Which is South Dakota’s Top Rock Concert Venue?

When the topic of the most iconic places in America to catch a rock concert comes up a few legendary venues come to mind.

Every musician who has ever strapped on a guitar has dreamed of playing New York's Madison Square Garden, California's Hollywood Bowl, or Colorado's Red Rocks Amphitheatre.

But every state has its own legendary rock concert venue and the website Stacker has compiled a list of the best each has to offer.

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In South Dakota, right alongside that trio of heavy hitters and other venues like Fenway
Park (Massachusetts), First Avenue (Minnesota), The Colosseum (Nevada), Ryman Auditorium (Tennessee), and The Stone Pony (New Jersey), is the Denny Sanford Premier Center.

From its beginnings in 2014, when the likes of Joan Jett and Bob Seger graced the stage inside the 12,000-seat Sioux Falls venue, some of the biggest names in rock have made their way to play South Dakota's largest city.

Just off the top of my head, we've seen Paul McCartney, Kiss, Foo Fighters, Def Leppard, Styx, Journey, Chicago, Metallica, The Eagles, and I'm sure several others that don't come to mind right away.

Not too shabby for a facility that will be celebrating only its seventh anniversary next month (September 19).

But that doesn't mean 'The Denny' has had a chance to host all of the biggest names in rock.

It seems unlikely that The Rolling Stones or U2 will ever come to town, but you never know.

One thing that is certain, there are some acts that will never play the Premier Center, because, sadly, they're no longer with us.

So imagine my surprise when I read Stacker's list of some of the music legends that have played our shiny, new (relatively) venue:

This multipurpose facility holds meetings, sporting events, and concerts, and has hosted several major concerts including Cher, Elton John, Elvis Presley, and Garth Brooks.

(Cue the record scratch)

Cher?

Check (in 2019)

Elton?

Check (in 2015)

Garth?

Check (in 2017)

Elvis?

Not so much.

The 'King of Rock & Roll' had been dead for 35 years (1977) before the Premier Center opened its doors.

That doesn't mean Elvis didn't play Sioux Falls. He did. Twice in less than a year to be exact - October 19, 1976, and June 22, 1977, less than two months before he died.

But those shows were in the Sioux Falls Arena, which as most of us know is just down the hall from the Premier Center.

I guess in the case of the Premier Center Elvis never left the building, because he was never in it.