Tom Brusky Band
 
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POLKA-VARIETY BAND
 

We are an authentic, third-generation polka band from Milwaukee, carrying on the music of the great bands from the past. We can rile up a crowd with all the beer hall favorites like Roll Out the Barrel and Who Stole the Kishka, and strike sentimental chords with classic waltzes such as Waltz Across Texas and The Blue Skirt Waltz, but we actually boast a repertoire of over two-hundred polkas and waltzes. We are firmly established in Wisconsin's polka music circuit, and are regularly hired for weddings, Oktoberfests, festivals, fairs, and more.

As a polka band, we can entertain crowds with all the beer hall favorites like Roll Out the Barrel and Who Stole the Kishka, and strike sentimental chords with classic waltzes such as Waltz Across Texas and The Blue Skirt Waltz, but we actually boast a repertoire of over 200 polkas and waltzes. We are firmly established in Wisconsin's polka music circuit, and are regularly hired to provide polka music for Oktoberfests, festivals, fairs, and all other events wanting an authentic polka experience.
 
Outside the polka genre, our repertoire consists of over 200 standards, foxtrots, two-steps, rhumbas, cha-chas, swing, classic country, and Christmas songs. 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 birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and so much more.
 
We've entertained crowds from two to two-thousand, which have included everyone from next door neighbors to United States presidents. We perform regularly throughout our home territory of Southern Wisconsin and travel to wherever our music is desired, providing music for all occasions:
 
  • Anniversaries
  • Parish Festivals
  • Trade Shows
  • Retirement Dinners
  • State/County Fairs
  • Birthdays
  • Fish Frys
  • Conventions
  • Reunions
  • Benefits
  • Corporate Events
  • Christmas Parties
  • Senior Picnics
  • Block Parties
  • Grand Openings
  • Weddings
  • Banquets
  • Oktoberfests
  • Graduations
  • Celebrations of Life
 
We tailor the size, volume, and repertoire of our band to suit all occasions and budgets, from intimate gatherings to outdoor music festivals:

    Two-Piece Band
      * Literally sounds like a three-piece band

 
    Three-Piece Band

      * Our standard band configuration for most occasions
 
   
Four-Piece Band
      * Ideal for festivals, corporate events, and larger private parties
 
    Five-Piece Band
      * For when your event requires the very best musicianship to provide an unsurpassable polka-variety experience



Tom

Tom

3-piece band

4-piece band

4-piece band

4-piece band
 






Upcoming Public Performances
 




DECEMBER 2024
Tue. 3
Pat's Oak Manor, South Milwaukee, WI
2:30pm-5:30pm
Fri.  13
American Legion, Fox Lake, WI 7:30pm-10:30pm



  







Sample Our Live Sound


To present to you the breadth of our band's sound, we went into the recording studio and cut roughly thirty minutes of live music tracks. What you hear in these demos is a sample of what we bring to our live performances, playing our repertoire of polkas and variety music. We recorded these tracks using the same instruments and equipment we use on stage.

 
 FOUR-PIECE BAND
 


THREE-PIECE BAND
 


TWO-PIECE BAND
 







 
Contact me for a quote

If you are interested in hiring my band for your event, I'd love to hear from you!
I'll check our availability and provide you with a price quote. Please include these three details about your event in your email: date, location, and approximate performance time.
 
E-mail:
Send Email

Mail:
Tom Brusky Band
4055 S. 103rd Street
Milwaukee, WI  53228-2005

Phone:
(414) 546-3650. Due to my odd schedule, it can take me over a week to retrieve and return a phone call during normal hours. For a prompt response, please contact me via email. Thank you.
 



 


Common questions answered

Is your band Polish or German?
A very common misconception about polka music is that it's either Polish or German, but it's actually neither. Its roots are in 19th century Bohemia. Over the years, various styles of polka music developed and flourished in the United States, which include Polish and German styles among others. Our style of polka music is the Slovenian style, also known as the Cleveland style, which is the most popular style of polka music in Southern Wisconsin and across the Penn-Ohio "polka belt".

For how many hours should we hire you?
Live music for most private parties typically runs anywhere from about 90 minutes up to four hours, with the majority of performances being either two or three hours in length. We will perform for as long or short of a performance as you need and adjust our rate quotes accordingly whether you need us to play for three minutes, three hours, or three days.

How far in advance should we book you?
Although last minute inquires are always welcome, like most bands, we book on a "first come—first serve" basis. For events during the peak Oktoberfest season (early September to early October) booking a full year in advance is always recommended.

Do you play any contemporary, mainstream music?
No, that's simply not the kind of band we are. The bulk of our variety music is comprised of standards, light pop, classic country, and ballroom favorites from the 1930s through the 1970s — songs that your parents and grandparents remember fondly. This is what has made us a popular band not just for polka dances and festivals, but for events like 50th anniversaries and senior citizens' birthday parties. If you would like newer music played at your party, we'll be glad to patch your phone or MP3 player into our sound system to play during our breaks.

Can we hire you to perform prior to the DJ at our wedding?
Absolutely! This is actually very common for us nowadays. If you'd like to bring some traditional, live music into your wedding, consider hiring us to kick out a set of polka music prior to the DJ taking over. We can also provide lighter cocktail music before or during dinner.

How long does it take you to set up?

It takes us anywhere from 20 to 60 minutes depending on the size of our PA.

Why don't you advertise your awards?
Although my band members and I are grateful to be recipients of multiple music awards, award programs with large voting memberships tend to recognize popularity over talent [see my News section's "Nominations" article]. Any polka band, regardless of their level of talent, can win music awards if they make it their mission to win them. That's simply not our goal. We do not ask for votes nor do we vote for ourselves. We prefer that you hire us strictly based on the quality of our music — not the quantity of bullets on our résumé.
 
How loud is the band?
Volume is a known problem with many bands, but not with us. At private parties, our job is to provide music for dancing and listening enjoyment – not to cause ear pain. We can literally play as quietly as a small jazz combo when desired, which is what we are often called upon to do for cocktail receptions and dinners. We can also pump up the volume when needed. When you hire us, YOU have the final say over our volume, not us. If our volume seems too high or too low, please let us know and we'll adjust it until you're satisfied.

Do you require a deposit?
For some private parties, especially those on Saturday nights and on weekends during peak festival seasons, a band may require a deposit. A deposit is a portion of the band's fee paid in advance, which is a standard practice in the entertainment industry. The purpose of a deposit is to ensure a last-minute cancellation does not deprive a band of promised income. We may request a deposit for some events, and the deposit will be fully, partially, or non-refundable depending on the circumstances surrounding the cancellation.

Where is your Facebook page? Twitter? Instagram?
Although social media is woven into the fabric of modern society, most everyone who uses it is blissfully ignorant of, or willingly indifferent to, just how much information about them is being continually harvested, aggregated, and sold to data brokers. My privacy is more important to me than every benefit social media has to offer.
 
 
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