Leonid & Friends

Leonid & Friends play ACL Live at The Moody Theater on Wednesday, October 21, starting at 7:30 PM. They're an 11-piece collective that describes itself as genre-defying, and the setlist makes it clear why. The show centers on Chicago, with the band performing precise recreations of the horn-heavy classics that defined the group's sound.

That Chicago focus is the anchor, but the night reaches well beyond it. The set pulls from rock, pop, and jazz-fusion hits of the 1970s, with '25 or 6 to 4', 'Make Me Smile', 'Does Anybody Really Know What Time It Is?', 'Feelin' Stronger Every Day', 'Beginnings', and 'Questions 67 & 68' all in the mix. Along the way, they bring in songs from Earth, Wind & Fire, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Steely Dan, and The Carpenters. It's a wide spread of 70s sounds—brass-led soul, jazz-inflected pop, and smooth harmonies—all handled by the same group of musicians.

There's a specific history behind the name. The collective was formed by musician and producer Leonid Vorobyev, who brought together vocalists and instrumentalists from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and beyond. It started as a studio project in Moscow and grew into an international act when their video covers went viral, eventually earning praise from members of Chicago themselves. With over 500 million combined video views and several sold-out U.S. tours, they've built a global following around that same approach: honoring the originals while expanding the setlist to other artists from the era.

On stage, the sound relies on a tight horn section, rich vocal harmonies, and rock & roll soul. The show is at ACL Live at The Moody Theater on Wednesday, October 21, at 7:30 PM.