Canine

at the Hard Rock Cafe
by unknown

Canine: You know that thrash metal band that foams at the mouth and pulls out their own wisdom teeth on stage? Well, this isn’t them. This Canine is the reformation of Boston’s Canine Guru, and while they have hard rock and punk tendencies, their hook is weaving Latin beats, funky rhythms, and vocal harmonies with guitar melodies and mighty vocals. The first time I caught Canine’s show was at the Middle East with a crowd of fans, jumping up and down, waving their arms, and essentially dancing like crazy. Then I saw them at the Hard Rock Café with middle-aged tourists snapping photographs for their slide shows (Click, and this is the Old North Church. Click, and this is that “alternative” band we saw while waiting for our table at the Hard Rock). But even though the audience wasn’t exactly boisterous, Canine decided to fuck shit up anyway.

They played two sets, the first of which boasted a higher crowd population and a couple of brave dancing souls. Canine’s incorporation of different types of music is like a toy surprise in every song. One minute the lead guitarist is performing a heavy guitar solo, and the next, the band is singing the chorus a cappella. But it works. Canine is all about rhythm, whether it’s coming from vocals, percussion, or a collective funk groove. Though they mostly perform original songs, the highlight of the second set was a punk-ass, high-energy version of Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke.” I almost lost my “I’m a music reviewer so I can’t look like I’m enjoying the show too much” cool. And from then on, the had a hell of a good time just fucking around on stage.