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kiechbepho t1_j2574bn wrote

Fact check: his first band was Wyld Stallyns.

Edit: spelling

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ManInBlack829 t1_j24dlbm wrote

I have a theory that the best way to get famous is to know famous people, and this kind of strengthens that.

It's really hard to get picked out a crowd and put on stage, it's much easier with backstage passes.

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AudibleNod t1_j24eb08 wrote

Most of the entertainment industry is run through who you know. Few people actually rise out of no where. Some do, to be fair. But it's a fairly good ol'boy, nepotistic, favor trading crowd. Even the nice ones.

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Charmshity t1_j24fpzm wrote

Much of life in general is. It's not about what you know, it's about who you know

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ericisshort t1_j24jaq7 wrote

And it happens mostly because people are lazy. It’s much easier to hire their old buddy who they know “can do the job well” rather than go through a long selection process to find the absolute best person available.

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Seattlepowderhound t1_j24rq1h wrote

I agree with you but it goes even further right? Not only is your ole buddy going to do the job "well enough" but he's also not going to actively screw you, steal or fuck you over. The risk reward equation doesn't work out most of the time. Obviously there are exception, and sometimes that ole buddy isn't a good guy but you catch my drift.

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dirice87 t1_j26le80 wrote

You see this with all jobs. People can be real angels in interviews then by week 3 they are stealing, not coming into work, don’t actually have the skills, bad attitude, sexually assault coworkers

That’s why it’s insane companies don’t give raises to current, strong employees, and are ok with letting them leave. Bird in hand is worth two in the bush

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venustrapsflies t1_j25hll1 wrote

For many/most jobs it’s also basically impossible to find out how well someone can actually do a job, or even know if they’re not going to be a total disaster, without actually hiring them. That’s because you really have to work with and build a relationship with someone to know how well they’ll work with you. If you know some guy and you know he doesn’t completely suck, it’s a safer bet.

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rabidjellybean t1_j25z54d wrote

My team interviewed a guy who did ok so we hired him. We didn't need anyone perfect. Turned out he had zero initiative and avoided all of the training resources we had that he had two months to go through. I guess he figured we'd hold his hand through every little thing. You can't interview someone to find an issue like that. We fired him.

Hiring someone you know can deliver is huge.

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juh4z t1_j26k0aj wrote

Exactly, people are insanely quick to go to this "woe is me" narrative instead of stopping and thinking about the logic of why things work the way they do. Just because someone was hired because they had some sort of connection in the industry/company doesn't just means nepotism, you know someone then you know how good they are at doing what they do, obviously you wanna hire them then.

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oxbaker t1_j25itce wrote

It’s not about who you know, it’s about who knows you

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zoobrix t1_j260ona wrote

And that "who you know" doesn't even mean that person has to be some heavyweight in the industry. There are lots of stories of actors who made it because they had family or friends that worked on lighting, set design, as production assistants and so on and that was enough to get them the audition that gave them their break. Sure they still had to earn the role but without that connection they probably don't even get in front of the people who make the casting decisions.

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ordeith t1_j28b890 wrote

When you check the new indie artist on Wikipedia and their parents and grandparents all have their own articles.

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ColonelKasteen t1_j256xg7 wrote

You have that theory? Is that not kind of... an incredibly common and widespread belief? Kind of like Peggy Hill saying, "the day before Thanksgiving is, in my opinion, the busiest travel day of the year."

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tetoffens t1_j24j8ch wrote

While right in general, not really the case here. Keanu couldn't even make his own band famous or get a big label to sign them. Opening for Dogstar isn't really that big of a deal, hence why a band was able to do it in their first show. Bands established in the music scene were not opening for Dogstar. No one was bragging about being billed alongside Dogstar. Playing with Dogstar didn't mean you were connected or knew Keanu. They were not a big deal that bands were fighting to be billed with.

Weezer weren't signed until later and it was based off a demo that is really fucking good. They signed to a record label much bigger than any Dogstar was ever on based on the strength of that.

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Vote_for_Knife_Party t1_j25kdue wrote

Yeah, I think people are forgetting that Keanu wasn't always the Internet's Perfect Golden Man. Dogstar-era Keanu was many, many years away from the height of his prestige.

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CogitoErgoScum t1_j24q8eh wrote

It doesn’t hurt when Ric Okasec’s wife vouches for you and Rick produces your debut album.

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jbazildo t1_j24z1rk wrote

Nada surf has a really similar back story with the then Okasec's..

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CogitoErgoScum t1_j26ip5u wrote

The Rentals wrote a whole song about Paulina Porizkova. One of three artists to do so.

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jbazildo t1_j28k42l wrote

Wait, is she P?

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CogitoErgoScum t1_j28s94a wrote

dingdingding!

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jbazildo t1_j28x9ui wrote

Nice. Good tune, that was a good album. Definitely triggering some repressed moog memories this am, so thanks

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excessive_brutality t1_j24fmjf wrote

> the best way to get famous is to know famous people

you're leaving out an important step: the famous people you know have to actually like you. no one likes a name-dropping parasite, especially famous people

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DigitalTraveler42 t1_j24jkxe wrote

To be fair (cue Letterkenny fans), Keanu would probably put anybody on if they just asked him nicely, he seems like that kind of dude.

