 |
The Tom Brusky Band is versatile ensemble comprised of talented, award-winning musicians. In a sense, we are two bands in one.  We are a polka
band. We can rile up a beer hall
crowd with all the polka favorites like Roll Out the Barrel, She's Too Fat For Me, and Who Stole the Kishka, and strike
golden-ager's sentimental chords with classic waltzes such as Waltz Across Texas and The Blue Skirt Waltz, but we actually
boast a repertoire of over 300 polkas and waltzes. We are an
authentic band well-established in the polka music circuit, and are
regularly hired
for polka festivals and Octoberfests.We are a variety band. Our repertoire outside of the polka genre consists of over 200 songs, including popular standards, classic country, foxtrots, two-steps, swing, rhumbas, cha-chas, and Chistmas/holiday music. Our variety music caters more toward the older generations, and features such familiar classics as Sentimental Journey, My Happiness, and In the Mood. Even though we are an established polka band, we are often hired by dance clubs for our variety music alone. But it is our combined repertoire of polkas, waltzes, and variety music that makes us the premier band in town for private parties. We play regularly throughout our home territory of Southeastern Wisconsin, but also travel abroad to wherever our music is desired. We've entertained crowds from ten to a thousand, from next door neighbors to United States presidents. Public Dance Schedule: 2013
Hire Us For Your Upcoming Event!
We will tailor the size, volume, and repertoire of our band to suit any occasion and budget, from intimate gatherings to outdoor music festivals. Two-Piece Band * Accordion (with electronic bass), vocals, and drums * Suitable for smaller private parties and venues * Perfect for when solid, danceable music is needed, but the entertainment budget is tight Three-Piece Band * Adds banjo/guitar or second accordion, additional vocals, 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 sax/flute, and additional vocals * Recommended for larger private parties, weddings, and festivals * Ideal for corporate events desiring an authentic, Milwaukee polka experience Five-Piece Band * Adds second accordion and sax/flute, and additional vocals * Availability is limited, so booking 6-12 months in advance is recommended * Perfect for ethnic/music festivals, traditional Milwaukee weddings, and any event that requires the very best musicianship to provide an unsurpassable experience in polka-variety entertainment
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. Frequently-Asked Questions ● 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.
● How big of a band does our party need? The size of your party and your
entertainment budget are usually the two main factors that will
determine how large our band should be. Our default band size for
most private parties (anniversaries, birthdays, retirements, etc.) is
three pieces, however, smaller parties often hire us at two pieces
while larger parties and corporate events may hire us at four or five
pieces. If you're not sure how large of a band your party needs,
I'll offer some suggestions and provide you with several price options.
● For how many hours should we hire you? Live music for most private parties
typically
runs about three hours, but we will perform
for as long or short of a
performance as you need and adjust our rate quotes accordingly, whether you need us for thirty
minutes, three hours, or three days.
● How far in advance should we hire you? Like most bands, we book
on a "first come
- first
serve" basis. Last-minute inquiries are
always
welcome, but advance booking of several months
is recommended. For events during the peak Octoberfest season
(late September through early October), we recommend
booking a full year ahead if possible.
● How do your prices compare? 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 for a band of
our caliber. Our prices are gauranteed to be fair,
always.
● Do you play rock/pop music? With our three,
four, or five-piece band, we can touch
on rock from the 50s &
60s, but that
is admittedly not our specialty. Our variety primarily caters to the
senior
generation,
which has made us the premier band in town not just for polka dances,
but for events like 50th anniversary and 75th birthday parties. If you would like more modern
genres
of music played at your party, feel free to bring
your CD or MP3 player. We'll patch it into our sound
system to play
during our breaks.
Yes. 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 awards? Although my band members and I are honored
to be recipients of
multiple awards, music awards for which large memberships vote
(Grammys, WAMIs, halls of fame, etc.) tend to recognize popularity and
personality over
actual musical talent. Any polka band with good marketing and
promotional skills
can win awards if they desire, but that's never been our
goal.
Occasionally we are requested to mention
our awards for promotional purposes, but we prefer that you hire us
strictly
based on the quality of our music—not the quantity of bullets on our
resume.
● Are you loud?
The majority of people who attend
private parties spend much of their time socializing, so we prefer to
keep our volume a little lower than what you might expect. Our
job as a band is to provide music for dancing and listening enjoyment,
not for causing ear strain. In fact, we
are often commended for playing at the perfect volume. We have
several sets of amplifiers and speakers from which to choose, and will
bring a sound system that is volume-approriate for the venue. For
outdoor concerts, we have one of the best-sounding, bi-amplified,
full-range PA
systems of any polka band around, complete with dual 21"
subwoofers. For small parties, we have a compact PA
system. For everything else in between, we'll configure the
perfect sound system.
● Why can't I find you on Facebook? I used to be on Facebook, but after three
years of becoming increasingly frustrated with Facebook's incompetence
and willful neglect of users' privacy, I quit. Even though
a tenth of the world's population haphazardly uses Facebook, I am one
of the few who have thoroughly read Facebook's Privacy Policy, and I
have
found it to be unacceptable.
|