Keanu Reeves is made up of all the beautiful things, and there’s no argument for this statement. Not only is he one of the most terrific actors of all time but he also possesses an incredibly down-to-earth personality along with a talent for playing music — particularly, bass. In fact, if his acting and music-making skills were to be compared, then probably music-making would top the game.
And considering how exceptionally brilliant his acting skills are, his music-making skills are even more fantastic. But had it not been for an alien ‘bass drug deal’ in a parking lot that he experienced during his early years, the world just might never have been able to witness his outstanding talent in playing the bass.
A ‘Bass Drug Deal’ Made Keanu Reeves Want To Pursue A Music Career
Although Keanu Reeves had always been interested in playing the bass, one particularly alien experience from when he first arrived in California back in 1985 further encouraged him to pursue his career in music dream.
Appearing in a recent episode of Don’t Quit Your Day Dream by Fender, the John Wick actor shared his first ‘bass drug deal’ experience.
“I was asked, ‘What was my first bass?’ I’ve been trying to remember, but I think it was 1986,” Reeves recalled. “I went to the Hollywood Guitar Center with the daydream of getting a bass guitar. I ended up, I don’t know how, but there was a guy there who was selling a bass. He was with a friend – not at the store. It was like a parking lot sale. I had, like, a bass drug deal.”
Continuing, he explained that he got a natural feeling of calm and comfort while first playing the bass.
“It spoke to me. I played it, it felt good in the hand, and I was just like, ‘Okay’,” Reeves explained. “I think I might have bought, the next week, a music theory bass [book]. But the thing was that I didn’t have anyone to play with. I don’t know if I’m learning anything. I think I’m a wild animal playing with a piece of wood. I didn’t learn a lot of songs.”
However, that didn’t stop him from going forward to chase his dream of having a music career, considering how Keanu Reeves is a member of the famous three-persons alt-rock band, Dogstar.
Keanu Reeves Shared How His Band ‘Dogstar’ Came To Be
During the same YouTube feature, Keanu Reeves shared what actually drives him crazy about bass.
“I always wanted to play bass,” Reeves said. “One of the things I love about this plank of wood is the physicality, the sense in the hand, the tone… isn’t it just pretty? I love [that] when I listen to it, I vibrate with the bass tones of it. It spoke to me.”
He then went on to share how he met his fellow bandmate, Robert Mailhouse, at a grocery store wearing a hockey sweater, from where their journey to making their own band named Dogstar began.
“Then we started to play. He had a friend from New York. He came over and we started to play. Eventually, we started to make our own songs. And then, of course, once you start making your own songs: Let’s play a show. So, in 1992, Robert the drummer named the band ‘Dogstar’ out of a Henry Miller book, and then we started the band.”
While they did succeed in creating the band, both Keanu Reeves and Robert Mailhouse haven’t been able to give enough time to their band because of their jobs as actors. However, they didn’t give up hope and have been trying their best to keep both their band as well as their music alive and thriving.
