Total Drag is an independent record store and music venue in downtown Sioux Falls that opened in April 2015. This staple location for the music geeks of Sioux Falls is owned and operated by couple Dan Nissen and Liz McGreevy-Nissen and a frequent spot for music lovers of all ages.
What started as an idea came to fruition quickly as Nissen and McGreevy-Nissen began fulfilling a need they observed in their community. The two have been involved with the music scene of Sioux Falls since their teenage years, which initially sparked the idea for Total Drag.
“Because Liz and I have been in the [music] scene here, and I was playing in bands, we’ve been going to shows here in town since we were 14,” said Nissen. “We thought of records because, at that time, we thought that a really good, dedicated vinyl record store and an all-age music venue were both really needful things at that time. And so, yeah, we just decided to give it a shot.”
Since its opening in 2015, Total Drag’s inventory has greatly expanded. From bits and pieces of the personal collections of the owners to the wide range of new and used records that are currently available for purchase.
“We went through our personal collections that we’d been collecting since we were teenagers. We even had some doubles, you know, of things that each of us had bought when we were teenagers. So we kind of went through our whole collection, and got some real cool things out there,” said Nissen. “I probably started with like, 1,000 records, or something. Then just slowly built it up. You know, hooked up with some distributors, some indie distributors for new vinyl. And then just slowly started building up to used vinyl, so everything has been in the most organic way.”
In recent years, the popularity of vinyl has been increasing. In the Midwest, the demand for vinyl has been a slow-burning process. Vinyl resurgence did not originate with mainstream artists, so the demographic for records was not always as prominent in Sioux Falls as it is now.
“What really kept the vinyl in itself alive through the 90s and early 2000s was indie, independent bands, indie bands, punk bands and hardcore bands. That’s what really focused on always pressing their stuff on vinyl because their fans wanted vinyl because it’s a lot of music nerds, but I had already started noticing some of the major [artists] starting to take more notice and press things,” said Nissen. “But here in the Midwest, definitely a slow burn, you know, each year more and more people or a wider scope of people age-wise [have started buying vinyl].”
A unique feature of Total Drag includes the shows they host inside their store that are available to people of all ages. This is a very important part of their brand as they believe that getting to experience music and the creativity of others is a pivotal part of the teenage years. These shows provide a welcoming and encouraging environment for up-and-coming performers to showcase their talents.
“It’s really hard for a [music] scene to keep going if you have to be 21 to go to shows. There is a whole lot of creativity that happens that you’re missing between the ages of like 13 and 21. So, why would kids start a band if there’s no place to play and they can’t go to the shows, so they don’t know what other local bands are playing?” said Nissen.
Total Drag’s location in downtown Sioux Falls has brought customers and friends. With its close proximity to an apartment complex, it has generated a group of customers that continue to support their business as well as the stores and businesses in the surrounding area.
“It’s been so fun to watch this part of downtown grow over the last 10 years. Like, it was kind of a ghost town when we opened 10 years ago, and now it’s booming over here. With these fancy apartments, we’ve got a lot of customers who live really close to the store,” said McGreevy-Nissen.
Total Drag continuously offers new experiences and genres through the variety of inventory the store carries which supports its goal of catering to everyone of all ages and interests. For this to be achieved, they are always bringing in new genres of vinyl and trying new artists.
“I’m always exploring new things, new bands or not necessarily new. But I’m always just exploring new avenues or new genres,” said Nissen.
