The long reach of a '90s revival

There's a theory that nostalgia runs in 20-year cycles. For evidence of its truth, look no further than the return of'90s alternative rock, which is everywhere these days, from cruise ships (The Weezer Cruise) to clubs and theaters, with the reunions of Pavement and Soundgarden just two recent examples.

The latest band to join the reunion trend is Los Angeles' that dog., lower case, with the period, is the correct style for the band which released three albums of upbeat punk-pop before breaking up in 1997. While the band never broke out beyond college radio, its members crossed paths with a lot of interesting people.

Here's a sampling of some of the bands and celebrities in that dog.'s orbit.

Maya Rudolph
Rudolph was in the Rentals with that dog. violinist Petra Haden and her bassist sister Rachel. Rudolph opened that dog.'s first reunion shows in L.A., fronting a Prince cover band.

Fred Armisen
Rudolph's "Saturday Night Live" castmate is opening that dog.'s first New York reunion show. Fans probably shouldn't expect him to break out his version of "Purple Rain."

The White Stripes
that dog. singer Anna Waronker worked with her husband, Redd Kross bassist Steven McDonald, on his "Redd Blood Cells" project, in which McDonald overdubbed bass parts on to the Stripes' "White Blood Cells" album. While he wasn't asked about it in advance, Jack White eventually gave his blessing.

The Decemberists
Petra Haden joined the Decemberists as a full-time member for their breakthrough 2005 album "Picaresque." She didn't stick around though when the band made the jump to a major label for their next album. 

If you go: that dog. is at Music Hall of Williamsburg on Thursday and Friday at 9 p.m., 66 N. Sixth St., 718-486-5400, $25.