We are a versatile
ensemble comprised of
talented, award-winning
musicians. Our sound focuses on Cleveland-style polkas
and
waltzes, and we regularly broaden our music sets to
include popular standards, classic country, Latin-American, foxtrots,
two-steps,
swing, and more. During the holiday season, we play a full
compliment of Christmas songs.
Over the years, our band has amassed a repertoire of over five
hundred
songs, all of which we play by ear. We can rile up a
college crowd with all the polka favorites, like Roll Out the Barrel, She's Too Fat For Me, and E-I-O, and strike golden-agers'
sentimental chords with such familiar classics as The Green Grass of Home, Could I Have This Dance, and Waltz Across Texas. We play locally
throughout Wisconsin's Southeastern club circuit, but also travel to
wherever our music is desired. We've
entertained
crowds from ten to a thousand -- from next door
neighbors to United States presidents.
Hire
Us For Your
Upcoming Event!
Our
band size for anniversaries, birthdays, and most other private
parties is usually three pieces, but we can tailor
the size, volume, and repertoire of our band to suit any
occasion and budget, from intimate gatherings to outdoor music
festivals. If you're not sure what size band your party needs,
I'll offer some suggestions and provide you with several price quotes.
Anniversaries
Parish Festivals
Trade Shows
Retirement Dinners
Holiday Parties
Birthdays
Fish Frys
Conventions
Reunions
Grand Openings
Corporate Functions
Christmas Parties
Senior Picnics
Block Parties
Benefits
Weddings
Banquets
Oktoberfests
Fundraisers
State/County Fairs
Two-Piece Band
* Accordion (with electronic bass), vocals, and
drums
* Suitable for smaller
private parties
* Perfect for when solid, danceable music is needed, but the
entertainment budget is very limited
Three-Piece Band
* Adds banjo/guitar or second accordion, an additional vocalist, and a
keyboard when appropriate
* This is
our standard band configuration for the majority of private parties,
clubs, and
budget-minded events
Four-Piece
Band
* Adds second accordion or saxophone and an additional vocalist
* Recommended for larger
private
parties, weddings, and festivals
* Ideal for corporate events desiring an
authentic, Milwaukee-sound polka
experience
Five/Six-Piece
Cleveland-Style All-Star Band
* Authentic Cleveland-Style polka music featuring THE top pick of
musicians from Southern Wisconsin: Tom
Brusky (Milwaukee, WI) accordion/keyboard Bob
Breuer (West Bend, WI) drums Gary Hendrickson (Monroe, WI)
banjo/guitar
Don Hunjadi (Franksville, WI)
sax/flute Mike McIntyre (Rockford, IL) bass
guitar
* A six-piece band would add David
Austin (Middleton, WI) on second
accordion and vocals
* Availability is limited; several months advance
booking is strongly suggested
* Recommended for music festivals, traditional Milwaukee weddings, and
any event that requires the very best
musicianship to provide an
unsurpassable experience in polka-variety
entertainment
SAMPLE OUR LIVE MUSIC:
These
music samples were recorded live with
instruments and vocals added or subtracted as needed to represent our
live sound, from a two-piece band to a five-piece band.
(Five-piece
audio clip courtesy of Ron VanDenboom)
Contact Us
If you are interested in hiring the Tom Brusky Band, please email
me (Tom Brusky) with some information about your upcoming
event, especially the date and location.
I'll check our availability and provide you with some price
quotes. Public Dance Schedule - 2012
● We've never hired a band before. How
does that work?
Tell me a little bit about your
event, specifically the date, location, and approximate time you'd like us to perform.
I'll check our availability and provide you with some price quotes.
● For how many hours should we hire you?
Entertainment
for most
private parties (anniversaries, retirements, birthdays, etc.) usually
runs three hours. Some parties prefer four hours of music.
Certain special events may require
more than four hours, although some events may only require an hour or
two
of entertainment. We will perform for as long or short of a
performance as you need.
●
Please book in advance
My
schedule for the entire year fills up very
quickly, so
please consider contacting me as far in advance as possible.
Last-minute inquiries are
always
welcome, but, like most other bands, I book strictly on a "first come
- first
serve" basis. For events during the peak Octoberfest season
(late September through early October), we strongly recommend
advance booking of a year or more.
● Our prices are guaranteed to be fair, always
As
one of the Midwest's top Cleveland-style
polka/variety bands, we pride ourselves in providing quality
entertainment at prices that are very competitive with all other
bands of our caliber.
●
A note about rock/pop music
We
can offer a lot of variety in addition to our large
repertoire of polkas and waltzes, however, we are still a polka band. With our three,
four, or five-piece band, we can touch
on a little rock from the 50s &
60s, but that
is admittedly not our specialty. If you would like some
more-contemporary music played at your party, bring
your CD or MP3 player. We'll be happy to patch it into our sound
system to play
during our breaks.
● Have trailer - will travel
As both a bandleader and sideman,
I've enjoyed playing all over the country, from as far east as
Pennsylvania and Florida to as far west as Arizona and Colorado. The
Tom Brusky Band will perform anywhere within the
contiguous 48 states.
● Why don't you advertise your music awards?
Although we are proud to be recipients of
multiple, prestigious awards, music awards almost always
recognize popularity over talent. Occasionally we need to mention
our awards for promotional purposes, but rather
than sell ourselves with a resume, we prefer that you hire us strictly
based on the quality of our music, and nothing else. It's what
we're most proud
of. If you would like to know what awards we've won, feel free to
inquire.
Copyright 1996-2011, Polkasound
Productions, Milwaukee, WI