Dogstar: Living in the Moment
Words by Mickey McCarter
Photos by Nalinee Darmrong
I won’t mince words: I go to Dogstar concerts to watch Keanu Reeves play bass. I love to catch bands live, but I’m always curious about band dynamics. What does Keanu get from playing bass? Is he good? Is he finding fulfillment on the road?
And to be fair, Dogstar deserve better from me. The trio (formed in 1991) reunited during the COVID pandemic and hit the road soon after. Now they are back with a brand new album, All in Now, their second release since the pandemic days. They are serious about what they are doing.
I caught Dogstar for a second time recently at 9:30 Club as they toured in support of All in Now. And I asked myself those questions about Keanu and his bass. But I could not deny that this was more than a movie star’s vanity project. Frontman Bret Domrose is the face and voice of the band, and he and Keanu have real chemistry with each other and drummer Robert Mailhouse. This is a band, and they want you to pay attention to their music for the reason good musicians want you to do so: They have something to say.
Not that Keanu Reeves speaks, which is honestly kind of great. The instantly recognizable star of stage and screen stood off to stage left and played his bass solemnly, seriously, sincerely. He *is* good! And he’s clearly getting something out of it. It all seems very healthy.
As with when I saw Dogstar at Howard Theatre back in 2023, there were some curious onlookers in the nearly sold-out 9:30 Club on August 11, but most people were there for the *band* and to take in the new album. Dogstar played all 12 tracks from All in Now, along with a half dozen from their third record, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees (2023). They played nothing form their original two albums: Our Little Visionary (1996) and Happy Ending (2000).
That said, they focused on Power Lines and Palm Trees early in the show — playing “Lust,” “How the Story Ends,” and “Everything Turns Around” early in the show.
Watch the official music video for “Everything Turns Around” by Dogstar on YouTube:
To my ear, Dogstar still carried all of their ’90s grunge band trappings but they have injected their music with a fresh power pop vibe. Bret sang with appropriate emotive reflection; Robert was upbeat and studious on drums; Keanu was a beast on the bass.
I attended this show again with photographer Nalinee Darmrong, whose photos capture the band’s introspective bearing. This is interesting to me because while I was at the show, I certainly felt like I was at a very propulsive rock show. But then looking back on the show through Nalinee’s photos, I see the quiet and thoughtful side of the band.
Bret and Keanu say the new album is all about being in the moment, living in the now, and being “all in” for it. It’s a bit of a mission statement that this is a living band that is going to keep going, and so I fully embrace their decision to leave the older songs on the shelf for this tour.
Two nights after their 9:30 Club concert, Dogstar appeared on The Tonight Show to perform “Joy,” a new song from All in Now. The selection captured the meditative side of the band, as you can see below.
Watch Dogstar perform “Joy” live for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon on YouTube:
So yes, Dogstar are pretty good, and they are earning their audience like any other band. They simply happen to have a bassist who is super famous for something else. Seeing is believing, and you’ll come away with an appreciation for all three men should you cath the band live.
Here are some photos of Dogstar — and their opening act, The Backfires — performing live at 9:30 Club on August 11, 2026. All pictures copyright and courtesy of Nalinee Darmrong.
