Rocking out with Dogstar (feat. Keanu Reeves) in Del Mar

The Sound in Del Mar, California hosted an old-fashioned rock-and-roll show on a Sunday night in late September. Dogstar, featuring none other than Keanu Reeves on bass, has music that would fit comfortably on local alternative rock radio station 91X today, as well as at any time in the 1980s or 1990s — when the original emo bands ruled the underground.

Opening act The Backfires also fit the mold, with a bit more punk rock as their main influence.

The Backfires is a young half-British and half-American band: formed in London in 2018, now based in New York City. Alex Gomez (on vocals/guitar), Harry Ruprecht (on lead guitar), Matt Walter (on bass), and Max Wanduragala (on drums) delivered straight-ahead rock-and-roll with swagger, engaging the crowd frequently in a call-and-response style.

Before long, it was time for the main men. Playing bass in Dogstar is not just a temporary role for Keanu Reeves; this is a passion project here to stay for him. He is straight out of central casting for the job, though: tall, scruffy bass player with long hair and an intimidating glare. Check

Dogstar originated in the 90s, putting out two albums before taking what became a two-decade hiatus. Reuniting during lockdown, the band jammed and eventually wrote and released two more excellent albums: Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees (2023) and All In Now (2026).

Drummer Robert Mailhouse and guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose round out the power trio.

When Dogstar took the stage, there was excitement and anticipation. The All In Now Tour — titled for the just-released album — highlighted the band’s new material, playing each and every song from what is probably their best work to date. There is a tightness to each of these songs that proves they are a band that is focused and committed to delivering a variety of sounds and moods. They played several songs from their 2023 effort, as well as “Can’t Hardly Wait” from The Replacements and “No Matter What” a Badfinger cover (appeared on Dogstar’s 1996 debut album). Local legend Stevie Salas joined Dogstar on the Badfinger encore song, playing guitar and adding backing vocals. Fans seemed to become as connected to the songs as the band clearly was, enjoying every minute.

There is obviously star power at work here, drawing some interest from the crowd, yet Reeves isn’t interested in any of that; this night, as custom, Reeves was locked in as a bass player — engaged with his drummer and fully absorbed in the music. He flashed a few smiles throughout the set in acknowledgment of audience cheers, but his only time on the mic was at the end of the show, when he paused to express a simple “Thank you, Del Mar, California” as he pounded his chest in an expression of love and appreciation on the way offstage. What a legend.

Photography by Johnnie Crow

Share this article

or