Badlands Pawn...what happened?

[KISSRULES06]

Twas a MECCA at one time for practically everything...

Concert venue, race track, pawn shop, food, casino...was it a case of people with fuck you money but no clue how to manage it?

https://youtu.be/Np7ZF0sjx24

Hell they even had a Ron Keel led house band...

https://youtu.be/_bm_3dfqx4E

[MetalSludgeCEO]

Being located in the middle of NOWHERE didn't help.

The closest major city is Minneapolis, which is about 4 hours away... other than that... not a F#@king thing within 500 miles worth spending any time at.

Unless you want to do outdoors stuff, ie; Hike, Hunt, Fish or Camp... all good... but none of those wants translate to going into some random Truck Stop meets Rock Club to watch a BulletBoys and Keel show.

The people that live up in these areas, moved away from night-clubs, the big city noize and all that to begin with... so it's not a shock this thing was a massive fail.

Every reason you need to know WHY it didn't work... is right here. > https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sioux_Falls,_South_Dakota

Don't forget to bring a jacket... and buy a snow-mobile too!

$tEvil

[SeniorGrande]

Short answer is that the owner, Chuck Brennan, made his fortune on payday loans.

When the state of South Dakota put an interest rate cap on them, he took his ball and went home.

[Newsted's FU Money]

Dokken kicked off their reunion at Badlands, didn't they? Don's lethargic performance would put any business into a coma.

[greengoblinrulz]

Short answer is that the owner, Chuck Brennan, made his fortune on payday loans.

When the state of South Dakota put an interest rate cap on them, he took his ball and went home.

This is basically it, the interest cap on Loans ran Chuck Brennan out of town virtually overnight.

Stevie is a lil incorrect as shows were attended very well. Correct that there is nothing else going on in that area. It was always a Thursday show with name openers very often, allowing bands to book their Friday & Saturdays off this booking.

Chuck would pay xtra for their flights to get them into Sioux Falls & they often did stuff with the local School of Rock.
I attended Twisted Sisters last US show there & it was a nice set up with a nice hotel directly across the street.

[MetalSludgeCEO]

Short answer is that the owner, Chuck Brennan, made his fortune on payday loans.

When the state of South Dakota put an interest rate cap on them, he took his ball and went home.

This is basically it, the interest cap on Loans ran Chuck Brennan out of town virtually overnight.

Stevie is a lil incorrect as shows were attended very well. Correct that there is nothing else going on in that area. It was always a Thursday show with name openers very often, allowing bands to book their Friday & Saturdays off this booking.

Chuck would pay xtra for their flights to get them into Sioux Falls & they often did stuff with the local School of Rock.
I attended Twisted Sisters last US show there & it was a nice set up with a nice hotel directly across the street.

"""""""""""""""""Stevie is a lil incorrect as shows were attended very well. """"""""""""""""""""

I never said the shows they DID put on were not well attended.

How many shows did they even do... that WERE well attended. A dozen? Maybe a few more.

Outside of that big Dokken ordeal, I never heard word 1 about this place, other than Ron Keel talking about it.

Clearly if business was so good (with all these "very well attended" shows), then why did it go under?

You can't have that place running 365, and do 2-3 shows a month. bad business model.

Nobody and I mean... NOBODY tours through South Dakota... not big bands, not medium bands, no festivals or club bands. Epic fail!

Anyone arguing otherwise... I challenge you... find me 5 tours for 2023, that will play Sioux Falls South Dakota.

No agents, nor bands want to route there... it's in a bad spot... not hating, just a fact.

$tEvil

[MetalSludgeCEO]

A few google searches say it opened its doors Thanksgiving of 2015, and closed on January 1st 2017.

A whopping 15 months...

For the record.

$tEvil

[KISSRULES06]

DAMN...15 months?

Thats a shit ton of wasted loot

[rockker]

I went there to see Kiss. It was a very cool place, but it screamed hemorrhaging money and I knew then it’d be the only time I’d be there.

Stevie says no one goes to Sioux Falls yet I’ve done the 8 hour drive 3 times to see bands

[Bob Sacamano]

I went there to see Kiss. It was a very cool place, but it screamed hemorrhaging money and I knew then it’d be the only time I’d be there.

Stevie says no one goes to Sioux Falls yet I’ve done the 8 hour drive 3 times to see bands

Iron Maiden played Sioux Falls last year. However, I think it had more to do that they played Spokane a few days before and played Chicago a few days later. All of their gear would have been driving through Sioux Falls anyway, so they might as well play a show there.

[SeniorGrande]

I live a little more than an hour away. Best show I saw there, maybe best ever club show I've seen, was Kix & Rhino Bucket for $9.35 (or whatever the radio station dial number was). Both bands were on fire.

I think Dokken opened a reunion tour there before a short Japan run? Possibly recorded for DVD?

KISS & Megadeth also played, but had no interest.

Saw Grand Funk Railroad, and the Prince tribute of the guy who usually does Vegas, where Chuck also had Dollar Loan Centers.

[Mister Freeze]

It was basically a vanity project for the Dollar Loan guy, who's a big '80s metal fan.

Don't think it was designed to make money. The dude was essentially throwing parties for himself.

[MrRocker]

Short answer is that the owner, Chuck Brennan, made his fortune on payday loans.

When the state of South Dakota put an interest rate cap on them, he took his ball and went home.

Yup! That pretty much sums it up.

[SeniorGrande]

The KISS of death:

https://www.paulstanley.com/2015/09/kis ... d-jewelry/

[greengoblinrulz]

I https://www.setlist.fm/search?query=Badlands+Pawn
Pretty decent selection of acts in different rock genres

[ParaDime77]

Wasn’t Badlands Pawn a shell company for the cartel? The whole rise and fall happened rather quickly and did t pass the smell test.I recall the Huset’s Speedway in Sioux Falls having a fuckton of money pumped into it. Then all of the sudden all of the money evaporated and the track was closed for a year or two.