After more than two decades away, Dogstar (Keanu Reeves, Robert Mailhouse & Bret Domrose) made their return to the stage back on Memorial Day Weekend at BottleRock Napa. Now the band is back with a new single & an upcoming album and their first tour dates in more than 20 years. We caught up with the trio to find out what it's like to return after such a long hiatus & what we can expect from the new record.
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How did it feel returning to the stage at BottleRock Napa?
Keanu: Awesome!
Robert: Incredible.
Bret: Unbelievably exciting. A little nerve-racking because it was the first one in a long time. But I kind of felt like a little kid.
Keanu: It was a beautiful day. The audience was so nice to us. The sound was great. The weather was fantastic.
Bret: It was the perfect day.
Robert: We came out for soundcheck and it was like half-full & it was like "that's normal. It's early. We're that band. Then when we came back to the stage it was completely full & I was like "Woah!" Didn't expect that & they were really gracious & fun. Thank you BottleRock.
Over the past two decades when you weren't playing together, how did you handle new song ideas?
Bret: Sing it in the shower.
Keanu: Record it on my iPhone. Send some stuff out.
Bret: Over the last 20 years, even though we weren't "together" we shared stuff back & forth. I wrote a whole album of stuff that's hidden in my hard drive for some reason. It's recorded & we'll see where it goes.
Are there bands from the last 20 years you feel inspired by now?
Keanu: Interpol! I'll say that much.
Bret: I remember hearing a song by The Airborne Toxic Event that blew my mind.
Robert: Arctic Monkeys.
Keanu: Arcade Fire
Bret: I like MGMT a lot.
Robert: I listen to stuff from all decades. Still love The Cure.
Is "Everything Turns Around" a strong indication of what the upcoming record will sound like?
Bret: It's an indication, but it's not a strong indication. If you like that song you're going to like a majority of the record. There's a couple of departures.
Robert: There's no same-song syndrome.
Bret: They're all totally different. There's a couple that are rockers & there's a couple that are really...slow.
Keanu: 70s influenced.
Robert: it's a good tone-setter.
When you opened for David Bowie, did he give you any advice?
Bret: He did not give me any advice, but he was a super amazing gentleman.
Keanu: He lead by example.
Bret: His confidence & kindness were inspirational. His advice was inadvertently "be cool".
Robert: He was very gracious with his time & very supportive. He was a legend.
The Somewhere Between The Power Lines And Palm Trees tour kicks off in August. Tickets go on sale this Friday at 10am. The new album arrives on October 6th.
Aug 10 – Hermosa Beach, CA at Saint Rocke
Aug 11 – Phoenix, AZ at Crescent Ballroom
Aug 12 – Las Vegas, NV at Brooklyn Bowl
Aug 15 – Salt Lake City, UT at Complex
Aug 17 – Denver, CO at Marquis Theatre
Aug 19 – Aspen, CO at Belly Up
Aug 22 – Napa, CA at Uptown Theatre Napa
Aug 23 – Menlo Park, CA at The Guild Theatre
Aug 24 – San Luis Obispo, CA at Fremont Theater
Aug 26 – Ventura, CA at Ventura Music Hall
Aug 27 – Solana Beach, CA at Belly Up
Aug 28 – Santa Ana, CA at The Observatory
Nov 30 – Los Angeles, CA at Troubadour
Dec 3 – San Francisco, CA at The Great American Music Hall
Dec 5 – Sacramento, CA at Crest Theatre
Dec 7 – Chicago, IL at Thalia Hall
Dec 8 – Detroit, MI at The Majestic Theatre
Dec 9 – Toronto, ON at Lee’s Palace
Dec 11 – Brooklyn, NY at Music Hall of Williamsburg
Dec 12 – Boston, MA at Paradise Rock Club
Dec 14 – Philadelphia, PA at Underground Arts
Dec 15 – Washington D.C. at The Howard
Dec 16 – Norfolk, VA at The NorVa
Dec 18 – Charlotte, NC at Underground
Dec 19 – Atlanta, GA at Center Stage
Dec 20 – Nashville, TN at Brooklyn Bowl