Scottsdale Tribune

HEADLINE: "L.A."s Dogstar out for more than just another excellent adventure"
PICTURE: b/w, the newest Dogstar press photo - taken by Jeff Bender
BYLINE: Dan Dunn - for Get Out 

"We're sorry about Keanu not making it. We think he got lucky last night"
says Rob Mailhouse, drummer for the L.A. pop/rock trio Dogstar, explaining
the conspicous absence of the band's bassist from our scheduled interview.

During most interviews the bassist wouldn't be missed, but most bassists
aren't Keanu Reeves, who has this other cool job where he gets to appear
on The Big Screen with people like Sandra Bullock and Al Pacino.

When Mailhouse and singer Bret Domrose last saw Reeves sometime in
the wee hours of the morning, following a sold-out gig at the Viper Room,
the actor....no, bassist...wait...actor/bassist was "entertaining" a young
lady in the vicinity of the hotel pool. 
Ahh, to be an actor/bassist in a celebrity-crazed society....

"We're really serious about the music and so is Keanu," says Mailhouse
responding to charges that Dogstar is simply a side project for their famous
counterpart. "We don't just pick up the instruments and play because we can.
I'd stay home before I'd do that."

Dogstar are not staying home. In fact they're hitting the road with a
vengeance, playing more than 50 venues nationwide in just under 70 days. They're touring in
support of "Our Little Visionary", a 12-song tribute to stripped-down rock and roll:
Guitar, bass, drums (and a movie star) captured on compact disc.

Interestingly, Dogstar have embarked on their ambitious cross-country sojourn without the benefit of record label support. The band parted ways with Zoo Entertainment when it was purchased by Volcano Recordings last year
and have yet to land on another label.

"Keanu went to a psychic who told him to get out of that Label," jokes
Mailhouse. 
"Really, we left because we felt they (Volcano) just weren't supporting us." 

With limited radio airplay, Dogstar rely on word of mouth and Reeves' drawing
power to fill venues.

According to Domrose, their hour-and-a-half long set consists of about 16
songs,
including all the material from the album with a few covers mixed in.

"With our live show you get pretty much what's on the record, a big full
sound,"
says Domrose. 

Despite some of the negative publicity they've received, Dogstar are
confident
in the music and hope to add to their growing list of fans - some of whom
know
a thing or two about music. "Other bands who've come to our show really dig
our
music," says Mailhouse, listing 311, Johnny Ramone, Afghan Wigs and No Doubt
as tried and true audience members. "They hear us and just don't understand
why
we're getting bashed so hard."

My guess is it has something to do with that other guy in the band.

The botto line is: Dogstar would like to be judged in its right, and hope,
above
all, that audiences find their shows to be a truly excellent adventure.

Back Home
Back to the Links Page