photo by: Matt Resnick/Journal-World

Keanu Reeves is pictured outside a Lawrence hotel ahead of his concert Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, at Liberty Hall.

Keanu Reeves is coming to a theater near you — but it won’t be on the silver screen.

Ahead of tonight’s show at Liberty Hall with his band Dogstar, Reeves stopped over at the DoubleTree by Hilton in Lawrence. In a brief interview with the Journal-World, the 59-year-old “Matrix” megastar said that he was elated to be in Lawrence for the tour stop.

“We’ve never played Lawrence before,” Reeves said Friday morning. “It’s always fun to pull into a new town, meet folks and hopefully have a good rock show.”

photo by: Matt Resnick | Journal-World

Keanu Reeves greets fans outside of Liberty Hall on Friday, Sept. 29, 2023. Reeves was in town with his band Dogstar for a sold out show at the downtown venue.

Reeves, who plays bass, said that his band incorporates an array of styles, describing Dogstar as “indie-pop-rock-folk.”

“Some of our songs are more indie, some are more pop, and some are a little more folky,” he said, “and some rock.”

Dogstar was first active in the mid-1990s to early 2000s and, according to Reeves, was on a 20-plus-year hiatus before recently reuniting for the current tour.

“We were together for about seven years, and then broke up for 23, and now we’re back,” he said, adding that the band recorded a studio album last year titled “Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees,” set for release on Oct. 6.

“We have a couple singles due out,” Reeves said.

Reeves said his tour bus arrived in Lawrence Thursday and he had not yet had the opportunity to do any sightseeing in Jayhawk country.

Reeves’ stopover at the DoubleTree coincided with the Lawrence Schools Foundation’s annual community breakfast. At a Thursday reception for the Friday event, several school district staff members and officials spoke with Reeves, describing him as genuine, approachable and down to earth.

“Keanu and his crew just happened to be dining here in the same space, so we were able to introduce ourselves and strike up a conversation,” said Dena Johnston, executive director of Lawrence Schools Foundation. “He had lots of great questions about Lawrence, where his band is going to be playing, and asked (about) some local restaurants and places to go. He is a very cool, chill guy.”

Johnston said that she also invited Reeves to attend Friday morning’s event.

“He said it was a little early,” Johnston said of the 7:30 a.m. start time, “but that he might pop in.”

Reeves’ band is next headed to St. Louis for a show Saturday night, and the tour, which started last month, will include dozens of more stops through Dec. 21, ending in Nashville.

“The audiences have been great,” Reeves said.

photo by: Matt Resnick/Journal-World

Fans wait in line to possibly see and get autographs from Keanu Reeves, who was in Lawrence Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, ahead of his Liberty Hall concert with his band Dogstar.

photo by: Matt Resnick/Journal-World

Josh O’Connor, of Wichita, holds an item he hoped to get autographed by Keanu Reeves, who was in Lawrence Friday, Sept. 29, 2023, ahead of his Liberty Hall concert with his band Dogstar.