Reno’s Newest Live Music Calendar: Backstage NV

Photo by Behnam Norouzi on Unsplash.

Garnering almost 800 followers on Instagram in about six months, Backstage NV is the newest Reno events calendar where you can find live music exactly where they’re happening and when. Posting weekly reports of Reno concerts, it’s a hub for shows, their venues and updates. Focusing heavily on the metal, punk and rock genres that have always flourished in this town, founder Chelsea Anderson says as a newcomer to Reno, she wanted to feel what the concert scene might have been like before quarantine shutdowns due to COVID-19 three years ago.

“I wanted a place, a community where local bands could go and discover each other,” Anderson said. “We’re just coming out of a pandemic, things have changed a lot and I feel like we need to rebuild the music community.”

Anderson moved to Reno after living in rural Elko for several years. Hailing originally from Las Vegas, she’s been going to concerts since she was 12 years old. Music had always been a part of her life, including owning her own promotion company, until her move to Elko, where she says the scene is nonexistent. Fast forward to mid-pandemic, she found herself in the Biggest Little City, where her love for Reno music events ignited once again. 

“Part of me kind of died for a really long time,” Anderson said. “I’m tired of hearing that the Reno music scene is dead – I can assure you the scene is not dead. We just have to get out there and go to shows, we have to be the catalyst.”

Anderson started Backstage NV last November as a way to give attendees a central place to find local shows, instead of having to chase down all the Reno music venues' individual pages. She’s definitely experienced some obstacles with this, as sometimes concerts move unexpectedly, leaving fans scrambling in confusion for information. 

“One thing that I’ve noticed is… you see a show that is advertised for one venue and it ends up being at another venue and that communication is really inconsistent,” Anderson said. “So there’s a lot of touring bands… they’ve been promised X amount of turnout, those are the things that give Reno a bad reputation, because those bands don’t want to come back. I kind of bird dog those things, because I want to keep people informed.” 

Anderson says she wants Backstage NV to continue to grow and expand into other areas of the state. She just started offering band interviews and album reviews as well, and hopes to host her own show in the future. As far as her concert photography, she’s already gotten a taste for what it’s like to be in the cutthroat environment of the press and media relations — which is not unique to Reno. 

“My big advice would be patience and perseverance is key, nothing happens overnight,” Anderson said. “I’ve had a lot of people hit me up asking for contacts… I’ve had a lot of people get really upset with me that I don’t just hook them up with a photo pass.”

As someone who has worked in professional newsrooms before, I felt a sort of kinship with Anderson as she told me stories of being protected in mosh pits and all the humble, kind bands she’s gotten to know. We arrived at the agreement that in Reno, collaboration wins over competition any day. Our camaraderie is what makes this town special, and the friendships we’ve made throughout our media journeys is marked by a wealth of knowledge shared with a compassionate heart; a desire to mentor and foster growth. 

“We’re getting great feedback… it’s not like an essential service but I do still feel like we’re giving back to the community,” Anderson said. “When local bands succeed, we succeed, we all succeed. We definitely want to show our support for local bands in a tangible way, [they’ve] been so supportive of us.” 

As Backstage NV continues to develop, you can expect to see Anderson near the next mosh pit, getting close and personal with the bands. This is one project I’ll be keeping a close eye on in the future, cheering her on from my comfy corners in the back row of upcoming concerts in Reno. 

To learn more about Backstage NV, visit this link here.