Article by Veronica Drago | Photo by Cesare Veronesi
Tuesday 14 July Pordenone Blues & Co. Festival brought the pure, no-frills alt-rock of the San Valentino Park to the stage Dogstarin Italy with theirs “All In Now Tour” dedicated to the fourth album of the same name released last May; another successful bet for the event which, after 35 years of history, remains among the longest-running and qualitatively high in Italy.
Opening the evening from Croatia is the very young guitar virtuoso Frano Livingstonewho at 22 years old already has over 400 concerts behind him, and the made-in-Canada explosiveness of The Damn Truthwhose frontwoman Lee-La Baum she literally made scratchy honey flow into the audience's ears with an impeccable voice and a killer stage presence, halfway between Juliette Lewis and Janis Joplin, with a hint of Debbie Harry.
When it's Dogstar's turn, the fans' attention is inevitably captured by the presence of on bass Keanu Reevesbut without ever falling into the hype of a Hollywood star, far from it.
Already from the first chords, we immediately realized that on stage there was not “yet another actor lending to music” but a true passionate rocker, prepared and above all happy to entertain the audience together with his traveling companions Bret Domrosea charismatic frontman capable of enchanting with his tense voice and just the right distorted guitar, and Rob Mailhousewho on drums merged in a compact and pulsating way with Keanu's rhythmic line.
And it doesn't matter if the weather wasn't completely kind, deciding to start raining just before the start of their live show, it doesn't matter if every now and then the groove brought with it some flaws, who cares if some bass lines dragged on: rock, especially that of the 90s grunge variety, is not a competition to see who is more perfect, it's energy, sharing, a bridge of vibrations between those above and those below the stage.
Yesterday Dogstar reiterated this by acting through subtraction, in a measured, humane manner. So the sacrosanct “basic” power trio formation, the sparse scenography, the absence of walls of speakers to convey the emotions of pieces like “Joy” or “The Whisper” they are not necessary. Nor to entertain the fans at the end by offering a clever cover of “Seven Nation Army” last beer before saying goodbye to old friends. When performing are artists whose only desire is to have the fruit of their work heard in an honest way, without pretending to be considered in the same way as Arcade Fire or Pearl Jam, and on the other hand there is an audience of intelligent people who know how to appreciate the creative effort of those who make music, whatever the level of fame or skill, nothing else is needed. You take a healthy fill of simple but authentic sounds and go home satisfied.
Did Dogstar pass the live test? Yes, because they put heart and humility into it. But great credit certainly also goes to the setting (which shares the year of birth with Dogstar, 1991), because when you enter the Pordenone Blues you breathe the air of a project that reflects the spirit of a city which, also thanks to events such as the festival itself, from the Seventies to today has been able to keep alive its reputation as the cradle of independent sounds, a place where culture and musical ferment have not given way – and hopefully will still resist for a long time – to consumerist logic or trendy. Just like Keanu Reeves and his companions, who in one of their latest interviews declared that they only think about “work hard and go”.
Long live the Pordenone Blues & Co. Festival therefore, long live rock'n'roll!
Daniel D`Amico for SANREMO.FM
