When Bret Domrose moved to Los Angeles in 1993 to start a new band, life was tough - no doubt about it. Sleeping on friends couches and placing ads in music magazines, he took his hard knocks and thought a lot about the kind of band he wanted to be in this time around.
Having left behind a long string of gigs in San Francisco - including a few cover bands and the well - known punk outfit, the Nuns - Bret was no stranger to the rocker lifestyle. It was in his blood since the day he first picked up a guitar at age 11.
His break came in the summer of 1994, when he brushed shoulders with Dogstar while on hold to tour as Sheryl Crows guitarist. Hitting it off with Keanu and Rob, he joined the band after a couple of jam sessions.
The creative synergy was good, and soon Bret was penning most of the bands original lyrics. In his edgy, very personal style, he wrote what he knows best - songs about everyday people struggling through life; songs about kindness and cruelty, love and loneliness, exhilaration and despair.
Born: December 13, 1968 in Santa Clara, CA Grew Up: San Jose, CA Favorite Group: The Replacements Musical Influences: The Edge from U2 for his guitar playing Paul Westerburg from the Replacements for his lyrics Elton John for his overall song writing
Keanu Reeves - Bass
"I am happiest on stage," says Keanu Reeves - because for him, nothing is cooler than life in a touring rock band.
Keanu acknowledges the skepticism that his music venture has created. Without a doubt, hes gotten flak from people who want to pigeonhole him as an actor and nothing else.
Whatever. Hes cool with it.
"I admit that my acting career has given us some opportunities to be heard, and we are grateful for that. But in the end it comes down to the music, and I feel good about what we are doing."
Starting the four-stringed bass at age 23 with a single lesson, he spent hours a day over the next few years teaching himself the moves. It fast became a private obsession. The whole time he rose to fame as a superstar actor, his favorite place was his garage - thats where he could hide away and pick at the bass in peace. It wasnt until his chance encounter with Rob that he started jamming with others.
The rest? Dogstar history.
Born: September 2, 1964 in Beirut, Lebanon Grew Up: Toronto, Canada Favorite Groups: John Coltrane, Ramones, Exploited, Joy Division, Clash, Fugazi, Sonic Youth, Lync, Robert Johnson Musical Influences: Beatles, Stevie Wonder, Otis Redding
Rob Mailhouse - Drums
When your creative juices flow in different directions, it can make for tough choices. Dogstar drummer and actor Rob Mailhouse knows this better than anyone. Ask him and hell tell you: its not easy having two passions.
It all started in high school when Rob took up piano and acting. After graduation, he bought a keyboard and fell headlong into the post punk and new wave scenes in Washington, DC, playing at parties and small clubs.
Putting away his keyboard for a while, he earned a BFA at Catholic University while concentrating on theatre. A move to New York in the late 80s reawakened the musician in him. Inspired by the citys turbo-charged club scene, Rob returned to playing keyboard - this time making loft tapes for bars, coffeeshops, and Andy Warhol parties.
In 1990, Rob moved to L.A. for a two-year stint on Days of Our Lives. It was during this time that he became friends with Keanu and once again fell into music. During their jam sessions, Rob switched from keyboard to become Dogstars drummer. Commenting on the bands ups and downs, he observes, "We never had a chance to grow naturally. But we just wouldnt go away because we felt really strong about what were doing."
Born: January 22, 1962 in New Haven, CT Grew Up: Branford, CT and Washington, DC Musical Influences: The Beatles, Beck, David Bowie, The Clash, Coldplay, Brian Eno, Jimi Hendrix, Joy Division, Led Zeppelin, New Order, Nine Inch Nails, Radiohead, The Smiths, The Verve, The Who
DOGSTAR SEPARATED IN 2002. SIGN THE DOGSTAR REUNION PETITION AND MAYBE YOU WILL GET THE CHANCE TO SEE THE BAND PLAYING AGAIN.
BIO
Simple. Raw. Romantic. No apologies.
For Dogstar, it's about the music not the trappings of life on tour. Not the critics. Not the record-label crap.
What goes into a Dogstar song? Simple stuff.
Start with lyrics that invite you into a secret, personal world. Words that tell a story about a relationship on the rocks, about dishonesty, about how lovers hurt each other.
Bring those words to life with soulful vocals, powerful guitar playing, and hard rhythmic drive, and you've got a Dogstar song. The band got started in 1991 when Keanu and Robert met in a supermarket. Keanu noticed that Rob was wearing a Detroit Redwings hockey sweater. Keanu is an avid hockey player, so he asked Rob if he needed a goalie. He did, they did, and the two became friends. Before long, their love of music led them to private jam sessions. Rob asked his friend Gregg Miller to play too. He stayed in the band until 1995. Bret was the last to join (in 1994).
Jamming turned into such fun, they decided to play for a live audience, "which," Keanu said later, "was a huge mistake." At first they called themselves Small Fecal Matter, which gave way to BFS (Big Fucking Shit, or slightly more politely, Big Fucking Sound). Finally, they settled on Dogstar, the colloquial name for Sirius, the brightest star in our sky.
Keanu has written a couple of songs for the group, 'Isabelle', about a friend's three-year-old daughter, and 'Round C', a love song whose title was inspired by a cheese.
