Fascinating read: The pandemic has all but shut down the income streams for halftime performers, who typically make $1,500 to $5,000 a show.

[2nd Degree Gopher]

I remember seeing Red Panda for the first time at a Gophers/Northwestern game. The Goph's were terrible and the game was even worse. Then Red Panda (and Camera Girl-anyone remember her?) came out and got the biggest ovation of the day by far. She blew my mind. Northwestern killed us by the way. That was near the end of the Monson era.

I remember camera girl. Excellent posture.

 

[Livingat45north]

Honestly....the best halftime show I have seen at a Wolves game (and I've seen a lot of them) was Vanilla Ice.

I was just thinkin' of that one. Yep, that was a good show. Didn't even know he was playing that night though, so it made no difference on my deciding to go there that game. After that, I've always found the halftime acts pretty lame.

 

[SimonSezGuy]

Hey Everyone ... came across your forum and thought I'd add my two cents, since the article above is about me and my fellow performers, and also as I want to make sure you get the facts right ... straight from the horses mouth

The truth is, most halftime acts make in the $1,500K - $3,000 range ... even Red Panda & Quick Change (RIP David). However, during the NBA Playoffs when teams don't know if they'll be playing in a few days or not, we are usually booked very last minute. Consequently, airfare and travel in general (car rentals, etc) are really expensive, sometimes over $1,000 just for a flight, so some teams are paying $4K-$5K all in to get us to their cities last minute. Additionally, my friend The Amazing Sladek, who does that crazy chair act, drives to all of his gigs (as he doesn't trust the airlines with his chairs) so he charges per mileage + hotels along the way. So if he lives in Florida and has a show in California .. well, you do the math.

Despite what some may think, halftime acts are an important part of the fan 'game experience.' From the time fans walk into the arena until the final buzzer, the marketing and promotion department's job is to make sure you all have a great time. And let's face it, not everyone gets up to pee or buy a hotdog at the half ... so some frisbee catching dogs or a hilarious game of Simon Sez with the fans is a great way to compliment the evenings activities.

Additionally, when teams are having a 'theme night' such as Military Appreciation, my Simon Sez halftime show where I get 40-50 people involved on the court can come in pretty handy as my participants came be military personnel and Veterans ... which EVERYONE loves.

I'll just say that since '03, I've done over 1000 halftimes around the country .. including the Timberwolves and the U. of Minnesota. And I'm not sucking up when I say the Gophers fans are some of the best in the country. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Simon Sez ... GO GOPHERS!

My best,
Steve Max
www.SteveMax.com

 

[El Amin Fan]

Hey Everyone ... came across your forum and thought I'd add my two cents, since the article above is about me and my fellow performers, and also as I want to make sure you get the facts right ... straight from the horses mouth

The truth is, most halftime acts make in the $1,500K - $3,000 range ... even Red Panda & Quick Change (RIP David). However, during the NBA Playoffs when teams don't know if they'll be playing in a few days or not, we are usually booked very last minute. Consequently, airfare and travel in general (car rentals, etc) are really expensive, sometimes over $1,000 just for a flight, so some teams are paying $4K-$5K all in to get us to their cities last minute. Additionally, my friend The Amazing Sladek, who does that crazy chair act, drives to all of his gigs (as he doesn't trust the airlines with his chairs) so he charges per mileage + hotels along the way. So if he lives in Florida and has a show in California .. well, you do the math.

Despite what some may think, halftime acts are an important part of the fan 'game experience.' From the time fans walk into the arena until the final buzzer, the marketing and promotion department's job is to make sure you all have a great time. And let's face it, not everyone gets up to pee or buy a hotdog at the half ... so some frisbee catching dogs or a hilarious game of Simon Sez with the fans is a great way to compliment the evenings activities.

Additionally, when teams are having a 'theme night' such as Military Appreciation, my Simon Sez halftime show where I get 40-50 people involved on the court can come in pretty handy as my participants came be military personnel and Veterans ... which EVERYONE loves.

I'll just say that since '03, I've done over 1000 halftimes around the country .. including the Timberwolves and the U. of Minnesota. And I'm not sucking up when I say the Gophers fans are some of the best in the country. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Simon Sez ... GO GOPHERS!

