DATE: DECEMBER 14, 2023

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN

CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED
“DECADES ROCK LIVE”
AWARD-WINNING CONCERT TV SPECIALS
MARK RETURN
WITH DECEMBER 16 PREVIEW OF
“DECADES ROCK LIVE: CHICAGO & FRIENDS” CONCERT FILM
CELEBRATING THE MUSIC OF CHICAGO
AT FANTRACKS

TWO-HOUR DIRECTOR’S CUT FEATURES
THE AWARD-WINNING BAND
WITH SPECIAL GUESTS
STEVE VAI, CHRIS DAUGHTRY, ROBERT RANDOLPH,
ROBIN THICKE, CHRISTONE “KINGFISH” INGRAM, AND MORE

WATCH THE TRAILER HERE

Having already confirmed the return of “Decades Rock Live,” the show producers of FanTracks today announced the debut of the reboot of the series with the two-hour director’s cut of the “Decades Rock Live: Chicago & Friends” concert film airing Saturday, December 16 as a PPV event at FANTRACKS. The preview includes highlights of the special, along with a couple songs celebrating the holiday season. Watch the trailer here.

Fans who purchase the “Chicago & Friends Concert Film” will have unlimited viewing through the end of the year (it debuts Saturday, December 16 at 3:00 PM, ET and is available until Sunday, December 31). Options include a $2.99 subscription to FanTracks ALLROCK platform gets you “Decades Rock Live: Chicago & Friends” in 4K UHD, plus three months access to their library of classic concert films and prior “Decades” episodes; a $14.99 Pay Per View is also available. HD is available on Mac, PC, Web with 4K on iOS and Android at www.fantracks.com.

“The shows were amazing,” Summers, “Decades” series creator and co-founder of FanTracks, says. “We’re very excited to be premiering the Director’s Cut version on our FanTracks Platform.”

“The Decades shows in Atlantic City were truly magical for Chicago,” Chicago’s Robert Lamm says. “This special is at a whole new level for the band. It’s unlike any prior Chicago production ever filmed and we hope it’s something our fans will enjoy for many years to come.”

Recorded this past November at Ovation Hall at the Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, NJ, the “Decades Rock Live: Chicago & Friends” marks the return of DECADES, the critically acclaimed and award-winning concert TV experience that features legendary bands performing with today’s hottest artists.

Producer Barry Summers worked directly with co-producer, Chicago’s Lee Loughnane and each guest artist, choosing the songs and arranging the selections for their participation. Loughnane also acted as music director and managed the post-production audio mix for the Director’s Cut, as he will for all subsequent releases.

“Decades Rock Live: Chicago & Friends” was filmed on a custom-built LED stage set featuring newly produced 3D animated visuals with over 30, 4k cameras; it’s an exclusive Chicago show unlike any other show they’ve ever performed on tour. The band perform their greatest hits with some very special guests, including guitar virtuoso Steve Vai paying tribute to the band’s original lead guitarist, Terry Kath. Other guests include Chris Daughtry, Robert Randolph, Robin Thicke, VoicePlay, Judith Hill and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram. The special also celebrates the 55th Anniversary of Chicago’s groundbreaking double-Platinum debut album, CHICAGO TRANSIT AUTHORITY; the band play songs from the classic album that have not been played since the untimely death of Terry Kath, along with the band’s greatest hits. The set will also include “unplugged” versions of some of Chicago’s classic tunes.

Additional details are in motion for a theatrical release, a full film broadcast, and a PBS pledge-drive special all in 2024. More information will be announced in the new year.

ABOUT CHICAGO

With more than 100 million albums sold worldwide, in addition to being in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, the multi-Grammy Award winning band has been hailed by Rolling Stone Magazine as one of the “most important bands in music since the dawn of the rock and roll era.” The legendary rock and roll band with horns, Chicago, came in as the highest charting American band in Billboard Magazine’s Top 125 Artists of All Time. Chicago recently received The Recording Academy’s Lifetime Achievement Award from the GRAMMYS and was previously inducted into the GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2014. Band members Robert Lamm and James Pankow have been inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 2017. Further to that, the band has 21 Top 10 singles, five consecutive Number One albums, 11 #1 singles and five Gold singles, with a total of 48 Gold and Platinum awards. The original three band members are Robert Lamm on keyboards and vocals, Lee Loughnane on trumpet and vocals and James Pankow on trombone. The band line-up also includes Ray Herrmann on sax and flute, Wally Reyes, Jr. on drums, Neil Donell on vocals, Ramon “Ray” Yslas on percussion, Tony Obrohta on guitar, Loren Gold on keyboards and vocals, and Eric Baines on bass and vocals.

ABOUT FANTRACKS

FanTracks is a live streaming company with fan engagement at its core, connecting fans, bands and venues. The company provides subscription and pay-per-view streaming live music events, Xtended Reality (XR) Video Production, digital merchandise and short form original content. FanTracks creates Fanmersive experiences allowing consumers to enjoy live music experiences and gain access to their favorite artists in person and online. Its deep ties to superstar talent and band management form the cornerstone for the creation of hybrid productions that attract music lovers across genres, demographics and geographies. FanTracks is a departure from services that digitally m­imic traditional ticketing. The platform offers music lovers access to high-quality, carefully curated, and professionally produced live shows. Its proprietary technology creates a new world of virtual music and fan experiences, from a range of group chat modes to hosted hang-out spaces and parties, to enhanced interactive features that bring musicians and music lovers together.The company’s long-standing relationships allow for international syndication to cable/satellite/TV broadcast, streaming video services and on-demand providers. In August 2022 FanTracks acquired jazzed, the immersive live-streaming app uniquely curated from the best in jazz, soul and blues to jazz-inspired superstars, thereby adding experienced management in music, entertainment and technology to its leadership team.