March 22, 2005 - The popularity of the recent Dear Friends: The Music of Final Fantasy concerts in Chicago and San Francisco, not to mention last year's sold-out Los Angeles performance continues to escalate.

To wit, Square Enix have announced that a new concert based on the music of their uber popular Final Fantasy franchise will be performed in Los Angeles at Universal Amphitheatre on May 16th, 2005.

The concert, just as with the recent Chicago and San Francisco performances of Dear Friends, will be conducted by Grammy award winning musician/composer/conductor Arnie Roth, who will be presiding over the World Festival Symphony Orchestra and the California State University Fullerton University Singers, with special appearances by Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu's rock group The Black Mages, plus additional guest performers who will be announced at a later date.

"I couldn't be more pleased with the popularity of the FINAL FANTASY music in America, and I can't wait for the fans' reaction to this new show. I am especially delighted that my wish to perform in America with my band, The Black Mages, has come true," said Uematsu about the ongoing concerts and his increased involvement with this presentation.

As with the Dear Friends performances, More Friends will feature seminal scenes from the various Final Fantasy video games projected onscreen and intertwined with the live orchestral, rock, and pop performances. Additionally, More Friends marks the one year anniversary of the first stateside performance of Uematsu's Dear Friends concert.

The More Friends program is produced by Uematsu and presented by Jason Michael Paul Productions. Tickets went on sale on Monday March 21, 2005 and are available at all Ticketmaster outlets, as well as at the Universal Amphitheatre Main & Citywalk Box offices, charged by phone at 213.252.8497.