The
San Francisco Cow Palace is a large exposition arena just outside the city center. It has a heavy concrete look and feel although the seats in the main arena are quite nice.
It dates back to 1941 when it was constructed to host agricultural expositions but has since served many varied audiences from the military to political rallies, rodeos, sports events, rock and pop concerts, you name it. The agricultural heritage can still be seen inside the palace: bushy men in Stetsons and dollypartonish ladies in fancy dresses are pictured on the walls. Despite the country music and cattle-herding image, you can expect to see shows of all genres at the palace.
For more information check out http://www.cowpalace.com/