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Arts & Entertainment

Weezer, Fitz and the Tantrums to headline downtown Dallas' new Reunion fest during Texas/OU weekend

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When Bruce Springsteen rolled out that "Jump" ball during Final Four weekend 2014, it became quite clear: You don't need Reunion Arena to host a great concert on the patch of downtown Dallas where Reunion Arena used to stand. And ever since, there's been just one question: So, when are we doing this again?

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The answer: October 9.

That Friday night -- the Friday night before Texas and OU square off in the Cotton Bowl, not at all coincidentally -- marks the kick-off of The Reunion, an all-the-day-and-into-the-night music fest headlined by Weezer, which, if you weren't at Deep Ellum Live on December 18, 1996, during the Pinkerton tour, sounded something like this:

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Also on the bill: Fitz and the Tantrums, responsible for one of the most ubiquitous earworms in recent memory ...

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... and the great Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, who kill it live.

More bands will be announced, among them the locals who will kick off The Reunion (subtitled "Where Music Meets Tradition") during the 4 p.m. happy-hour. But, of course, this isn't just a music thing. Expect, per this morning's heads-up: a pre-Weezer "fireworks spectacular launched from Reunion Tower," which will look something like this ...

... and an Expanded Cinema screening on the side of the Omni Dallas courtesy the Dallas Video Festival, which will look something like this:

And, yes, there will be plenty of food and drink with which to wash it down, some of it adult-flavored.

The event's being produced by CrowdSource, The Dallas Morning News' events sidekick --and the folks behind Untapped Dallas (which the Flaming Lips are headlining this year at Fair Park) and Hunt Realty Investments, which owns the property. All involved say they're planning on making The Reunion an annual event. At least until the Ray Hunt builds something there.

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Says Patricia Gibson, president of Hunt Realty Investments, "We hope The Reunion held on Texas-OU weekend will become a tradition for our city that everyone enjoys for years to come."

A few forevers ago the streets of downtown Dallas were jampacked with visiting Longhorns and Sooners and good-time-seeking locals the Friday night before Texas and Oklahoma squared off in the Cotton Bowl. This 1938 headline from 1938 sums it up: "Everybody Goes to College When Texas-Oklahoma Crowds Stage Downtown Street Revel." That died off in the early '90s, when things got out of hand and alumni associations took their parties to the 'burbs. The idea is that The Reunion reverses that trend, finally.

General admission for the event's $40; VIP passes are available too for $99. Presale kicks off Wednesday. Says on The Official Website there are deals to be had for those who get in virtual line early. So act accordingly.