Dogstar

Dogstar was a rock band, best known for their bass guitarist, actor Keanu Reeves.

Members

• Bret Domrose - vocals, guitar
• Keanu Reeves - bass guitar, vocals
• Robert Mailhouse - drums, percussion, vocals

History

The genesis of Dogstar was a chance encounter between Reeves and Mailhouse in a supermarket in 1991; Mailhouse was wearing a Detroit Red Wings hockey sweater, and Reeves (an avid hockey fan and a keen player of the sport) asked if Mailhouse needed a goalie. Their shared interest in the sport developed into a friendship. Initially, they began jamming together in private. The band went through several lineups before Domrose joined in 1994. Eventually they decided to play for a live audience; a decision Reeves would later describe as "a huge mistake".

The band originally called themselves Small Fecal Matter, and then BFS (Big Fucking Shit, or Big Fucking Sound), before settling on Dogstar, after Mailhouse found the name in the book Sexus, written by Henry Miller.

In 1995 they opened for Bon Jovi in Australia and New Zealand and shared a stage with David Bowie.

The group released a four-track EP in early 1996, Quattro Formaggi (distributed by Zoo Entertainment) and followed this up with their debut album, Our Little Visionary, which was only distributed in Japan, but their fanbase was worldwide, and they played to audiences in the U.S., England, Australia and India. Whilst in India, they performed at the equivalent of the Academy Awards in India, the Zee Cine Awards. They also performed at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival.

Although the band members had other work commitments, a second album, Happy Ending followed in 1999, produced by Michael Vail Blum and Richie Zito. Domrose called the music on this record more "pop-aggressive" than the band's earlier work.

Their last performance was in October 2002 in Japan, and they have since folded. Reeves and Mailhouse later performed together in band Becky. Reeves left the band because of his working schedule, but he still plays with the band sometimes.

Notable Performances

• 1996 Zwemdokrock Festival (Lummen, Belgium)
• 1999 Glastonbury Festival (United Kingdom)

Discography

EPs

• Quattro Formaggi (1996)

1. Honesty Anyway
2. Behind Her
3. Return
4. 32 Stories

Albums

• Our Little Visionary (1996)

1. Forgive
2. Our Little Visionary
3. No Matter What
4. Breathe Tonight
5. Nobody Home
6. History Light
7. Honesty Anyway
8. And I Pray
9. Enchanted
10. Bleeding Soul
11. Goodbye
12. Denial

• Happy Ending (2000)

1. Halo
2. Slipping Down
3. Enemies
4. Superstar
5. Cornerstore
6. A Dreamtime
7. Stagger
8. Washington
9. Alarming
10. Swim
11. Blown Away

Compilations

• Influences & Connections - Volume One: Mr. Big (2004)

Trivia

Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (December 2008)

• Keanu Reeves is an actor who has been in many films, most notably The Matrix Trilogy.
• Drummer Rob Mailhouse is a television actor, and has appeared in the NBC soap opera Days of our Lives, as well as Seinfeld.
• Dogstar also appeared in two movies: Ellie Parker and Me and Will.
• Rancid & Weezer's first gig was opening for Dogstar.

External links

• Keanu Reeves at the Internet Movie Database
• Robert Mailhouse at the Internet Movie Database
• Bret Domrose at the Internet Movie Database
• BECKY Official Site
• DOGSTAR on MySpace
• BRET DOMROSE on MySpace
• BECKY on MySpace