Keanu Reeves had another career for years alongside being an actor

When you think of Keanu Reeves, your mind instantly turns to the bada** actor known for his starring roles in The Matrix and the John Wick series.

The latest adventure in the John Wick saga sits at an impressive 94 percent on Rotten Tomatoes while it has grossed over $350 million worldwide.

The Canadian has been a mainstay on our screens since the late 80s, appearing in beloved franchises such as The Matrix and Bill & Ted.

The whole of Gen-Z has never known Reeves as anything else, but the actor also tried his hand at something rather different.

In fact, Reeves continued this career alongside the acting when he first started out in Hollywood.

But, obviously, John Wick himself made quite the name for himself in the film industry, and decided to ditch the side-hustle.

Rob Latour/Shutterstock

Nonetheless, in photos obtained by the Daily Mail, Reeves stopped by a guitar shop in Hollywood on Tuesday (25 April), as he revisited his pastime as a rock bassist.

The Mail reports that Wick even appeared to drop off one of his basses at the store, with the possibility he was having it repaired or refurbished.

The actor donned quite a casual look for the music shop trip, and apparently even spoke to a local as he left the store before he returned to his car and drove away.

So, what exactly is Reeves' history with music?

Well, in 1991, he cofounded the group Dogstar alongside Robert Mailhouse, who he met in a grocery store and bonded with over hockey, while Bret Domrose and Gregg Miller also joined in the fun.

The band were active from 1991 to 2002, with them doing many live performances in that time.

They released two studio albums: 1996's Our Little Visionary and 2000's Happy Ending.

Of course, they got quite a bit of success largely thanks to Reeves' profile, which built up massively after the release of The Matrix in 1999.

PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo

Reeves handled the bass for the group, as well as chipping in with backing vocals.

It wasn't all plain sailing, with Reeves being pelted with 'oranges and other fruit' by 'unimpressed audience members' during the band's 1999 Glastonbury set, according to a review from the Guardian.

The group split up in 2002, with Mailhouse explaining to Vice they called it quits just as 'the record starting doing pretty good and people started to know the words and songs' because he 'wanted to do different music' in a new band with his girlfriend at the time.

Reflecting on the band in a 2019 GQ interview, Reeves said he felt bad for the other musicians, who he felt were judged for being involved in an actor's side project, but added: "I guess it would have helped if our band was better."

While Reeves doesn't appear in any bands nowadays, he has apparently being keeping up with playing - which is particularly evident through the recent pictures.

You never know, once Reeves has called it quits on his star-studded career, maybe he'll start gigging again.

Topics: Keanu Reeves, TV and Film, Celebrity

Callum Jones

@CallumJ2709