Leonid and Friends is a Chicago tribute band based in Moscow. They began as a YouTube band, and now occasionally tour as well. Leonid Vorobyev, is the founder and leader of the band. Vorobyev is a multi-instrumentalist, a recording studio sound engineer and choir conductor by training, at the East Siberian Institute of Culture. Vorobyev made his first Chicago video recording of the song “Brand New Love Affair” in 2014. With former Kyiv Ukraine vocalist, Serge Tiagniryadno, Leonid and Friends’ YouTube videos have gone viral, with views in the millions.
Leonid & Friends have recorded three Chicago tribute albums, titled Chicagovich. After touring in Russia, the band first toured the United Staes in 2019. Starting in 2018, songs by Earth, Wind and Fire, Blood Sweat & Tears, The Ides of March and Steely Dan were added to the playlist. In 2022, Chaka Khan’s Ain’t Nobody cover with Ksenia Buzina was added to Leonid & Friends tribute. Leonid Vorobyev’s son, Roman Vorobyev is the band’s manager. The band’s instrumental setup features bass and lead guitars, drums, keyboards, saxophone, trumpet and trombone, with occasional flugelhorn, French horn, flute, metal clarinet, cello and violin and miscellaneous percussion.
Leonid and Friends currently tours with about 11 musicians, from Russia, Ukraine, Moldova, and Belarus. Prior to 2019, the band performed exclusively in Russia. In 2019, the band embarked on their first tour of the United States, the Fancy Colours Tour, and later followed with two more sold-out tours in 2019. The 2020 tour was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Leonid and Friends toured the United States again in 2021, with the Feeling Stronger Every Day Tour, and once more in 2022. In late 2023, the group embarked on yet another tour of the United States.
“The Speck of Dust” a Leonid and Friends original single with lead vocals by Buzina Kseniya Yurievna, was released in 2021 (written by Alexey Ashtaev, lyrics by Leonid Vorobyev and Roman Vorobyev) This was followed by Superstar by Ksenia Buzina and Leonid & Friends, a Carpenters cover released in September 2023.
In 2024, the band will perform their first cruise gig, On The Blue Cruise, The World’s Greatest Classic Rock Music Cruise from Miami to Puerto Plata and Nassau, as part of a bill with other bands. The cruise took place on the Norwegian Pearl in April. They also announced an extensive 2024 US tour following the cruise.
