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 Tom
Brusky Polka-Variety
BandWe are a versatile ensemble comprised of talented, award-winning musicians. Our sound focuses on Slovenian and Cleveland-style polkas and waltzes, although when desired, we broaden our music sets to include popular standards, classic country, Latin-American, foxtrots, two-steps, swing, and Christmas holiday music. Over the years, our band has amassed a staggeringly large 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, Cound 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 default band size for anniversaries, birthdays, and most other private parties is three pieces, but we can tailor the size, volume, and repertoire of our band to suit any occasion and budget. Below are our available band configurations: Solo Accordion * Unamplified, strolling accordion - no vocals * For house and office parties, dinner receptions, and anywhere background atmosphere music is requested * Note: A solo accordionst is not a low-cost substitute for a band. See FAQs below. 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 (default) * Adds banjo/guitar or second accordion, a second 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 * Recommended for larger private parties, weddings, and festivals * Ideal for corporate events desiring an authentic, Milwaukee-sound polka experience Five-Piece Cleveland-Style All-Star Band * Authentic Cleveland-Style polka music featuring the very best musicians from Southern Wisconsin: Bob Breuer (West Bend, WI) drums Tom Brusky (Milwaukee, WI) accordion/keyboard 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 * One year advance booking is strongly suggested
Are you interested in hiring my band for your upcoming function? Please email me (Tom Brusky) for a quote. 
 
FAQs (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 let you know 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.) runs
either three or four hours. 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 Oktoberfest season
(September-October), we strongly recommend
advance booking of a year or more as it is not uncommon for us to
receive three, four, sometimes five offers for the same night.
● 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 directly competitive with all other
bands of our caliber.
● A note about solo accordion performances Solo
accordion music has its purpose and place in entertaining, but it is
not considered a viable, low-budget substitute for a band. My
solo
accordion
performance is suited for background/atmosphere music -- not as
an entertainment act.
● 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.
Our band will perform anywhere in the
contiguous 48 states.
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