Unfortunately, Dogstar hasn't had the chance to become its own star, given the presence of its bassist, movie hunk Keanu Reeves. What's even more bewildering is that drummer Rob Mailhouse used to be a familiar face on one of TV's most popular soap opera, Days of Our Lives, and guitarist/ frontman Bret Domrose spends his free time writing screenplays as well as songs. The three joined forces during the summer of 1994, building on the musical bond previously forged by Keanu and Rob. Bret, on hold to tour as Sheryl Crow's guitarist, became the final member of the pop-rock trio. The group put out a modest EP in early 1996 distributed by BMG's now-defunct Zoo Entertainment: "Quattro Formaggi" (defined as "four cheeses" in Italian) was a tasty four-track preview of what was to come the following year on the band's first full-length album. Although their official debut LP, Our Little Visionary, was distributed only in Japan, Dogstar played a sold-out tour thanks to its Western culture-loving fanbase. The band continued to play another sold-out U.S. spring tour and covered England, Australia, and India. They attracted a foreign audience of 7,000 to the equivalent of the Academy Awards in India, the ZeeTV Cine & TV Awards, and were also honored by being requested to play at England's prestigious Glastonbury Festival.
Amazingly, the three rockers managed to create and record their second U.S. album, Happy Ending, intermittently in 1999 despite conflicting schedules and employing two producers. Michael Vail Blum (Suicidal Tendencies, Goo Goo Dolls) worked on eight of the 10 tracks, while producer/recorder/mixer Richie Zito (Cheap Trick, the Cult) tackled the rest, including the group's late addition of a cover of the Carpenter's hit ballad >>Superstar<<, a favorite during their live shows. Domrose calls the music on the new record more "pop-aggressive" than the band's earlier work. Although Dogstar's music is often eclipsed by the presence of its bassist, movie star Keanu Reeves, perhaps stunting the band's growth, the talented trio is extremely committed to its music and its growing fanbase. Sounds like just the beginning of a Happy Ending.
Here you can read two amazing comments from BRET DOMROSE & ROB MAILHOUSE about this Profile.
"Thanks for keeping the music going!!!"
BRET DOMROSE
"Even though the DOGSTAR profile is un official, i have to say that you have our blessing and we all love what your doing and have no plans to start our own DOGSTAR page,since yours is so damn good and full of the right stuff. thanks again for the site..."
ROB MAILHOUSE
This MySpace Site is unofficial and is run without permission of Dogstar and his management. No infringement intended.
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This is short and sweet but it comes from the heart, my friend!!! Hope your day is full of every good thing as well as everyday that comes to you... Much Love, Nikki
Bring those words to life with soulful vocals, powerful guitar playing, and hard rhythmic drive, and you've got a Dogstar song. The band got started in 1991 when Keanu and Robert met in a supermarket. Keanu noticed that Rob was wearing a Detroit Redwings hockey sweater. Keanu is an avid hockey player, so he asked Rob if he needed a goalie. He did, they did, and the two became friends. Before long, their love of music led them to private jam sessions. Rob asked his friend Gregg Miller to play too. He stayed in the band until 1995. Bret was the last to join (in 1994).
Unfortunately, Dogstar hasn't had the chance to become its own star, given the presence of its bassist, movie hunk Keanu Reeves. What's even more bewildering is that drummer Rob Mailhouse used to be a familiar face on one of TV's most popular soap opera, Days of Our Lives, and guitarist/ frontman Bret Domrose spends his free time writing screenplays as well as songs. The three joined forces during the summer of 1994, building on the musical bond previously forged by Keanu and Rob. Bret, on hold to tour as Sheryl Crow's guitarist, became the final member of the pop-rock trio. The group put out a modest EP in early 1996 distributed by BMG's now-defunct Zoo Entertainment: "Quattro Formaggi" (defined as "four cheeses" in Italian) was a tasty four-track preview of what was to come the following year on the band's first full-length album. Although their official debut LP, Our Little Visionary, was distributed only in Japan, Dogstar played a sold-out tour thanks to its Western culture-loving fanbase. The band continued to play another sold-out U.S. spring tour and covered England, Australia, and India. They attracted a foreign audience of 7,000 to the equivalent of the Academy Awards in India, the ZeeTV Cine & TV Awards, and were also honored by being requested to play at England's prestigious Glastonbury Festival.
Amazingly, the three rockers managed to create and record their second U.S. album, Happy Ending, intermittently in 1999 despite conflicting schedules and employing two producers. Michael Vail Blum (Suicidal Tendencies, Goo Goo Dolls) worked on eight of the 10 tracks, while producer/recorder/mixer Richie Zito (Cheap Trick, the Cult) tackled the rest, including the group's late addition of a cover of the Carpenter's hit ballad >>Superstar<<, a favorite during their live shows. Domrose calls the music on the new record more "pop-aggressive" than the band's earlier work. Although Dogstar's music is often eclipsed by the presence of its bassist, movie star Keanu Reeves, perhaps stunting the band's growth, the talented trio is extremely committed to its music and its growing fanbase. Sounds like just the beginning of a Happy Ending.
