The University Board recently announced the band Chicago will perform for Eastern’s family weekend in October.

Cecilia Brinker, the director of Student Life, said the UB has looked at Chicago before but scheduling them took patience and timing.

“We’re excited,” Brinker said. “I feel like we’ve hit the jackpot. The time is right, the pricing is right.”

The classic pop/rock band will perform two shows at 6 p.m. and again at 8 p.m. Saturday October 8 in Lantz Arena. Tickets for the show will be $27.

Brinker said the ticket price will be the same for students and the general public but Eastern students will have priority when purchasing tickets.

She also said while the ticket price is high for a family weekend show, she said it is the cheapest cost she has seen for a live performance by Chicago.

“We try and make this affordable,” Brinker said. “I don’t think we’ll have a problem selling tickets. When you hear the name Chicago people get excited.”

Brinker said there will be a limit on the number of tickets that will be sold each student or family but the UB has not finalized the number.

According to a press release about the concert, the band started in Chicago in 1967 and has several top 40 songs including “If You Leave Me now,” “Hard To Say I’m Sorry,” Look Away” and “Make Me Smile.”

Brinker said Chicago will not have an opening act but she said they have such an extensive song list they do not need one.

“An hour doesn’t even do justice to see them perform. People want to get as much as possible,” Brinker said. “We’ve had a track record of artists of this caliber. This is the best of the best really.”

Brinker said the concert will be a trip down memory lane for some, but she said the band has had a recent comeback.

“When you look at reviews for their recent concerts you see they have been nothing less than exceptional and amazing,” Brinker said.

According to the press release the band has had their songs featured in the past few years in HBO’s “The Sopranos” and “Sex and the City” and also movies such as “My Girl 2,” “Summer Lovers” and “Happy Feet.”

Brinker said the challenge now is to find an act for 2012 that will be better.

“We are on the countdown to one of the best concerts in the history of EIU,” Brinker said.

Seth Schroeder can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].