2024-09-04 00:00:02
Before there was “The Matrix” or “John Wick,” there was Keanu Reeves, bass guitarist in the alt-rock band Dogstar.
Reeves was a rising Hollywood star with a handful of films — including “Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure” — under his belt when he formed Dogstar with a couple of friends in the early 1990s. The band toured frequently throughout the ‘90s, opened for big headliners like David Bowie and Bon Jovi, and released two albums before breaking up in 2002, according to NPR.
But as Reeves told Billboard last year, getting the band back together was never completely out of the question.
The actor, drummer Rob Mailhouse and guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose stayed in touch over the years and occasionally held jam sessions. When the early days of the pandemic slowed their lives down, they started to rehearse more, sometimes clocking eight-hour days. And gradually, the official return of Dogstar fell into place.
“I missed playing together, I missed writing together, I missed doing shows together. It’s something I’ve always missed,” Reeves told Billboard. “We came to a spot where we weren’t playing anymore, and I missed it. … Once we started to play, and it felt good, and really positive and creative, that’s when it was like, ‘OK, let’s make this happen.’”
Now, the band has released “Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees” — its third album and first in two decades. Dogstar is currently on tour in support of that album, and visits Salt Lake City on Tuesday.
More than a hobby
Reeves’ stardom has skyrocketed since Dogstar formed more than 30 years ago — The New York Times places him at No. 4 on its list of top 25 actors in the 21st century.
But the actor, who bought his first bass in 1987 and has cited Joy Division’s Peter Hook as a major influence, per American Songwriter, is adamant that Dogstar is not just a side project that he works into his Hollywood career.
“It’s not ‘make time for it,’” he told Billboard. “It’s something that’s part of my life. … It’s a space that I love, and a space that I tried to protect.”
Dogstar reunites — and comes to Utah
Dogstar wrote its newest music at the start of the pandemic. “Everything Turns Around,” the lead single from its latest album, has 1 million views on YouTube.
“I think this is a little lighter maybe than some of the last albums, subject-matter-wise,” Domrose told Variety. “I think we’re 20 years older, and a lot of life has been lived since the last time we made a record, and it was a nice surprise to see that this is what came out of us. You know, it turns out we’re not as depressed as we used to be. Not every song is summery and happy, but … I hate to say it, but it’s fun.”
The band’s U.S. summer tour extends through late September — including a stop at Salt Lake City’s Union Event Center on Sept. 3, according to its website. The Utah show comes just a day after Reeves’ 60th birthday. Dogstar has been documenting its shows and the audience reception on its Instagram.
“This time around it just seems like a lot more love (for the band),” Mailhouse told Variety. “I don’t know whether it’s deserved or not, but I feel that and it’s appreciated.”