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megapuffranger t1_j25qkag wrote

That’s not really a theory so much as just common knowledge. It’s pretty rare to make it in the business without already having connections or just pure nepotism.

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frankybling t1_j24xius wrote

In my younger days I was a backline tech for hire… I got a gig with Dogstar. No surprises to tell other than that Keanu was super cool and tipped me $200 at the end of the night. This would have been around 96?

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mdlinc t1_j24ekw8 wrote

Say It ain't So ;) cool fact!

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No_Position_2890 t1_j25hnge wrote

I've seen singers go on to have better acting careers, but has an actor ever had a more successful singing career?

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SuperFightingRobot t1_j25iw9g wrote

Childish Gambino

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FarFetchedSketch t1_j25mn7x wrote

I'd agree, but I think that's changing. Although I LOVE Childish Gambino's discography, I think he peaked with Awaken My Love in 2016... And honestly his writing/acting/producing on his TV show Atlanta is as good, if not better, than his musical work.

If he keeps it up, I genuinely think he'll be more revered in cinematography than he was in the music industry. Seriously, if you haven't checked out Atlanta, I cannot recommend it enough.

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sharkattackmiami t1_j26ynnn wrote

He peaked with This is America. You literally could not escape it for months after it dropped and everybody was talking about it

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ThirdFloorGreg t1_j27ekyj wrote

If I played any hip-hop on YouTube at all, didn't matter if it was the fucking Sugarhill Gang, This is America would play next for a few months.

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Isaacvithurston t1_j25s1bj wrote

Hmm not sure. He's pretty big as an actor but I think he had like 1 hit song (or at least i've only heard 1 song of his)

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GoreDeathKilll t1_j26wmx4 wrote

I do enjoy his music and if you’re only listening to “hit songs” I’m sorry for you. My first experience was his stand up comedy and I was instantly a fan.

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Isaacvithurston t1_j2834w9 wrote

I listened to a few other songs. They're decent. Not sure what his comedy has to do with his music. I don't really listen to modern pop to start with or "hit songs" but everyone's heard that one song of his.

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Rust2 t1_j25sdaj wrote

Steve Martin won a Grammy for best bluegrass album in 2010.

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ThirdFloorGreg t1_j27gste wrote

Sure. But that's because most Recording Academy members don't care about Bluegrass, but they do know who Steve Martin is. It's not like they have a limited number of votes to distribute, they can vote in every category whether they know anything about it (or have even listened to the nominees) or not. Steve Martin's album didn't win the Grammy, his name did.

Same reason Jethro Tull won the first (and technically only) Grammy for best Hard Rock/Metal performance.

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Airp0w t1_j27lp3n wrote

Steve Martin is a genuinely incredible banjo player. He won for his album not his name. There's a reason nobody talks about who got ripped off that year...

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ThirdFloorGreg t1_j27m5pe wrote

I'm not saying it's a bad album. I'm saying it got a bunch of votes that weren't seriously considered.

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Rust2 t1_j27sx2u wrote

The question wasn’t asking who’s most deserving, but who’s been more successful in music coming from an acting career. I’d say Steve Martin’s music career has been a success in that right. His music has earned three Grammys (six nominations) and was nominated for two Tony awards, while his acting career has garnered only two major awards (one Oscar, one Emmy) albeit with 18 nominations.

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ThirdFloorGreg t1_j298fk4 wrote

Awards shows are just industry insiders self-felating, they are useless as markers of actual success.

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Airp0w t1_j27r9vn wrote

I agree I think it's a category that is not taken seriously most years.

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alexkidd_in_world t1_j2647tp wrote

Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley (she was the girl in The Wizard)

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SimbaPenn t1_j26y21i wrote

and The Postal Service, as well as a solid solo career.

Ride Up With Fists! is still a favorite song of mine.

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be4u4get t1_j274ngb wrote

In 1982 she was a child actress in a Toys r us commercial with Jaleel White and Lindsay Price.

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taste1337 t1_j25qeyt wrote

Jared Leto with Thirty Seconds To Mars

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hatsnatcher23 t1_j26b6zd wrote

Loved him in fight club and American Psycho, shame he’s not more method

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qcubed3 t1_j25m0bk wrote

I met Keanu backstage at a Dogstar concert when I was working for Virgin Records decades ago. He was exactly like you would expect. I’m pretty sure it was pre-matrix so he hadn’t had his resurgence yet, but I knew him as Ted Theodore Logan, of the world changing band Wylie Stallions!

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PoopIsAlwaysSunny t1_j27bmd8 wrote

Lol resurgence, as if his career was that slow before that.

Speed in 1994, Johnny Mnemonic in 95, and Devil’s advocate opposite Al Pacino in 1997. Along with various other works. Not like the dude got shut out of Hollywood at some point.

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its-not-me_its-you_ t1_j27t6b1 wrote

Ikr. I had some idiot on reddit try and tell me that Eddie Murphy got cancelled. Dude was Hollywood royalty for 30 years and has taken a step back from working recently after a couple of flops. Apparently if you don't like a person and they haven't done much lately then they were cancelled. *pats self on back

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neo101b t1_j24uh29 wrote

The first Weezer vid I seen was on a windows 95 disk.

