Tosa Tonight

Awesome local event put on by the Village of Wauwatosa! This event rivals other similar events such as Jazz in the Park and Chill on the Hill that are hosted in other areas of town, just with a slightly trimmed down (and in my biased opinion, easier to navigate) crowd and setup.
The stage is large and lifted, so there is no such thing as a bad spot. There is a mix of blankets and camping chairs, though I’d say the majority were blankets. There were pups of both the human and canine division, and people of all ages.
Food/​drink wise, Gille’s was there with a cart selling ice cream sundaes, Ruby Tap was selling wine ($ 7 a glass) also by carafe, Leff’s was there with burgers/​brats/​pulled pork, Maxies was serving up some veggie jambalaya and their mac n cheese ($ 5), and Bel Air was there serving up three different taco options (corn & bean, pork and steak) for $ 3 each (no rice/​beans offered).
We posted up a spot in the middle with Porkchop and snagged a few tacos. Unfortunately I wasn’t full after 3 so we got mac n cheese too. I loved the options of both beer and wine between Leff’s and Ruby Tap. The music was a perfect volume to enjoy without being drowned out, and the crowd was really nice too.
Bring a blanket and some friends and enjoy all that Tosa has to offer!

According to the 2010 Census, there are 46,396 residents living in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. And based on my estimation, about 43,847 of them are missing out on the coolest event in Wauwatosa.
What do those 2,549 know that the others don’t? They know about the Tosa Tonight Summer Concert Series.
Since 2008, the Tosa Tonight Summer Concert Series has been held at the beautiful Rotary Performance Pavilion just off 68^th and State. The series has hosted as few as four performances per year, but the 2014 schedule is loaded with seven. Recent years’ performers have been widely varied, offering a little something for everyone: pop, jazz, classical, R&B, rock, and, of course, Celtic.
It’s that latter one that brings out the ‘tosans in droves. Wauwatosa folk sure love bagpipes and bouzouki. The Celtic concert always occurs the weekend before Milwaukee’s massive Irish Fest. Generally the performers are top-​draw acts at the fest including The Red Hot Chili Pipers, Gaelic Storm and my favorite, Scythian. (Scythian is on the 2014 schedule – I recommend them highly!)
As much as I enjoy Celtic night, my favorite is the Yellow Phone Music Conference (YPMC) night. The first one was held in 2013. YPMC’s goal is to bring together unsigned artists and leaders in the music business. It’s at Tosa Tonight’s YMPC preview night that you’ll see and hear Wisconsin musicians making interesting and current music. 2013’s version was an all-​star cast of sorts highlighting Trapper Schoepp & The Shades with Joe Crockett (The Championship), Frankie Lee (MPLS), Chris DeMay (Juniper Tar), Joseph Huber (.357 String Band), Quinn Scharber (of, like, a hundred bands in Miwaukee) and Tim Schweiger who has played with Tommy Stinson (the Replacements!).
2014’s YPMC night hosts one of my favorite Milwaukee bands: Hugh Bob & The Hustle featuring Hugh Bob Masterson right out of Butternut, Wisconsin and the aforementioned Quinn Scharber. These guys have filled Turner Hall at $ 10 a ticket, but Wauwatosans will be fortunate to see these guys for free!
Well, maybe not totally free. See, unlike Milwaukee’s Jazz in the Park, people are permitted to bring in their own refreshments, but really… don’t be a dink. Support the series by bringing your own blankets, chairs, flameless candles, etc., but slake your thirst from one of the event’s sponsors. Your food and beverage purchases directly raise money for the ongoing non-​profit operation of the Pavilion and future concerts.
If you bring your own, I’ll totally judge you.
So come on all 43,847 of you Wauwatosans. Join me and enjoy Summer at the Rotary Performance Pavilion on Wednesday nights. Bring the kids. Bring the grandparents. Even bring your friends from *gasp* Brookfield. They’ll be surprised to discover how cool life is east of Highway 100! ;)