Keanu Reeves reunited with his grunge rock band Dogstar to perform their first show in over two decades at the 2023 BottleRock Napa Valley music festival on Saturday.
Formed in 1991, the band released two studio albums and an EP before breaking up in 2002.
The 58-year-old Hollywood mainman looked right at home with his bass guitar in hand as he took to the Verizon stage with guitarist/singer Bret Domrose and drummer Robert Mailhouse.
In an Instagram post shared last week, Dogstar said they were “over the moon” for being a late addition to the lineup and “looking forward to a nice, rockin’ weekend.”
Following their time with BottleRock, the John Wick star and his bandmates plan to release new music and perform more shows in the near future.
Get lost! Keanu Reeves reunited with his grunge rock band Dogstar to perform their first show in over two decades at the 2023 BottleRock Napa Valley music festival on Saturday
Reeves on bass: The Hollywood mainman, 58, looked right at home with his bass guitar in hand as he took to the Verizon stage
Reunion: The band was formed in 1991 and released two studio albums and an EP before breaking up in 2002. Reeves was joined by guitarist/singer Bret Domrose and drummer Robert Mailhouse
The three-day festival is held annually in Napa Valley, California and runs from May 26 to 28.
Reeves looked rock star cool as he took the stage in brown tailored pants, a black T-shirt and brown boots.
While standing on stage left, the Point Break actor had eyes watching his every move, while Demrose provided vocals while playing guitar on stage right and Mailhouse kept the beat in back.
Headlining artists for day two included Duran Duran, Lizzo and Nile Rodgers & Chic, with other performances throughout the day by the likes of Meute, Carley Rae Jaspen, Leon Bridges, Tove Lo, Cautious Clay, Lupe Fiasco, Dogstar, with Keanu Reeves, Three Sacred Souls, Jax, Dayglow, Paris Jackson and Japanese Breakfast, among many others.
Ahead of the festival performance, the boys announced that they’ve already put together a fantastic team to help with the work that comes with playing in a band, and that they’ll be shooting a music video for their first reunion single.
“There is still so much to do, but rest assured we are on it,” they wrote.
“I can’t wait to share our new music with everyone. It’s the most satisfying and meaningful set of songs we’ve ever made.
“Thanks again for being so patient with us. We really do have the best, most loyal fans,” the announcement concluded.
Dogstar’s comeback could be brief or sporadic, as the three band members all have so-called day jobs that can make it difficult to maintain consistency and momentum.
The protagonist of the movie franchises John Wick and Matrix will soon appear alongside Jonah Hill in a new project called Outcome, as well as an Aziz Ansari-directed comedy.
Lovin’ it: The bass player touched his heart as he absorbed the energy of the crowd
Reeves looked rock star cool as he took the stage in brown tailored pants, a black T-shirt and brown boots
He seemed to love playing with his bandmates again
Reeves undoubtedly made the ladies swoon during their set
The John Wick star was in the zone as he strummed the strings
They performed on the Verizon stage
The formation of the band all started with a chance meeting between Reeves and Mailhouse in a supermarket in 1991.
The drummer percussionist wore a Detroit Red Wings sweater jersey, which caught the attention of the actor who is an avid hockey fan.
After striking up a conversation, the two became fast friends and eventually started jamming together after realizing they were also musicians and music lovers.
They were initially joined by Gregg Miller on guitarist and vocals in 1992, and then Bret Domrose joined as additional vocalist and guitarist in 1994.
New music coming: Reeves and Dogstar have announced that they will be releasing new music
Video Coming Soon: Dogstar plans to shoot a music video for their first reunion single
Promo Mode: Dogstar recently released a photo from their first photoshoot in two decades
In an Instagram post shared last week, Dogstar said they were “over the moon” for being a late addition to the lineup and “looking forward to a nice, rockin’ weekend”
After Miller’s departure in 1995, Domrose became sole vocalist and guitarist, then continued as a trio.
Dogstar put out two releases in 1996, the EP Quattro Formaggi and their debut studio album, Our Little Visionary, in September of that year.
It would be about four years before the band dropped their follow-up, Happy Ending, in July 2000.
Domrose called the music on this record “more pop-aggressive” than the band’s previous work.
Despite receiving a lot of media attention due to Reeves being the bass player, the band would only find moderate success during their run until 2002 when they decided to break up after a show in Japan in October.
The band is expected to update their fans on social media about upcoming shows and when the new music will be released.