LIVE REVIEW: DOGSTAR GOES ALL IN AT ATLANTA’S TABERNACLE WITH THE BACKFIRES – AUGUST 4, 2026

Dogstar brought the *All In Now Tour* to Atlanta’s Tabernacle on Tuesday, August 4, with New York indie-rock band The Backfires opening the evening.

The Backfires consist of vocalist Alex Gomez, guitarist Harry Ruprecht, bassist Matt Walter and drummer Max Wanduragala. With members from both the United States and the United Kingdom, the band brought its transatlantic take on indie rock to the opening slot before Dogstar took the stage.

Dogstar naturally attracts attention because Keanu Reeves plays bass, but the music quickly became more important than the celebrity attached to it. Alongside guitarist and vocalist Bret Domrose and drummer Robert Mailhouse, Reeves is part of a trio with a history that stretches back more than three decades.

Dogstar’s sound at the Tabernacle carried a clear connection to the alternative rock of the 1990s, but it did not feel trapped there. Instead, the performance reflected what made so much music from that era last: prominent guitars, strong melodies and three musicians playing without burying the songs beneath unnecessary production.

That influence remains part of the band’s identity, but Dogstar sounded fully present in 2026.

The group opened its 20-song set with “Siren,” immediately introducing material from its newest album, *All In Now*. “Lust” and “How the Story Ends” followed before the performance moved into “Everything Turns Around.”

Rather than dividing the night between older songs and current material, Dogstar blended everything into one continuous set. Newer tracks such as “Joy,” “Wing” and “This Sphere” appeared alongside “Blonde” and “Glimmer,” allowing the band’s different periods to exist together without making the current album feel like an interruption.

The approach was important because *All In Now* represents more than another release added to Dogstar’s catalog. After returning in 2023 with *Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees*, the trio continued writing, recording and touring instead of treating the reunion as a brief return to the past.

The new album was produced by Nick Launay, whose career includes work with artists such as Midnight Oil, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Amyl and the Sniffers. Recorded at EastWest Studios in Los Angeles, *All In Now* captures a band that has spent the past several years rediscovering what it enjoys about making music together.

That sense of purpose carried into the Atlanta set.

“Math” began the next stretch of new material, followed by “The Whisper,” “Shards of Rain” and “Exalted.” The songs maintained the direct guitar-rock foundation heard throughout the night while giving Dogstar’s current work a substantial place in the performance.

Domrose remained at the center with his vocals and guitar, while Mailhouse and Reeves provided the rhythm underneath him. The trio’s arrangements were straightforward without feeling unfinished, leaving enough room for the melodies and individual instruments to remain clear.

The sound occasionally brought the 1990s to mind, but not because Dogstar appeared to be recreating its original era. The connection came from the band’s commitment to writing rock songs that depend on the musicians rather than trends surrounding them.

“Runway” led into “What Is” and “Marmalade” as the main set moved toward its conclusion. Dogstar then ended that portion of the performance with “All in Now.”

The title track was a fitting way to close the main set. The phrase describes where the trio appears to be after returning from a lengthy absence, releasing two albums and once again spending significant time on the road. Dogstar is no longer testing whether the reunion will work. The band has committed to continuing.

The encore began with “Punch the Sky,” followed by “Shallow Easy.” “Breach” closed the Atlanta performance, completing a 20-song set that placed Dogstar’s present alongside its history instead of allowing one to overshadow the other.

Dogstar’s music may carry qualities associated with 1990s alternative rock, but the Tabernacle performance showed why those qualities still have value today. The band did not rely on nostalgia or Reeves’ fame to carry the night. Its current songs were given the same importance as the older material, presenting Dogstar as an active band with more ahead of it.

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Setlist

• Siren
• Lust
• How the Story Ends
• Everything Turns Around
• Joy
• Wing
• This Sphere
• Blonde
• Glimmer
• Math
• The Whisper
• Shards of Rain
• Exalted
• Runway
• What Is
• Marmalade
• All in Now
• Encore: Punch the Sky
• Encore: Shallow Easy
• Encore: Breach

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Live photography by Chris Collett for No Flash Needed. © 2026 No Flash Needed. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without written permission.