Dogstar takes Atlanta to church on Wednesday night with a high energy set at the historic church turned music venue, The Tabernacle. Fans flooded nearby restaurants and lined up hours early to get a good spot on the general admission floor.
The Backfires delivered a powerful opening set to kick off the night. They are currently on tour supporting their new album, Stardust, and I made sure to pick up a vinyl copy at the merch booth directly from the band.
The members, Alex Gomez, Harry Ruprecht, Dylan Spiro, and Matt Walter, all provided vocals throughout the set. Alex and Harry both showed off solid guitar work, Dylan kept a steady beat on drums, and Matt found his flow on bass all night. Together, they worked extremely well, communicating effectively on stage and locking in with each other. They proved themselves to be a band worth keeping an eye on to see what they accomplish next.
Blending American and British indie rock, The Backfires bring together roots from Washington, D.C., London, and New York. They have a sound that feels familiar while still leaving plenty of room for them to establish their own identity.
Setlist:
Dogstar rocked the house and brought Atlanta a very memorable show. The band consists of Bret Domrose on guitars and lead vocals, Robert Mailhouse on drums, and Keanu Reeves on bass. Dogstar began after a chance meeting between Reeves and Mailhouse in a supermarket 35 years ago, where they bonded over hockey. It was great to see the camaraderie between the members on stage, and it felt like that chemistry came through in the music as well, delivering a unique but nostalgic sound. The band is currently touring in support of its new album, All In Now, and it is absolutely worth picking up a copy. You’ll hear all of it live, and the merch table is waiting for you on your way in or on your way out.
Anyone who knows me knows I will always pick up vinyl at a show, and I love spinning those records while writing these reviews. “Math” is playing at the moment and is one of my favorites. It has just enough of everything, along with great dynamics. “All In Now,” the title track, is another catchy one with great dynamics and had reached 1.3 million streams on Spotify at the time of writing. “Joy” is another personal favorite. The builds and the space they create in their music make their songs feel like they have a life of their own.
I really enjoy their songwriting, and their musical dynamics are addictive. The whole album plays extremely well and is something I could spin regardless of what I am doing.
Now that I have spoken about the music, it is time to address the ronin in the room.
Yes, Keanu Reeves is known for many great characters. It is no secret that he is a household name at this point. I have certainly been inspired by his impressive career in cinema, and yes, I did get excited to see how dog friendly the crew was when I walked up to the venue and saw two of them by the bus, wagging their tails as happily as they could. I knew they felt safe.
And I think we can all agree that Keanu is an absolute gem of a human in a world that does not always get to see the type of kindness he shows. He has earned that reputation by being a genuinely kindhearted human with a beautiful soul.
Of course, we all have our favorite versions of him, whether it is Neo, John Wick, Ted, Constantine, Jack Traven, or so many others. But my all time favorite, without a doubt, has to be Keanu Reeves.
I got to look him in the eyes when I was in the photo pit, and I saw a version of him that I have not seen in the movies. He was himself. Happy to be playing bass in a band that has earned its stripes, not through his name or characters, but honestly through the hard work that each of the members has put into it.
They were equals up there, and they are all really good at what they do. Each of them has earned the right to be there with or without the notoriety of Reeves’ name. They write great songs, play in the pocket, connect with the audience, have a really good tone, and have a very unique sound.
My hope is that each of you reading this can go out and catch a show the next time you are able and watch these passionate musicians do what they do. I think you will be happy you did.
Setlist:
Encore:
Photos by Andrew Agresta. All rights reserved.
