GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Party on, folks! Keanu Reeves made a surprise appearance at several stores in the Grand Rapids area while in town for a performance with his band Dogstar.
The ’90s alternative rock band, featuring Reeves on bass, performed a live show at GLC Live in 20 Monroe on Tuesday, August 20.
Ahead of the event, the actor was spotted at The Meanwhile, Amway Grand Plaza, Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, and even Best Buy. But the most exciting celebrity meet and greet may be The Mitten Brewing Co.
Owners Chris Andrus and Max Trierweiler and their kitchen staff had the opportunity to offer the band five pizzas after their downtown performance, including a Bill & Ted-themed pizza called “Wyld Scallions,” with pesto, mozzarella, bacon, red onions, cherry tomatoes and, of course, scallions.
“GLC Live contacted us about a promotional partnership for their pizza ticket giveaway,” Andrus told MLive/The Grand Rapids Press. “We were really excited because we’re ’80s kids, we love Keanu Reeves, so our first thoughts were Bill & Ted and their band called Wild Stallions. So we came up with ‘Wyld Scallions’ and built a pizza special around that play on words, and it went really well.”
After a few lucky local fans received free tickets to Tuesday night’s Willy Wonka-style show “Golden Ticket,” Dogstar’s band manager reached out to Mitten Brewing Co. and ordered some pies for himself.
“We made the pizzas and brought them there with a couple of our chefs who made the pizzas with us,” Andrus said. “They wanted to meet him and we had a nice little meet-and-greet at the venue.”
Although the actor and musician is a polite man of few words, Andrus said the Mitten Brewing Co. team was grateful that Reeves took time out after a long show, even though he must have been very exhausted.
He boasts that Reeves is as gracious and humble as can be, taking the time to take photos and chat about the deluxe and pepperoni pizzas before moving on to Dogstar’s next tour stop in Windsor, Ontario.
“He (Keanu) even signed Max’s DVD of The Matric from the 90s and allowed us to enjoy it,” he said. “For me, it was a reward to give the staff that opportunity. That made me really excited and proud – to give the staff an interesting and unprecedented experience.”
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