June 18
Old 97’s

Kicking off Tosa Tonight’s 25th Anniversary Season in grand style with Old 97’s and supporting Milwaukeeans Ladybird.

Old 97’s are a legendary American rock band hailing from Dallas, Texas. Credited as pioneers of the alt-country movement, many of their early songs drive as hard as that ill-fated mail train, Old 97. During their 33-year career, their music has developed to cover a wider range that covers power pop, indie rock, country rock, and Americana. Lead singer Rhett Miller coined his own genre for Old 97’s music: Loud Folk.

Whatever the genre, Old 97’s have made a name for themselves through relentless touring and putting on great shows. This is going to be a big one in Wauwatosa’s musical history.

Local band Ladybird will start the night. Ladybird’s 2024 debut album possesses many overtones of the night’s headliners. There is little doubt that 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 in their band (if not everyone) has spent some time listening to Old 97’s!

June 25
Mucca Pazza

Mucca Pazza assembled itself in a steel mill parking lot along the Chicago River in 2004. Combining marching band traditions and street theater spectacle with rock and roll sensibilities, Mucca Pazza quickly found a home for its 30-odd members in the thriving Chicago underground music scene. An unparalleled eccentric, frenetic visual presence and genre-bending original compositions has earned Mucca Pazza critical praise and a loyal following.

Mucca Pazza’s fearless ability to play anywhere has opened up opportunities for them to perform in absurd locations like libraries, reflection ponds and escalators. Major festivals they’ve played include Lollapalooza, Lincoln Center’s Out of Doors, Festival International de Louisiane and the Montreal Jazz Festival. Preceded by the reputation of their live show, Mucca Pazza hit the airwaves and interwebs appearing on Late Night with Conan O’Brien, WNYC, NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert while licensing music to TV’s Weeds, I Love Dick and the Golden Globe® award-winning Transparent. They’ve been busy collaborators, too, working with a range of artists including Chicago Sinfonietta.

Tosa Tonight only turns 25-years-old once. We can’t think of a better way to celebrate it than with one of our longest sponsors, Wisconsin Space Program, and the one and only Mucca Pazza.

July 2
The Five Card Studs

The 5 Card Studs are a group of veteran players whose diverse backgrounds combine to bring subtlety and precision to top 40 A.M. Gold hits and forgotten favorites. Their love and respect for music’s artistic anomalies comes through in their deftly-executed renditions of songs whose performers you might not remember, but the tunes you sure will.

The Studs pride themselves on their attention to detail with guitar sounds meticulously perfected, string and horn parts not ignored, and vocals — well, you need to hear ‘em to believe ‘em! There’s a reason this band opens for legends when they come through town.

Rest your tired dancing legs on a blanket or chair and get ready for the drone show which will be sure to light up the sky like our namesake fireflies do!

July 9
Jenny Teator

Driveway Thriftdwellers hail from Madison and Milwaukee (and Tosa). Milwaukee Record says, “They’re a country band. And a rock and roll band. And if your local record store has an Americana section, you’ll probably find the band’s albums filed there. They started as a cover band. Now they play almost all originals. But they still love playing four-plus-hour cover sets at Northwoods honky-tonks once in a while, too.”

Driveway Thriftdwellers’ vocalist-guitarist Jon Knudson says, “I had a band called Polydream back in the day and we stopped playing around 2009 or so; I took a big road trip in a camper all around the country for like six months, came back and played duo shows with my friend from high school. We started calling ourselves Driveway Thriftdwellers, and then my brother Ryan told me he had a pedal steel that he wanted to learn how to play, so he asked if he could play some shows with us; he got very good at it and we built the band around it. I had also started playing ukulele with our original bass player Stephen in his backyard, and we realized that we both really liked the Flying Burrito Brothers and the same brand of old country and rock. We were originally a 9-piece when we started.”

If a perfect genre name of musical style doesn’t quite fit Driveway Thriftdwellers, perhaps they could create one, much like our Nashvillian headliner Jenny Teator did with “Rhinestone Rock.”

