I write these Insight articles for one reason: education.
As the owner of a production company, I believe that if you’re an event planner—especially in a small market—you deserve access to the same knowledge and resources as planners working in the big cities. My hope is that these articles help bridge that gap. So let’s talk about a question that comes up more often than you’d think:
How do I get backline in a small market?
First things first: What is backline?
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, backline refers to the musical instruments that artists perform with—but don’t personally bring with them.
We supported a tour at Bud Walton Arena yesterday, and their artists flew in from California… with only their guitars. But guitars alone don’t make a show. They needed guitar amps, a keyboardist needed a weighted digital piano, and the drummer needed a full drum kit. That’s backline.
If you’d like more terminology like this explained, check out our cheat sheet for production vocabulary. It’s a free resource we created just for event professionals like you—planners who care enough to always be growing.
What do we mean by “small market”?
Let’s define that too. Our home base is Northwest Arkansas. I grew up in Bentonville. If you take the entire NWA area—Fayetteville, Springdale, Rogers, the county lines, even the farms—you’re still looking at about half a million people.
To put that in perspective: Atlanta has over 6 million. Chicago? 9 million. New York? 19 million.
Arkansas ranks 34th out of the 50 U.S. states by population. So when I say “small market,” I mean it. This is home. And in smaller markets, resources are harder to come by—especially when it comes to specialty rentals like backline.
When would you need backline?
If you’re booking a band, you might be on the hook for backline. Period.
We’ve seen it happen for:
- Corporate events with party bands
- After-party headliners
- Concert-style celebrations
- Community and sponsor-driven music showcases
And here’s the key: even if you’ve budgeted properly and booked a great band, you might not realize you’ve only booked their presence—not their gear.
Before you sign the contract, check with your production partner. A simple “Hey, I’m about to book this band—anything I need to be thinking about?” can save you thousands of dollars and days of stress.
What does backline usually cost?
A typical backline bill? Around $4,000. Sometimes less, sometimes more. That’s not always a budget breaker—but when it shows up three weeks before the event, it becomes a problem.
We’ve seen it happen:
● You booked the venue 11 months out
● You booked the band 7 months out
● You don’t realize they need backline until three weeks before load-in
That’s the scenario we’re trying to help you avoid.
So what are your options?
If you find yourself needing backline in a small market, here are your paths forward:
1. Put it on your production partner
This is what we recommend—and what we do. At avad3, we’ve invested in a smart, curated inventory of backline. No, we don’t have every boutique amp ever made, but we’ve got what most artists request. And because we’re based here, it rides on the same truck as the rest of your show, saving time, stress, and shipping.
2. Put it back on the band
If the artist is flying in, you might be able to negotiate the backline into their contract. Maybe instead of you spending $5,500 on sourcing gear, you pay the artist that amount and they bring what they need. Let them deal with the sourcing. Just be careful—this requires clear terms and extra follow-up.
3. Call a local music store
If you’re not working with a production partner and the band can’t help, your last resort might be finding a local shop willing to help. This can be hit or miss, but we’ve seen it work—especially if you can keep those dollars local and negotiate creatively.
But can it really be done in a small market?
Absolutely. Events have been happening in small towns for decades. You’re not the first person to face this. Backline isn’t exclusive to New York and LA.
You can even get backline on an island—you just have to plan well, communicate clearly, and work with people who’ve done it before.
One final plug—for us
If you’re in Northwest Arkansas: good news. We have backline.
And even if you’re not here—we travel. Whether it’s full-service event production or simply backline support, we go all over the country.
It works best when our team is handling the full AV scope, and backline is just one piece on the truck. But we’re here to help however we can—because that’s what we believe in.
Thanks for reading.
I’ve been in live production for a long time, but I’ve also been a musician for most of my life. I care about artists. I care about their performances. And I care about the event planners who are making it all happen behind the scenes.
Hope this helped. Let us know how we can serve you next.
– Cameron
