“Chicago & Friends in Concert” will be shown in movie theaters, April 18 and 21.
The “Decades Rock Live” series, dormant since 2006, returned with two concerts by the band Chicago — with guests including Steve Vai, Robert Randolph and Christone “Kingfish” Ingram — in November, at Ovation Hall at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City. And a concert film, titled “Chicago & Friends in Concert,” will be shown in theaters, April 18 and 21.
The show celebrated the 55th anniversary of the band’s debut album, Chicago Transit Authority, and featured rarely played songs from that album such as “Listen,” “Poem 58” and “South California Purples,” as well as most of the band’s biggest hits. Other guests included Chris Daughtry, Robin Thicke, Judith Hill and the a cappella quintet VoicePlay.
Trumpeter Lee Loughnane, a co-founder of Chicago, said in a press release, “This concert film is a unique approach to any of our previous live performances. We very rarely play with guest artists, much less seven of them.”
To see a list of participating theaters, visit chicagoandfriendsintheatres.com. The trailer is embedded below.
Here is the Nov. 17 setlist, according to setlist.fm. (A second show took place on Nov. 18.)
FIRST SET
“Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?”
“Beginnings”
“Questions 67 & 68”
“Listen” (with Robert Randolph)
“South California Purples” (with Steve Vai)
“Poem 58” (with Steve Vai)
“I’m a Man” (with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Chris Daughtry)
“Dialogue (Part I & II)” (with Robert Randolph)
“Call on Me”
“(I’ve Been) Searchin’ So Long”
“Mongonucleosis”
“Street Player”
“Make Me Smile” (with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Judith Hill)
“Colour My World” (with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram and Judith Hill)
“To Be Free” (with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram)
“Now More Than Ever” (with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram)
“Alive Again” (with Judith Hill)
“Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!”
“Old Days”
“Hard Habit to Break”(with Chris Daughtry)
SECOND SET
“Wishing You Were Here” (with VoicePlay)
“Happy Man” (with VoicePlay)
“If You Leave Me Now” (with VoicePlay)
“Look Away” (with VoicePlay)
“Magical Mystery Tour”
“Just You ‘n’ Me”
“Hard to Say I’m Sorry/Get Away”
“The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)”
“In the Country” (with Christone “Kingfish” Ingram)
“Saturday in the Park” (with Robin Thicke)
“Free”
“You’re the Inspiration” (with Judith Hill)
“Feelin’ Stronger Every Day”
ENCORE
“25 or 6 to 4” (with all guests)
In 2005 and 2006, “Decades Rock Live” shows featuring Bonnie Raitt, Elvis Costello, The Pretenders, Heart and others plus various other artists — Norah Jones, Ben Harper, Alison Krauss and Keb’ Mo’ were Raitt’s guests, for instance — took place at Atlantic City’s Trump Taj Mahal (now the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino) and were taped for later broadcast on the VH1 Classic channel.
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