Interested in booking me, Daniel Johan Johnson, the original Mystic Cowboy for a guitar concert or event? I do all kinds of shows... house concerts, background music for corporate dinners, fundraisers ... you name the event, and chances are I'm willing to play it. I will travel pretty much anywhere in the United States and most of Canada.
It's not as hard as you think. In fact, it's really quite easy and my fees are reasonable. While I'm not in this for the money, I do have to support my family of four as well as the continued growth of my art. My main concern is that I have...
· the opportunity to sell my CDs (so that people can take my music home with them and share it with more people...)
· the opportunity to perform for new people (so they can experience the music first hand and see that a solo guitar concert can not only be fun, but also a cherished memory that will last forever.)
· that my travel expenses are covered. For obvious economic reasons, I don't wish to lose money when I do a show
By the way, I only play my original music. No cover tunes, show tunes or popular requests. Not even for weddings, I'm afraid. I do have the occasional “oldie” in my repertoire, of course, but aside from that, know that if you hire me, you're getting "Dan Johnson – The Mystic Cowboy" original music!
Basic Fees:
My fees do vary depending on the event and the location, and can vary anywhere from $300 to $1500. Generally speaking, the costs to have me come and play for you will be my fee + travel expenses. If you don't think you can afford paying my travel expenses, keep on reading, because you may not have to pay much at all depending on what else I can book near you. Here are some example fees...
House Concerts $300-$500 depending on how much you'd like to contribute to my art. I usually try to get $500 if I can, but I realize not everyone can afford that. Be sure to read the info below on house concerts as these are handled a bit differently than normal concerts. The fee is negotiable to some degree based on my schedule and other performances I may have in your area. Read more about house concerts below.
Background Music Just want me to sit down and play for your event? Then this is for you. The price varies depending on the location. If you're in my local area, you're looking at $300 for an evening of guitar & harmonica music. If I have to travel, it's $500 + travel expenses.
Charities, Benefits, Fund Raisers. This varies depending on the event. I suggest one of two options:
Option 1: Find a sponsor to cover my fee ($500-$1000). Then all ticket sales and proceeds go toward the charity or benefit. If you sell tickets for $20, and sell 200 seats, that's $4000 to go toward the charity. All I ask, aside from my fee, is that I can sell CDs at the event.
Option 2: This is intended for smaller organizations who cannot afford my fee or find a sponsor to pay it. What we'll do is simply split the ticket sales. 50% goes to me, 50% to the charity. This is a no-lose situation for you, as the organization doesn't pay me anything up front. However, you may pay more after the fact.
Questions? E-mail Chuck at cmjohn99@hur.midco.net
Add to this fee my travel expenses. If you're in the Eastern South Dakota area, there are no travel expenses to worry about. Otherwise…
Travel Expenses: In addition to my basic fee (see above), travel expenses need to be taken into consideration. I will go pretty much anywhere within the U.S. to play a concert so long as my basic expenses (air, car rental and accommodations) are covered. When you contact me, just let me know where you're located and I can give you a general price range of what to expect. If you don't think you can afford all this, contact me anyway. When I travel, I can generally book three or four concerts in an area at once. If this is the case in your situation, it will cut the travel costs down quite a bit because I can split the costs between the various shows. In other words, if I'm playing just one show, your cost might be my fee plus $1,000 for travel expenses, but if I can arrange three or four concerts around the same time and/or area, which I often can, your cost might only be my basic fee plus $250 or so to cover gas, food and lodging. Feel free to email Chuck @ cmjohn99@hur.midco.net to discuss the possibilities.
Sponsorships: For help paying my fee, considering asking a local business or business person to cover my fee for the event. In exchange, you can print their business information on a program plus I will be happy to give them a public acknowledgment/word of appreciation at the concert.
House Concerts: House concerts are a wonderful thing! They are incredibly intimate and will provide your guests with an unforgettable memory! If you wish to have me come and play a concert in your home, there are a couple of requirements:
· I would ask that you be willing to help promote the show to your friends, family, and acquaintances, and that you commit to doing your best to bring at least 20-30 people into your home.
· I request a minimum of $300 for a house concert, although people have (very generously) paid me as much as $800 to come and play in their home. If you can manage $500, I would really appreciate that, though I know that not all can afford this. Set your own fee, based on your financial ability or desire to support my music. Financial Tip: Some folks will ask a $10/person donation from attendees to help pay the fee or even just to put that toward supporting my music. That's fine by me. Also, you can ask a local business or business person to sponsor and cover my fee for the event. In exchange, you can print their business information on a program plus I will be happy to give them a public acknowledgment/word of appreciation at the concert. Also, please read the info above about travel expenses as that could enter into it.
Other Items of Note...
Availability: I'm booking some shows a year out now. If you are in the South Dakota area, I may be able to squeeze you in somewhere. Shows elsewhere require a bit more time to plan and fit within my schedule. I like to book out of state shows at least four months in advance, preferably six. So contact Chuck @ cmjohn99@hur.midco.net and he will get a hold of me and we'll see what we can work out.
What's a 'Daniel Johan Johnson – Mystic Cowboy' Concert like?
Note: At events like dinner parties, coffee shops, book stores and such, I simply play my music as background music. But at formal concerts, things are a bit different...
Much of my music is inspired by my love, my faith, my life, my losses, my experiences and my beliefs. You might say “Is it divine guidance or cosmic interference?”, I know I did say that in one of my songs.
I am a very emotional singer/songwriter/guitar player, so expect to see something interesting to watch as well as to listen to. My concerts are not boring. I also strive to be very vulnerable when I'm telling the stories behind the songs. I speak to you, the audience, as I would a close friend. It is this approach to a performance that allows for an unforgettable experience.
Expect a show to run about two hours with a break. If you have a specific program length in mind, shorter or longer, it can be arranged.
Contact Chuck: email him at cmjohn99@hur.midco.net for a quote specific to your event.
Note: If you do not hear back from Chuck within 48 hours, call him at 605-352-3958. It's entirely possible that your email message (or my response to you) got caught in a spam filter.