Get ready, Bend! Nina and The Rebel Rockers are bringing that cool reggae style with a blend of rock guitar, pulling inspiration from legendary performers like Sublime and Pepper, that will keep the audience on its toes.
“When I first heard the dub style, reggae, rock, with a dash of punk and ska I was hooked!” says lead vocalist Nina Zuniga as she reflects on the first time she saw the band Pepper live. “It’s such a magical feeling, vibing out and getting lost in the rhythm.” That is the feeling Nina and The Rebel Rockers are looking to recreate with music that gives that “chill feel that can also go hard but still leaves you dancing; that’s the vibe we are going for.”
Zuniga began her career as a singer hosting karaoke when she met guitarist Isaak, who in her words is a “magician on guitar and sax. I told myself, if I could get Isaak to join a band with me, I would start one!” The two quickly added to the lineup with guitarist Brendan, bassist Gavin and drummer Evan. Nina wrote their first single, “Like Sugar,” calling the song “her baby.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of what it has evolved into!” she says.
Hailing from the Salem area, the band has been gigging around the northwest for two years and shows no signs of slowing down. The Source recently had the opportunity to catch up with Zuniga and chat about the band’s first time playing in Bend at the upcoming show Dec. 11 at Silver Moon Brewing.
the Source: What brings you to Bend?
Nina: We are just gigging around at the moment. We went on tour in July and tried to come through but couldn’t make the date we had available work. Thankfully we were able to get the December 11 date booked and we are stoked. It’s definitely been on my bucket list to play in the beautiful city of Bend. We are all super pumped and can’t wait to groove with all the cool people out here!
tS: You mention some of your musical influences being Fleetwood Mac and The Expendables, but who would you say is your biggest influence?
N: This one is hard! We love all kinds of music! It truly is our passion. But I guess in this case, for the vision and feel I had for this band, I’d say it’s a hard toss-up between Sublime (RIP Bradley) and Pepper! Both band’s music and style is just something so fun and inspiring. Seeing Pepper live really put the fire in me for being in a rock/reggae band. It’s such a magical feeling, vibing out and getting lost in the rhythm of that type of music with a big group of people that feels the same!
tS: It looks like you have a single out, “Like Sugar.” Have you recorded a full-length album? Do you have any other songs available for download?
N: Yes! “Like Sugar” is my baby, the first song I ever wrote for NRR. We do not yet (have a full length album) but we have been hard at work writing in between all our shows. In October we released our second single PNW Dream. I call it a reggae/metal/rock ballad. I wrote it about the beautiful place we live in and how magical it feels. The guys really brought my vision to life with the music. It’s pretty rad! The goal is to drop a full-length album in 2026. Everyone make sure to stay tuned!
tS: Is there anything else you would like the readers to know about Nina and The Rebel Rockers?
N: We are just a fun bunch of laid-back dreamers, hoping to leave our mark in this world. Our goal for every show is you leave feeling way better than when you got there! And of course, that’s the goal with every song we write as well, you feel better after jamming to our tunes. Something for people to really connect to. Music is powerful and we intend to use it in the best way possible. We are also going to be featured on a local Salem TV show and their YouTube channel. We are set to record our episode in March of 2026. So make sure you’re watching our socials for updates and the link for that when it’s available. We are pretty excited about it and feel super blessed for the opportunities we’ve been given. Like this interview! Thank you so much! Lastly, I guess is a reminder to everyone to support local music and venues! Go to shows, spread the word about new bands, share the music you find with your people, buy a piece of merch, download, stream and all the things to help the little guys achieve their big dreams! Spread good vibes and be excellent to each other. Much love!
Nina and The Rebel Rockers
Thu. Dec. 11 7pm
Silver Moon Brewing
24 NW Greenwood Ave., Bend
silvermoonbrewing.com/events
$12.24
This article appears in Source Weekly November 27, 2025.
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