October 21 @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
$37
Leonid & Friends, the horn-driven ensemble widely hailed as the world’s greatest Chicago tribute band, play ACL Live at the Moody Theater in Austin on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. The show starts at 7:30 PM, and tickets start at $37.
About Leonid & Friends
The group began in Moscow in 2014 as a studio project led by producer, bassist, and keyboardist Leonid Vorobyev, a veteran recording engineer and conservatory-trained musician. His idea was simple: gather top-tier players and record Chicago’s music live in the studio, note for note, as a tribute from musicians to musicians. The videos they posted to YouTube, including takes on “25 or 6 to 4,” “Make Me Smile,” and “Saturday in the Park,” racked up millions of views, and the project took off for good when Chicago itself shared one of the clips on its official website.
Today the 11-piece collective tours North America regularly. Former Chicago singer and bassist Jason Scheff has joined them onstage and praised their accuracy, and their sets now reach beyond Chicago into Earth, Wind & Fire, Blood, Sweat & Tears, and Steely Dan.
Few rooms in Texas are better suited to a big horn band than the Moody Theater, which was built as the home of the Austin City Limits TV taping and is tuned for exactly this kind of dense, layered arrangement. Fans of brass-heavy virtuosity may also want to check out Snarky Puppy at ACL Live two nights earlier.
Leonid & Friends shows tend to draw multiple generations, from fans who saw Chicago in the 1970s to younger players who found the band through YouTube. Get your tickets on StubHub before the best seats are gone.
Doors typically open an hour before showtime. It’s a Wednesday night downtown, so allow time for traffic and parking, or take a rideshare to the venue’s Second Street entrance.