Wauwatosa

A city in the Milwaukee area

Wauwatosa's live-music scene leans heavily outdoor and community-driven in the warmer months. The centerpiece is the Rotary Performance Pavilion, an outdoor venue with seating for up to 2,500 patrons, located at Hart Park on the corner of 68th and State Street. It is the permanent home of Tosa Tonight, a free, family-friendly summer concert series that has run since 2000. Concerts are free and take place starting at 6:00 p.m. on most Wednesdays throughout the summer. The lineup spans pop, jazz, classical, and Celtic, and the Pavilion's Celtic concert, timed to coincide with Milwaukee's Irish Fest, draws particular crowds. Recent bookings have included Driveway Thriftdwellers, Chicken Wire Empire, and Brett Newski, with country, rock, and alternative folk among the top genres represented. Outside of the Pavilion, Tosa Tonight itself is described as a free, family-friendly series in the heart of Wauwatosa, making the city's live-music identity largely synonymous with that single well-established summer program.