Dogstar Brings 90s Nostalgia and Lifelong Fans to Cincinnati

August in Ohio is usually either a rainy mess or what can only be descried as “hot as fuck.” Thankfully, on August 24^th, it was unseasonably fall-like, making it the perfect weather to wait in the long line to see indie rock legends Dogstar at Bogarts in Cincinnati, Ohio. Fun fact, this band has been around since 1991! They broke up in 2002 and reunited 20 years later via an Instagram post stating: “We’re back.” Dogstar released their newest album All In Now at the end of May this year and have been touring ever since.

Joining Dogstar on this run are young fellow indie rockers The Backfires. If I had to use three words to describe their music, they would be groovy, upbeat, and infectious. They may have been the opening band, but they performed like they were the headliner. Lots of smiles and movement on stage, crowd interaction, and they handled a brief technical difficulty like pros. Be sure to add them to your playlist if they aren’t on it already as I don’t believe they will stay an opening band for long.

I admit, I assumed a decent portion of the audience at the show would just be there to see Dogstar’s bassist Keanu Reeves. That could not have been further from the truth. In fact, I would wager a lot of the fans in attendance had seen them back in the 90’s. The crowd roared as soon as the first note hit and they never stopped singing along. Frontman Bret Domrose has an almost soothing voice that immediately draws your attention. Drummer Robert Mailhouse, though mostly hidden behind his kit, was a joy to watch smile while between beats. Keanu’s talent on bass was amazing to witness in person and the chemistry between him and the band was unmistakable. This was my first time seeing them live and I genuinely cannot wait until they play around here again. There are still plenty of dates left on this current tour and I encourage everyone to check them out.