Husband and wife Luis Cabezas and Kelly Ogden have made their mark on the punk rock genre throughout the past 20 years as The Dollyrots. Combining classic pop-punk music with candy-coated and humorous dispositions in their lyrics and transforming their careers into a family affair is what sets this band apart from the rest.
The duo met in middle school when Cabezas taught Ogden how to play guitar, and they started playing music together before moving from Florida to California after college. Starting out as a four-person band called No Chef with friends Josh Harrold and Mike Benbow, the two decided to go full-time in 2000 as a duo called The Dollyrots.
Their debut studio album, Eat My Heart Out, was initially self-recorded and released before its wide release with Panic Button (under Lookout! Records) in July 2004. Three years later, they released their Because I’m Awesome album under Blackheart Records. This led to one of the band’s biggest hit songs, “Because I’m Awesome,” which ended up being featured in many shows and movies, including the ABC Family TV show Greek, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 and the Bring It On: Fight to the Finish movie trailer.
Night Owls, The Dollyrots’ most recent album, was released in October 2023 and features 13 tracks coated in the band’s trademarked sound. The duo prides themselves on their nonstop touring capabilities, performing over two thousand concerts throughout their careers. Bringing along their two kids, River and Daisy, for the ride, and even having them join the duo on stage at concerts, The Dollyrots have found a way to turn tour life into a family vacation (which they actually did with the release of their 2016 live album, Family Vacation: Live in the Los Angeles).
Eight albums and over 20 years later, The Dollyrots have accumulated a dedicated fan base, as well as dedicated themselves to their own family that has grown as they’ve gone throughout their careers as musicians.
The Dollyrots play the Southgate House Revival (The Sanctuary) at 7:30 p.m. on March 19. More info: southgatehouse.com.
This story is featured in CityBeat’s March 5 print edition.
This article appears in Mar 5-18, 2025.