Jenny Teator is a force—a dynamic artist whose music defies genre boundaries and resonates with raw authenticity. Often compared to powerhouse voices like Alanis Morissette and Miranda Lambert, Jenny has carved out a sound that is uniquely her own. Her music blends the timeless glamor of country with the gritty edge of rock and roll, creating a fusion that is as captivating as it is unforgettable. With soulful vocal melodies, electrifying guitar riffs, and grooves that command you to move, Jenny’s artistry is a testament to her ability to connect deeply with her audience. The Voice of Rhinestone Rock

Born with an innate passion for music, it was Jenny’s move to Nashville from St. Louis eight years ago that truly set her on the path to becoming the artist she is today. Her musical vision became crystal clear as she honed her craft in the music scene, playing a variety of historic venues throughout the city, such as The Bluebird Cafe, EXIT/IN, The Listening Room, 3rd & Lindsley and to name a few. She also took up a residency at BB King’s Blues Club, all while writing and recording her original music along the way.

As a nationally touring artist, you may have seen Jenny at festivals such as Denver Day of Rock, Mile of Music in Appleton, WI and Summer Camp Music Festival in Chillicothe, IL where she secured her performance by winning the Nashville competition “Road to Summer Camp.” Her song “Daughter of the Devil” was featured in HBO’s “The Hype” and her song “Whiskey With Me” led her to collaborations and performances with brands such as Jack Daniels, Bulleit Bourbon, George Dickel and more. The music video also premiered on CMT.

Jenny can hold a crowd of thousands in the palm of her hand through her compelling storytelling in her original music and jamming out to a familiar favorite. She has shared the stage with various acts such as Maggie Rose, Hannah Wicklund, Cowboy Mouth, Restless Road and Candlebox with her full band, and traveling the country putting on acoustic house concerts along the way. “Music is therapy for me and so many people. If I can give value to others like that, my desire to make music will never fade.”
Connect with the Artists

July 16
Chicken Wire Empire

Starting out the night will be The Big Heart Kind. The Big Heart Kind are a folk trio from Milwaukee featuring Maximiano, Dandy L. Freling, and Kati Katchever. Braiding their voices into something you can take comfort in, the trio brings their love of poetry, harmony, and folk music to the stage.

The Big Heart Kind is a perfect opener for the Milwaukee-based, but internationally famous contemporary Bluegrass band Chicken Wire Empire.

Chicken Wire Empire blazes their own path in bluegrass music. Rooted in the Wisconsin bluegrass scene, the band brings a passionate energy to the most beloved elements of bluegrass. Led by a lifetime of dedicated musicianship, CWE’s edge-of-your-seat liveliness is a nod to bluegrass history and the soul of their original sound.

We can’t wait to welcome Wisconsin Public Radio as Presenting Sponsors for this long overdue night of contemporary folk and bluegrass music. What a night it is going to be!

July 23
The Verve Pipe

Kicking off the night is Milwaukee’s one and only Brett Newski and The Bad Inventions. Brett and his band have been on the Hart Park stage before, but never like this. Besides performing with Pixies, Violent Femmes, Courtney Barnett, Gin Blossoms, Manchester Orchestra, Better than Ezra, Barenaked Ladies, and Nada Surf, they’ve also performed with The Verve Pipe. So this July 23rd, let the reunion commence!

Brett is the ultimate DIY troubadour and an indie rock Milwaukee mainstay. He brings a collision of alt-country, Tom Petty and 90’s alternative on his latest EP, 𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐚. Newski and his band are back with satirical humor, contrarian ethos, and the knack for creating anthems for outliers.

And speaking of anthems, we were all freshmen once, right? (Well, at least those of us old enough to have a Facebook account.) Is there a 90’s song more anthemic than The Verve Pipe’s ‘The Freshmen’?

𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳
𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘶𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘦’𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘦, 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘷𝘦
𝘞𝘦’𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘴𝘦 𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘴, 𝘸𝘦 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘩𝘮𝘦𝘯

And while The Freshmen may be approaching its 30th birthday, the band is peaking. The Verve Pipe’s shows are energetic and crowd-pleasing. Their bio states “We are the band behind the hits The Freshmen, Photograph and Colorful. Still making music after thirty years. Live show loving and fan-friendly. Join us.”

Join you Wauwatosa will, The Verve Pipe. And we cannot wait.

July 30
Adrian + Meredith

The Delta Routine is not exactly one of those just-passing-through bands, though. They’re mostly local fellows who long ago won the ears and hearts of many Wisconsin music fans, including those Mile of Music organizers up in Appleton. The Delta Routine played the first two Miles, but they have not been back since.