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calamormine t1_j255od7 wrote

Buddy Holly! Great video, and it helped that I was really into Happy Days at the time.

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MoreGull t1_j25oaho wrote

A music video?! On a computer???! Now I've seen everything!

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hurryupand_wait t1_j285vx5 wrote

Slightly different but you just triggered a memory of music videos on CDs as a “bonus” and you’d pop it in the tower and watch it buffer for an hour.

Sincerely good memories!

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FirArAlDracuDeCreier t1_j299zp9 wrote

That one and that video by "Bass is Base" or whatever that band was called.

The female singer definitely stirred up some things inside me, as the Dean would say...

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The_Fiji_Water t1_j25ttr8 wrote

I had to be pedantic but that's not exactly true:

> Cuomo, who had reverted back to his studiousness post-G.I.T., got an offer for a generous scholarship at UC-Berkeley, with a stipend, an apartment, even a parking space. He gave Sharp a year to get them a record deal; otherwise he would take Berkeley’s offer. Weezer played their first show on March 19th, 1992, a month after forming, on Valentine’s Day. Cuomo persuaded a club, Raji’s, to let them play — they ended up on a bill with Keanu Reeves’ then-band, Dogstar, as a late-night closer. > > Weezer got their name during Cuomo’s phone call with the booker that day, from a nickname Cuomo’s biological father gave him. His dad wasn’t in his life much after his parents’ divorce, when he was four years old or so, and he had strong, unresolved feelings about it all. He had already used the name “Weezer” as a label from one of his cassettes of new songs. “I remember getting letters from my dad and it would always be, ‘To Weezer.’ He didn’t use an ‘h,’ ” says Cuomo. “It was definitely a very emotional name for me — and I don’t think for anyone else. For the other guys in the band, it’s just a weird word. I guess it even ties back to what I was saying about ‘Sliver.’ Just this feeling of being this helpless little kid that’s abandoned, or neglected. It was definitely the right name.” > > That night, they played a club that had been filled with beautiful young women who had lined up to see Reeves, a heartthrob then and now. “Dogstar played and played and played,” Cropper says. “They finished, and all the pretty girls went away. Five or so people who were our friends stayed. But we left it all on the stage.”

https://www.rollingstone.com/feature/weezer-blue-album-25th-anniversary-877089/

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UnknownQTY t1_j26caoh wrote

All the hot chicks leaving before Weezer takes the stage is peak Rivers Cuomo.

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kid_sleepy t1_j24gvd9 wrote

Yeah they probably, most likely, had a gig prior to that which no-one went to.

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Isaacvithurston t1_j25rxle wrote

They never tell you about the dozens of bars you play at first lol

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__System__ t1_j25ii3f wrote

And Keanu still isn't a dick!

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Pithecanthropus88 t1_j25lfr7 wrote

With all due respect to Mr. Reeves, Dogstar sucks.

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Campmoore t1_j25x1e7 wrote

Doesn't really matter. I Love the guy but I've never felt that talent was a huge part of his success. Hard work, drive, kindness, for sure, all of that, but I've only ever felt that he was moderately talented.

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Pithecanthropus88 t1_j265a70 wrote

Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to meet the guy. He seems like a real genuine person. But I heard his band of the early 2000s, and yeah they suck.

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Campmoore t1_j268map wrote

No, I've heard them too, they do indeed suck.

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CrushyOfTheSeas t1_j265gnb wrote

But it was better than Depp’s band P at the time.

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The_Starmaker t1_j26owj2 wrote

They made Johnny Silverhand a real thing!

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theschoolorg t1_j25csrf wrote

I've seen singers go on to have better acting careers but has an actor ever gone on to have a more successful singing career?

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Indymizzum t1_j25fmtu wrote

Drake and Ariana Grande went from acting in Nickelodeon shows to being two of the most well known people in music.

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theschoolorg t1_j25ftz6 wrote

huh, had no idea he was an actor. I better check his wiki

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echoesreach t1_j25t9tl wrote

Far out magazine is the worst clickbait site I've even seen for Beatles, Floyd, Zeppelin etc stuff.

They'll have an article about something and it's referring to a 20 year old interview.

Utter shite

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pbankey t1_j26t4y6 wrote

I feel like the only appropriate Keanu reeves band is Wyld Samurai

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pm_sweater_kittens t1_j277yrz wrote

I saw Dogstar once. Keanu never looked up from his bass.

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stayathmdad t1_j27clom wrote

I saw Dogstar at a piece of shit hole in the wall in Auburn Washington. The bar was called the Eagles Nest.

The band was ok. It was worth it though to see Keanu live.

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ThatGIRLkimT t1_j27uw3k wrote

Keanu Reeve still looks great

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BruceJi t1_j287yvd wrote

Keanu Reeves plays in a band? You can't be Sirius!

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SmallCorvette t1_j289slw wrote

Coincidence. I'm listening to why they suck.

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muggins66 t1_j2651cr wrote

I hope his music is better than his acting.

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