Girl at the Rock Shows

I remember the first time I ever photographed a concert. I was nervous. I was sweaty and shaking because I felt I didn’t deserve the coveted photo pass. Fast forward to now. It’s been years of photographing concerts. Everything from little local soirees to bands like Weezer and people like William Shatner. I don’t get nervous often anymore, but on Friday night, I was nervous as I walked into The Fillmore in downtown Minneapolis. It wasn’t the same kind of nerves I felt when I first started doing this, but they were nerves nonetheless. Why was I nervous? This wasn’t just any show; I was going to be photographing someone who is so much more than a musician. He’s a character, a legend, an idol, at least that’s how I felt going into the Dogstar show on Friday, but when the band took the stage, that all changed.

The only opening act on Friday night was London-born, New York City-based The Backfires. The Backfires’ sound was classic indie-pop British rock, and I was instantly hooked. I loved how effortless this band made everything feel and sound. Whether it was an infectious chorus or a wailing guitar solo, the band felt polished yet free. Playing a lot of songs off their second full-length album, ‘Stardust’ (which came out earlier this year), I loved how stuck in their own vibe this band was. Typically, that is a bad thing because it means every song hits you with the same sound and energy, but not The Backfires. They somehow kept everything very situated in the same world while taking us on a journey. Some songs came at you with a bit more attitude and swagger, other songs felt a bit lighter, more loving and emotional, while still keeping the flair for the dramatic and classic edge, The Backfires does so well.

Let’s just call out the elephant in the room here. A lot of people in attendance on Friday night were surely there just for the novelty of seeing a movie star on stage (absolutely zero judgment on that), so they really didn’t care about the music, let alone the opening band, but The Backfires held their own. Even if you were at this show just for the novelty, there were surely moments during The Backfires’ set where you were falling in love, whether you want to admit it or not. From the flawless sound to the perfect energy, this was a great way to kick off the night and calm my nerves, ever so slightly.

Neo from The Matrix, John Wick from the John Wick franchise, Ted from Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, Jack Traven from Speed, Keanu Reeves goes by a million different names, but on Friday night, he was Keanu Reeves, bassist of Dogstar. I’ll be the first to admit that when this show was first announced, I really only wanted to go for the novelty of photographing this movie star (like I said, no judgment if this was your reason for going to the show) because it felt like it was such a pipe dream, but as time was ticking down to the show, I decided to do what I rarely do and actually check out the music. I was in love. It had a very 90s alt-rock sound, with slight hints of something more grungey and stabs of something more punky. It was cool, nostalgic, and fresh, and it instantly became a favorite of mine. This was no longer a conquest to make, add another notch to my belt, or anything like that; I wanted to see what this band was all about live, and they didn’t disappoint.

This wasn’t the most exciting show I’ve seen all week, yet there was something so perfect about that. The trio, featuring Reeves on bass, Robert Mailhouse on drums, and Bret Domrose on vocals/guitar, just got up on stage and did their thing: no frills, no smoke or mirrors, just three guys playing some music. I don’t know what I was expecting. Maybe a little bit of pop and circumstance, given who was on stage, but I was pleasantly surprised by the lack of it. As I made my way through the photo pit, snapping photos of the members as I made a first pass, I ended on Keanu Reeves. I was expecting something. I don’t know what I was expecting, but just something. When I got to him, there was nothing. There was just a guy who was clearly having the time of his life doing what he loved, and that was music. That’s all. Just a bassist getting lost in the moment. That’s when my nerves finally left. I wasn’t shooting a movie star; I was shooting a musician, and sure, he was famous, but at the end of the day, he’s really just like me, obsessed with and in love with music.

Dogstar powered through around fifteen songs before taking the stage for a lengthy encore. I honestly didn’t catch what songs they played; I am still fairly unfamiliar with song titles, but I know they ran the gamut in terms of vibe. Some songs were energized; others felt a bit more low-key and chill. Like with The Backfires, it didn’t matter what the vibe of the song was; Dogstar was playing with their hearts, and you could hear, see, and feel that. Maybe I should have paid a bit more attention to the songs they were playing and the few words they shared with the audience, but really, this was a show about the music, and the music is all I paid attention to.

I had called my mom before the show (call your parents more than you should) and had expressed that I was a bit nervous for this show. She was confused. She knows I do this every night, but I explained how Friday was different, how I was shooting a megastar, not just a band. That’s when she brought me back down to earth. She said the typical mom things like, “You know, he puts his pants on like the rest of us every day.” I wrote it off. She just didn’t understand, or at least I felt like she didn’t. Standing there, watching this megastar play with his band, concentrating on the notes and radiating a joy I will never have the right words for, I realized that, as usual, my mom was right. I went into this show in my own head, forgetting that music is one of the few great equalizers in this world. What a beautiful and perfect reminder.

Line Up:

The Backfires

Dogstar

Venue: Fillmore

Smell-O-Meter: Nothing Notable

Average Age of the Crowd: 47

Crowd Surfers- 0

Stage Divers- 0

Mosh-ability- .1 out of 10

Amount of Beer Spilled On Me While Walking Around- $0

Broken Bones- None

Spotted Flying Through The Air- Nothing

Fights- None

Pukers- 0

Passed Out People- 0

Celebrity Sightings – None

Overall Score – 7.8 out of 10

How Many Times I’ve Seen These Bands Before (or at least how many times I can remember)-

The Backfires – 0

Dogstar – 0

Show on Deck – Cindy Lawson / Toilet Rats / Mad Mojo Jett

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