Dogstar (band)
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Los Angeles , United States |
Key people | Keanu Reeves, Robert Mailhouse, Bret Domrose, Gregg Miller (former) |
| Products | Music albums, EPs |
Dogstar is a Los Angeles-based American alternative rock group established in 1994. The ensemble features drummer Robert Mailhouse, bassist Keanu Reeves, and guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose, who joined the band in 1994, replacing original member Gregg Miller in 1995. Primarily active from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s, the band garnered moderate recognition and media coverage, partly influenced by Reeves' prominence in Hollywood.
The members began jamming again in 2020 and officially reformed the band in 2022. Their most recent record, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees, was released on October 6, 2023.
Formation and origin of the name
The inception of Dogstar traces back to a chance encounter in 1991 when Robert Mailhouse met Keanu Reeves at a grocery store. Mailhouse was wearing a Detroit Red Wings hockey jersey, which caught Reeves’ attention—an avid hockey enthusiast himself—who asked if Mailhouse needed a goalie. This meeting sparked a friendship that evolved into jam sessions, with Gregg Miller joining as the original lead guitarist and vocalist in 1992. Reeves recounted their development from informal garage rehearsals to live touring:
Initially, the band went by the names Small Fecal Matter and BFS (standing for either Big Fucking Shit or Big Fucking Sound) before settling on Dogstar, a name Mailhouse discovered in Henry Miller’s book Sexus.
1994–1999: Quattro Formaggi, Our Little Visionary, and touring
In 1994, Bret Domrose joined Dogstar as lead vocalist and guitarist. The group embarked on extensive tours throughout the United States and Asia. Notably, they opened for David Bowie during his 1995 performance at the Hollywood Palladium, where they performed a Pink Floyd cover, as well as for Bon Jovi during their 1995 These Days – Crossroads Tour across Australia and New Zealand. After this tour, Gregg Miller departed from the band. Their initial release was the four-track EP Quattro Formaggi in 1996 under Zoo Entertainment, followed by their debut studio album Our Little Visionary, which was exclusively distributed in Japan despite an international fanbase. Dogstar also appeared at Belgium’s Zwemdokrock Festival in 1996 and England’s Glastonbury Festival in 1999.
1999–2002: Happy Ending, dissolution, and subsequent projects
Although members were engaged in other endeavors, Dogstar issued their sophomore album Happy Ending in 1999, with production handled by Michael Vail Blum and Richie Zito. Domrose described this work as having a more "pop-aggressive" sound compared to their previous material. Their last concert before disbanding took place in Japan in October 2002. Following the split, Domrose embarked on a solo path, briefly joined Berlin as a guitarist, and currently composes music for film and television. Meanwhile, Reeves and Mailhouse collaborated later on in a project named "becky".
2020–present: renewed rehearsals and official reunion
Following their final show in 2002, Dogstar members sporadically gathered for jam sessions at Mailhouse’s residence in Silver Lake. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns in March 2020 increased their time together, transforming lengthy rehearsals into songwriting periods. Within approximately two and a half months, they composed enough tracks to produce a new album with producer Dave Trumfio. In July 2022, Dogstar announced their comeback through Instagram.
In May 2023, Dogstar made their first public appearance in over two decades at the BottleRock Napa Valley festival, performing selections from their first two albums alongside new songs from their upcoming third album. Two months afterward, they released the single "Everything Turns Around" and revealed plans for their third album, Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees, which launched on October 6, 2023. Supporting this release, they commenced a 25-date tour across North America and Japan starting August 10 in Hermosa Beach, California. In June 2024, Dogstar announced a Summer Vacation Tour featuring performances throughout the United States and Canada from August through September to promote the album.
Appearances and influences
Dogstar made appearances in the 1999 road movie Me and Will as well as the 2005 comedy-drama Ellie Parker. The group served as an opening act for bands that later rose to fame, such as Rancid and Weezer, with the latter's debut performance being as Dogstar’s opener. In 2010, singer-songwriter Rain Perry released the track "Keanuville," which was inspired by a Dogstar enthusiast she encountered at one of their shows.
Current
- Keanu Reeves – bass guitar, backing vocals (1991–2002, 2020–present)
- Robert Mailhouse – drums, backing vocals (1991–2002, 2020–present)
- Bret Domrose – guitar (1994–2002, 2020–present), lead vocals (1995–2002, 2020–present), backing vocals (1994–1995)
Former
- Gregg Miller – guitar, lead vocals (1991–1995)
Albums
- Our Little Visionary (1996, Zoo Entertainment)
- Happy Ending (2000, Ultimatum Music)
- Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees (2023, Dillon Street Records)
EPs
- Quattro Formaggi (1996, Zoo Entertainment)
Other contributions
- "Shine" featured on the tribute compilation Influences & Connections – Volume One: Mr. Big dedicated to Mr. Big (2004)