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SPRINGFIELD — The idea behind America's first album in almost a decade, "Here & Now," was easy enough.

"The concept," explained Gerry Beckley, "wasn't us and our hip new friends."

Wait.

What'd the man just say?

Hip new friends?

Hip? America?

Learning who produced the album is like being kicked in the teeth by a horse with no name — you have no idea where you are, what your name is or how you ended up flat on your back in the desert.

Basically, it's just really hard to accept the reality that America, returning to Springfield on Saturday, March 29, is now cool.

When the folky '70s softies dropped the double-disc last year, it's doubtful anybody saw it coming.

Adam Schlesinger of Fountains of Wayne helmed "Here & Now" with former Smashing Pumpkins guitarist James Iha.

Oh, it gets better.

Alt-country hero Ryan Adams helped out, as did members of My Morning Jacket and Nada Surf.

In their 38th year together as America, Beckley and Dewey Bunnell — third guy Dan Peek left in '77 — have stumbled upon the golden gift of revisionism.

The duo now has younger people showing up at gigs.

Before, if anybody young approached Beckley or Bunnell with an old record to be autographed, it meant one thing.

"Inevitably," Beckley said, "they'd ask, 'Can you sign this for my dad?' "

At 55, Beckley is happy for those dads out there who never wavered.

"Now that there's a whole new layer of credibility, they're elated their persistence has been rewarded," he said. "They're like, 'See? I told you they were good.' "

For America, the hits were nothing short of ginormous — "A Horse With No Name," "Ventura Highway," "Sister Golden Hair" and "Lonely People," to name just a few.

People loved 'em. Still do.

Critics? Not so much.

But what do they know? Schlesinger, whose Fountains of Wayne has kept power-pop alive and well, turned out to be a fan.

"We're big fans of Fountains of Wayne and actually got into the 'Welcome Interstate Managers' album deeply," Beckley said.

Through a mutual friend, destiny was allowed to do its thing.

Beckley enjoys having some "good new friends," but he isn't so sure he wants to reassemble the hipsters for a sequel.

"I would be quite cautious to have lightning strike again," he said.

Instead, he's interested in meeting with producers Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, who sampled "Ventura Highway" for Janet Jackson's 2001 hit "Someone to Call My Lover."

Maybe even Pharrell.

"I don't want to freak people out," he cautioned. "But these are talented individuals and I'd love to meet to talk things over."

Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0352 or amcginn@coxohio.com.

How to go

America plays Kuss Auditorium at 8 p.m. Saturday, March 29.

Tickets are $16 to $40. Call (937) 328-3874 or go to pac.clarkstate.edu.