Chicago will help honor America's 250th anniversary with a performance on A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration, taking place on the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol building.

This isn’t the first time Chicago has performed on the annual special, and founding member Lee Loughnane tells ABC there’s no other show quite like it.

“We get to play before hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in one fell swoop,” he says. “How many years would you have to be on the road to reach that many people?”

He adds they feel “honored and privileged” to take part in the celebration, noting this year is particularly special because “250 years as a country only happens one time.”

Chicago will play three songs on A Capitol Fourth, including “Saturday in the Park." Loughnane says that will be particularly of note because this year “July Fourth is on a Saturday.” They’ll also play “Feeling Stronger Every Day” and “25 or 6 to 4,” with the latter performed against a backdrop of fireworks.

“It's gonna be quite the celebration,” he says.

Loughnane adds that he hopes Americans take away an important message from the festivities.

“We've had ups and downs for 250 years and what we still have to this day is freedom,” he says. “And we are the freest country in the world. That's a legacy to really be proud of.”

The performance comes not long after the June death of the band’s founding member Walter Parazaider. Remembering his bandmate, Loughnane says they “had some great times together.”

He says that after all those years touring together “you either get along or get out, and obviously we did not get out. ... I will miss Walt.” 

A Capitol Fourth: 250th Weekend Celebration, hosted by Alfonso Ribeiro, airs July 3 at 8 p.m. ET on on public TV stations nationwide.

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