropouts who have little to no faith in "the system." The book The Rebel Sell details a more thorough criticism of both original and neo-hippie 'counterculture' as being essentially individualistic and materialistic--thus consumer advocating, despite claims to the contrary. This individualistic approach is evident in the isolating back-to-the-land movement, and in the non-aligned hippie and neo-hippie political approach. Back-to-the-land ideas echo the original frontier mentality of American expansion and, ironically, lead to environmentally destructive exurban sprawl. Political individualism is contrary to the co-operative principles of compromise and defining common ground, essentially the same each-for-oneself ethos that defines unadulterated capitalism.

In the US, the art car has almost replaced the VW Bus since the latter has become sought-after by enthusiasts; however, a few hippie-era buses remain. In the UK and Europe, New age travellers in converted buses and trucks are generally referred to by others as "hippies", although most of them will strenuously reject this and other labels. Environmentally friendly technology is also associated with the hippie ethos--hybrid vehicles, biodiesel and SVO/WVO technology.

Drug use is just as accepted as in the "original" hippie days, although most neo-hippies do not consider it necessary to take drugs in order to be part of the lifestyle. Some modern hippies frown upon excessive drug use because of lessons learned from the past. Some of the more conservative hippies deplore most drugs other than cannabis and psychedelics, such as LSD, magic mushrooms and salvia divinorum.

Many of today's neo-hippies were prominent in the "Dead-head" and "Phish-head" communities. They often attend music and art festivals around the United States, and the bands performing at the festivals are usually called "Jam Bands" because many of their songs contain long instrumental jams. The jams are similar to music performed by the original 1960s hippie bands such as Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd, the Grateful Dead, the Allman Brothers Band, Carlos Santana, Big Brother and the Holding Company, and the Jefferson Airplane. The modern jam bands play a fusion of all musical genres including rock, blues, jazz, bluegrass, funk, reggae, prog-rock, folk, and hip-hop.

Psychedelic Trance music is also a common music preference, among both hippies and neo-hippies. Psychedelic Trance festivals last up to seven days and typically take place in the summer months. Israel, Germany, South Africa and England all have major trance followings but the psychedelic trance culture is followed by many hippies worldwide.

The biggest jam band hippie festival is called The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival. It is a four-day, multi-stage, summer camping festival held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee, and it is reminiscent of the festivals of the 1960s. However, Bonnaroo appears to be moving away from jam band headliners as the 2006 lineup was led by non-jam bands like Radiohead, Beck, Tom Petty, Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, and Sonic Youth, just to name a few. This is perhaps an indication that the jam band music scene is decreasing in popularity. Certainly, with the demise of the Grateful Dead and Phish, the nomadic touring hippies are left without a seminal jam band to follow.

Rainbow gatherings are another expression of hippie and neo-hippie culture, still active and viable.