The Delta Routine tap into the roots of early rock and roll with infectious hooks and melodies, riffing guitars, and whip-smart lyrics. Drummer Kyle Ciske provides the backbeat with the same deft skill he uses when crafting West Allis’ finest craft beers at Ope! Brewing Company.

Our opener may be local, but the headliner for the evening is truly global. A look on their schedule has them squeezing Wauwatosa and Appleton in between shows in the United Kingdom and Estonia. Their sound, too, is truly global.

Adrian + Meredith, the dynamic duo behind The Adrian + Meredith Band, have journeyed from their humble Midwest roots, to the heart of East Nashville’s music scene, to international showcasing and summer touring. Along the way, they’ve forged kinships with members of storied acts like Th’Legendary Shackshakers, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Calexico, and Gogol Bordello, who have become not just heroes but mentors and colleagues.

August 6
Velocity

Two of ACA’s most popular bands will be performing on this same Tosa’s Night Out evening: Rock Revolutionaries and Velocity.

Kicking the night off will be one of ACA’s newest bands: Rock Revolutionaries. Formed in 2023, the band consists of notable and talented musicians from the Milwaukee/Brookfield area. Each musician in the band performs with many different groups locally, and some globally as well as internationally. The songs they perform include hits from Foo Fighters, Tom Petty, Journey, Guns ‘N’ Roses and more. The band consists of two power house guitar players, bass, keys, drums and an amazing vocalist. Rock Revolutionaries are sure to capture the hearts of many fans of rock music and they are ready to perform at your next big event.

If Rock Revolutionaries didn’t get you up on your feet, our next performers Velocity certainly will.

Nominated for Best Band three years consecutively by Wisconsin Bride Magazine, Velocity is an energetic group composed of some of the Midwest’s finest and most versatile musicians. Their song list covers a wide variety of genres, but noticeably, they cover many of the biggest hits. (Velocity’s song list at ACA’s website lists 367 unique songs!)

Take it from fan Caroline who writes, “Velocity was a hit. Friends and family are still raving about them one month later!”

Erin says, “Velocity is amazing!”

And Tien adds, “They’re awesome and kept the dance floor going all night!’

This is all going to add up to one funtastic night out at Tosa Tonight!

August 13
KILA

Tosa Tonight welcomes CelticMKE and Milwaukee Irish Fest Foundation back as sponsors to what’s always one of our most popular nights of the year: The Milwaukee Irish Fest Preview night!

This year’s preview will be a dandy with two of the Fest’s finest Celtic performers in The Howley Brothers and Kila.

From Ireland, The Howley Brothers, David and Martin, are redefining the landscape of folk music with their dynamic new collaboration. Founders of Billboard No. 1 band We Banjo 3, the Galway-born siblings have a storied history of musical excellence. Martin’s exceptional skills on the banjo and mandolin have earned him multiple All-Ireland titles, while David’s emotive voice and instrumental versatility have made him a sought-after performer alongside legends like Eileen Ivers and Mumford & Sons. Their combined artistry in The Howley Brothers offers a fresh and vibrant take on Celtic and Americana traditions.

Having seen the entertaining David and Martin many times with We Banjo 3, we must admit that we are very excited to see them perform in their new configuration. But The Howley Brothers are only getting the night started as next the Tosa Tonight stage hosts one of Irelands’s most acclaimed bands: Kila!

Formed at school in Dublin’s late 1980’s, the award-winning band Kíla are heralded as one of Ireland’s most innovative and exciting groups. Their unique sound has been ever-evolving, rooted in tradition, yet inspired by a myriad of influences and ideas from all around the world.
Often defined as contemporary Irish World music, Kíla fuse the effects of their own melodies and Irish (Gaeilge) lyrics, Irish folk instruments such as whistles, fiddles, Uilleann pipes, bones and bodhrán with djembe, congas, drums, mandolins, brass, and acoustic/electric/ bass guitars. Kíla’s eight members come from the differing musical backgrounds of traditional, classical, and rock.

The Howley Brothers and Kila. What a great way to kickoff Milwaukee Irish Fest weekend!

August 20*
*rain makeup date