Reunited alt-rock trio debuts new songs from upcoming third album at first gig since 2002
Dogstar, the Nineties alt-rock outfit that featured Keanu Reeves on bass, played their first concert in 20 years Saturday as the reunited trio performed at Napa Valley’s BottleRock Festival.
The 12-song performance boasted a mix of tracks from Dogstar’s lone two albums — 1996’s Our Little Visionary and 2000’s Happy Ending — as well as songs from the band’s in-the-works third LP, including “Glimmer,” “Flowers” and “Breach.”
The BottleRock gig marked Dogstar’s first show since Oct. 2002, the same year they broke up. However, after 20 years of dormancy, in July 2022 an official Instagram tied to Dogstar announced simply — like Reeves’ famed character John Wick — “We’re back.” Since then, the trio have frequently uploaded updates from the studio, including revealing that they recorded using guitars once owned by Elliott Smith.
In an interview with Billboard, Reeves said of his reunion with drummer Robert Mailhouse (a fellow actor who notably appeared on Seinfeld) and guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose, “I missed playing together, I missed writing together, I missed doing shows together. It’s something I’ve always missed. 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, ‘Okay, let’s make this happen.’”
Dogstar have similarly teased a more extensive touring itinerary in support of their not-yet-announced new album — Reeves has no upcoming projects that require promotional obligations in the immediate future — so fans can maybe expect to see Reeves at concert venues this summer, despite the alleged return of John Wick.