People came to Lawrence from all over the middle chunk of the U.S. on Friday to see Dogstar, a band featuring bassist Keanu Reeves.
Among people near the front of the line, there were varying levels of familiarity with the band that includes Bret Domrose on lead guitar and lead vocals, and Robert Mailhouse on drums.
The band was initially active in the mid-’90s through the early 2000s, then went their separate ways. They reunited earlier this year and will drop a new album in one week.
The band’s tour across the country stops next in St. Louis. For those who couldn’t make it Friday, there will be a livestreamed show on Thursday, Oct. 10.
Reeves stopped by the Lawrence Public Library on Friday, likely as fans were lining up outside Liberty Hall.
Longtime Dogstar fan Virginia Harwood drove to Lawrence from Colorado to see the band for a second time.
She first saw Dogstar in 1997 in Charlotte, North Carolina during the “Our Little Visionary” tour. Harwood sported a 26-year-old signed tour shirt while waiting toward the front of the VIP line.
“Twenty years later, another opportunity,” Harwood said. “I’m super excited.”
Dorris Elaine traveled from Tulsa to see the band again after seeing them last Tuesday in Dallas. She had such a good time that she decided to drive north and see them again.
She remembers the first Dogstar song she heard, “Cornerstore.” She lived out in the country at the time and remembers listening to the song outdoors. Her daughter had just been born, and certain weather reminds her of that experience.
“It was a good time,” she recalls.
Lori Colburn drove to Lawrence Friday morning from David City, Nebraska. She is a new fan of the band, having heard them for the first time just a couple of months ago.
“It just really resonated,” she said of the music. “This will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Scott Rohr, from Kansas City, says he’d heard the name “forever” but that Dogstar never toured near him, so this will be his first time seeing them. He hadn’t listened to their music yet and would experience it for the first time Friday night.
On Saturday, he’s seeing Beyoncé, and then Bob Dylan on Sunday.
Alyssa Jonasson is a freshman at KU from Forth Worth, Texas.
She was scrolling on Facebook and saw tickets for sale and thought she’d go see a band she hadn’t seen before.
“I’ve been listening to them. They’re really good. I like them a lot,” she said.
Jonasson has a music fact TikTok account and collects vinyl. She said the drummer from Poison follows her on Instagram.
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Molly Adams (she/her), photojournalist and news operations coordinator for The Lawrence Times, can be reached at molly (at) lawrencekstimes (dot) com. Check out more of her work for the Times here. Check out her staff bio here.
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