Keanu Reeves’ band Dogstar was one of the many acts on the bill at the Ohana Festival on Friday ahead of Pearl Jam, and fans definitely made an effort to come out early for the band’s 3:10PM set.
Keanu and Dogstar playing at Doheny State Beach is fitting, as Keanu’s starred in the classic surf movie Point Break. Eddie Vedder created the Ohana Festival based on his memories of surfing in his youth, and specifically going to Doheny State Beach. Keanu Reeves is one of Generation X’s most iconic actors, while Pearl Jam are the greatest band of the 1990’s, so there’s definitely a big fanbase crossover.
Dogstar’s songs were memorable and impressed the largely Gen-X crowd, and the band sounded tight as lead singer and guitarist Bret Domrose mentioned it was the last show of a year long tour. The trio sounded like a well oiled machine, and Keanu brought an intense presence on bass. Reeves did not try to outshine his bandmates despite his fame, smiling and thanking the audience for cheers, but never trying to outstage his talented bandmates.
Other early afternoon highlights at Ohana’s first day were singer-songwriter Ryan Beatty and Jaime Wyatt. Beatty has gone viral on YouTube for live renditions of his songs including “Ribbons,” and his raw and stripped down feel fit Ohana’s chilled out beach vibe like a glove.
If you haven’t bought tickets for the rest of Ohana, make sure to check out Sting headlining tomorrow and Pearl Jam’s second night headlining on Sunday!
