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7. Rose Gerber
Sounds like: Leather boots made for walking, not licking.
Rose Gerber has been involved in the local music scene since she arrived at Portland State University for graduate school in 2008, just as the economy plunged into the Great Recession. Her bands evolved steadily during her first decade, keeping a consistent drummer but taking on names like Dirty Uncle Rose and Rose Gerber & Sweet Relief.
Performing under her own name since 2017, Gerber says her style of alt-country is like “cowboy boots meets Doc Martens.” It might be a weird time to claim Americana and its iconography—but Gerber won’t abandon the genre to reductive performers like Morgan Wallen. She believes Portland’s country music scene is comparable to and competitive with Nashville’s, for the diversity of its performers and the support shown to country venues.
As a member of groups like the Portland Songwriters Guild and Songwriters Against Fascism, Gerber not only networks for herself, but for the rest of the music community. Her next monthly protest songwriting showcase, Songs of Power and Protest, takes place April 17 at The Showdown.
“I feel strongly about doing what you can, when you can, when you’re unhappy,” Gerber says. “I feel that music is a really great meeting point. The community is already there.”
Gerber has witnessed the challenges live musicians face in this economy touring to perform, or collecting pittances from streaming platforms. She believes analog grassroots connection is coming back, especially in response to audiences’ disillusionment with social media. She will release a set of singles in the coming months promoting her next album, a collection of protest-themed anthems called They Can’t Take the Music, due in September.
“I want people to turn to music right now in this state of the world,” she says. “Music is one of those things that unites people. It’s one of those few things that can comfort you in a way that not much else can, and it’s universal. As we’re going to war, my hope is that people continue to seek out new music and look for those dreamer-philosopher types here to help us navigate these really troubling times. Unfortunately we’re here, but if we have to be here, we might as well have music to get us through.”
