Keanu Reeves' Band Dogstar Debuts New Music at BottleRock Fest

As if actor Keanu Reeves isn’t kicking enough butt with his John Wick-led career resurgence, he just reunited with singer/guitarist Bret Domrose and drummer Rob Mailhouse (as Dogstar) at this year’s BottleRock Festival. In fact, they even played some new music, making their performance even more excellent!

Their set took place last night (May 27), and as Loudwire reported earlier this month, it’s the ‘90s grunge/alt-rock trio’s first live show since their October 15, 2002 concert in Tokyo, Japan.

Naturally, Reeves once again handled bass and backing vocal duties, just as he did on their original two studio LPs (1996’s Our Little Visionary and 2000’s Happy Ending). Plus, they played a healthy dose of older material and new stuff from their not-yet-announced and untitled upcoming album (with Blabbermouth confirming that “Glitter” is among the latter).

Over the last few months – via Instagram – Dogstar have hinted at writing and recording new music again, and they posted a photo from their April 2023 photoshoot in Lincoln Heights in Los Angeles, California.

Thus, the introduction of some fresh tunes here isn’t too shocking.

In a new interview with Billboard, Reeves commented that the project is a significant “part of [his] life,” adding:

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.” . . . I think all three of us just said, “Well, if we’re going to do this, let’s make a record.”

That said, The San Francisco Chronicle noted, Reeves was still a bit nervous before taking the stage. Luckily, Mailhouse was there to provide some support. As Reeves explained: “He was just super positive. He was like, ‘Listen to the music. Just be present in the song, and it will go from there.’”

So, what do you think of their performance at BottleRock Festival? Are you eager to hear more from Dogstar in the coming months? Let us know!

Also, you can see their full setlist, as well as photos and fan-shot videos from the May 27 concert, below.

Dogstar May 27, 2023 at Napa Valley Expo (BottleRock Festival 2023) Setlist (per Setlist.fm)

1. Lust
2. Sunrise
3. How the Story Ends
4. Everything Turns Around
5. Blonde
6. Lily
7. Glimmer
8. Sleep
9. Shallow Easy
10. Flowers
11. Upside
12. Breach