Keanu Reeves' band Dogstar to reunite for their first public show in 20 years

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By ( Louder ) published

Keanu Reeves' grunge rock band Dogstar are officially back!

Keanu Reeves
(Image credit: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

Keanu Reeves' grunge rock band Dogstar are to play their first show in over two decades.

The LA-based trio - comprised of bassist Reeves, vocalist/guitarist Bret Domrose and drummer Rob Mailhouse - are scheduled to perform at BottleRock festival in Napa Valley, California on May 27, where they'll debut new material from their forthcoming album.

Also performing on the festival bill will be Red Hot Chili Peppers, Duran Duran, The Smashing Pumpkins and Lizzo, amongst others.

The last time Dogstar officially performed live was in October 2002, however back in December, they declared that they were "back on stage” for a private show in honour of “the incredible people who made our new album possible”.

Since last summer, the band have been sharing studio shots of their recording process, and uploaded an update onto Instagram earlier this month. 

Underneath a black and white promo shot, they wrote: “Thank you everyone for the kind comments. We are overjoyed to see such a response. Honestly, didn’t expect this. It makes us want to play out even more.

“We will be rolling out some new music this summer, followed by some gigs. As soon as it’s all figured out we will let everyone know immediately. So much to do, but rest assured, we are on it and have assembled a fantastic team that are helping us.

“We are also going to make a music video to support our first tune. That’s all I can say now. Can’t wait to share our new music with everyone. It’s the most satisfying and meaningful batch of songs we’ve ever done. Thanks again for being so patient with us. We truly have the best, most loyal fans!".

During their short tenure, Dogstar recorded two albums - 1996's Our Little Visionary and 2000's Happy Ending - and played shows with David Bowie and Bon Jovi, as well as performing at the 1994 Glastonbury festival.

In 2019, the John Wick actor revisited the time his band played Milwaukee Metal Fest, and "got killed" by an audience who hated them.

Liz Scarlett
Liz Scarlett
Content Editor

Liz manages Louder's social media channels and works on keeping the sites up to date with the latest news from the world of rock and metal. Prior to joining Louder as a full time staff writer, she completed a Diploma with the National Council for the Training of Journalists and received a First Class Honours Degree in Popular Music Journalism. She enjoys writing about anything from neo-glam rock to stoner, doom and progressive metal, and loves celebrating women in music.