21 August 31 - september 6, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Excellent Adventure Keanu Reeves will be playing bass with his band Dogstar at Dallas’ Granada Theater on Sept. 26. BY EVA RAGGIO I t’s rare for the bass player to be the biggest star in a band (just facts), but that is how it happened for Dogstar. The group came together thanks to a chance meeting in Los Angeles between drummer Robert Milhouse and an af- fable, rising actor named Keanu Reeves. It was 1991, and Reeves was hot off the release of Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and Point Break, before he’d blow up like the bomb on the bus in Speed and go on to influence Western philosophy with The Matrix. The rock band, originally named Small Fecal Matter — quite unappetizing for a group that met in a grocery store — eventually settled on “Dogstar” and on singer/guitarist Bret Domrose. It hit a few milestones by opening for David Bowie and playing festivals such as Glastonbury. The band released a few albums in the early ‘90s and called it quits in the early 2000s after a … just-whelming career that was eclipsed, and of course fueled, by its biggest star. But like Bill and Ted, the group is back for more excellent adventures. After reuniting in the pandemic, members wrote an album titled Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees, which drops in October. And now, WHOA. Dogstar is playing in Dallas as part of the group’s North American tour. The band will be stop- ping by the Granada Theater on Sept. 26. Tickets start at $50. September is shaping up to be an interesting month in live music with indie queen Lana Del Rey recently announcing a Sept. 19 date in Dos Equis Pavilion and Pink playing Sept. 30. Keanu Reeves, whose name (as every fan knows) means “Cool breeze over the mountains” in Hawaiian, is best known these days as a nice-guy internet boyfriend, the star with the highest approval rating probably ever (hated only and inexplicably by Matthew Perry) and for getting the op- posite of MeToo-ed — every day there’s a new story surfac- ing about Reeves’ secret acts of kindness. But he just wants to “slap-a the bass,” and will probably perform with Dogstar as his Sad Keanu best, with most of his hair covering his face while wearing all-black. Just a pre- diction. As a reminder of Keanu Reeves’ own wise words to Stephen Colbert about his thoughts on the afterlife, those who love him will not want to miss him. And, oh yeah, his band will be there too. ▼ CONCERTS GET INTO THE SPIRIT LANA DEL REY ANNOUNCES A DALLAS CONCERT IN SEPTEMBER. BY EVA RAGGIO I t’s nearly impossible to scroll online without hearing Lana Del Rey. Among TikTok’s fine print there’s a rule stating that every video must be backdropped by songs such as “Radio,” “Doin Time” or “Jealous Girl.” The indie pop icon, whom Taylor Swift has called “the best we’ve ever had” (among her endless praise of Del Rey), is known for her grave-deep vocals, proclivity for vintage and cinematic, dark cabaret style that has spawned thou- sands of imitators — not to mention indie sleaze enthusiasts chasing a Lana mood. Though she’s been a bit elusive, Del Rey played an im- promptu set with Nikki Lane in Dallas in October 2022. At a recent concert in Mexico City, the audience fell under an “energy wave” that created a “swooning” domino effect or, according to Twitter, a wave of spirits played the crowd like a ouija board. So pack your smelling salts, Lana stans. The “Sad Girl” singer is back on tour, finally. And Dallas is one of the lucky few (10, to be exact) cities to make her list. On Monday, Live Nation announced a limited-run tour to support Del Rey’s March release Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, which kicks off Sept. 14 in Tennessee and stops at Dallas’ Dos Equis Pavilion on Sept. 19. She’s also sched- uled to play Oct. 1 at the All Things Go Festival in Maryland with Boygenius. Summertime sadness is officially over. Kevin Winter/Getty Images Keanu Reeves and Dogstar play the Granada in September. | B-SIDES | ▼ Music since 1978! New Location! 609 N Harwood St, Dallas, TX 75201 NEW LOOK SAME INDEPENDENT LOCAL JOURNALISM 9.375