My best,
Steve Max
www.SteveMax.com
View attachment 13917

LOVE this Steve! Thanks for posting. Your act is fantastic and I give you a lot of credit for the way you get the crowd involved in a fun way. I hope you and your peers in the halftime act industry get back on track and can perform again. And I can't wait to see you at The Barn again!

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Is $125k really top 3% in America?

The top 5% in Minneapolis makes about $400K.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

Hey Everyone ... came across your forum and thought I'd add my two cents, since the article above is about me and my fellow performers, and also as I want to make sure you get the facts right ... straight from the horses mouth

The truth is, most halftime acts make in the $1,500K - $3,000 range ... even Red Panda & Quick Change (RIP David). However, during the NBA Playoffs when teams don't know if they'll be playing in a few days or not, we are usually booked very last minute. Consequently, airfare and travel in general (car rentals, etc) are really expensive, sometimes over $1,000 just for a flight, so some teams are paying $4K-$5K all in to get us to their cities last minute. Additionally, my friend The Amazing Sladek, who does that crazy chair act, drives to all of his gigs (as he doesn't trust the airlines with his chairs) so he charges per mileage + hotels along the way. So if he lives in Florida and has a show in California .. well, you do the math.

Despite what some may think, halftime acts are an important part of the fan 'game experience.' From the time fans walk into the arena until the final buzzer, the marketing and promotion department's job is to make sure you all have a great time. And let's face it, not everyone gets up to pee or buy a hotdog at the half ... so some frisbee catching dogs or a hilarious game of Simon Sez with the fans is a great way to compliment the evenings activities.

Additionally, when teams are having a 'theme night' such as Military Appreciation, my Simon Sez halftime show where I get 40-50 people involved on the court can come in pretty handy as my participants came be military personnel and Veterans ... which EVERYONE loves.

I'll just say that since '03, I've done over 1000 halftimes around the country .. including the Timberwolves and the U. of Minnesota. And I'm not sucking up when I say the Gophers fans are some of the best in the country. Looking forward to seeing you soon! Simon Sez ... GO GOPHERS!

My best,
Steve Max
www.SteveMax.com
View attachment 13917

Awesome post! Thanks for the insight.

Who are your least favorite fans and why are they the Badgers?

 

[SimonSezGuy]

Awesome post! Thanks for the insight.

Who are your least favorite fans and why are they the Badgers?

Bob .. too funny! Seriously, though, I find that the fans in the colder parts of our country are the best fans. I think is has something to do with just being happy to be indoors. I remember the last time I did a halftime for you folks ... and my nose hairs froze walking to the arena from The Commons Hotel.

 

[60's Guy]

The top 5% in Minneapolis makes about $400K.

Bob, I’ll go with that but then outstate Minnesota maybe waters that Mpls 5% down significantly to the 3%.
No clue, didn’t go to Google. But, I thought the overall Top 3% threshold for the USA was $300,000 a year? Again, Idk.
Edit: I googled this info:
How many US households made $250,000 or More in 2020? About 7,825,122 households or 6.09% of all US households made $250,000 or more in 2020.

https://dqydj.com › household-inco...
I also know households is a different measurement than individuals but you get the idea…more people than 3% make more than $100k per year…or they all live together?

​

 

[jamiche]

IMHO, "Quick Change" was the most entertaining, along with the gymnastics team from Fargo.

The quick change guy died from covid. I'll bet I saw the act fifteen times and I never got tired of it. It's a shame.

 

[Duker]

The quick change guy died from covid. I'll bet I saw the act fifteen times and I never got tired of it. It's a shame.

Red Panda was pretty amazing too!

 

[Mulligan]

What do they pay the 5th graders that sometimes play at half?

As much as the dogs got, I imagine.

 

[2nd Degree Gopher]

The quick change guy died from covid. I'll bet I saw the act fifteen times and I never got tired of it. It's a shame.

Agreed, that was always my favorite.

 

[nitramnaed]

It was always a bonus to have Quick Change, Panda or Simon at a Gophers halftime.