On a cold and blustery Saturday in Toronto that brought the city its first snowfall of the season, the hottest spot in town was definitely Lee’s Palace. It was the fifth show in six days for Kyoto Math Rockers Tricot, but they showed no signs of fatigue throughout their high energy performance. It was evident from the crowd’s reaction when the band stepped on stage that they’d been waiting a long time for Tricot to make their North American tour debut. In fact, the name of their tour “Yattokosa” translates to “Finally” or “At last”, a sentiment all of their overseas fans must have felt when they announced this tour.
The three original members of the band Ikumi “Ikkyu” Nakajima (Guitar, Lead Vocals), Motoko “Motifour” Kida (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals), and Hiromi “Hirohiro” Sagane (Bass, Backing Vocals), were accompanied on drums by accomplished drummer Miyoko Yamaguchi of the rock trio Detroit7. Tricot has been searching for a new full-time drummer since their original one left in 2014, but Yamaguchi has filled in admirably in the interim.
Just before heading out on tour, the band teased fans with a clip of a new song titled Pork Ginger, which was very well received by a capacity crowd that was finally able to hear it in its entirety. When combined with the fact that this was also the first time many of the audience members were getting to see Tricot perform live, it was clear that this was a very special moment.
Highlights of the night included a crowd surfing Ikkyu, lots of love for the Toronto Blue Jays, and a big finish caught on “Kida Cam”. The only real downside of the entire evening, which is actually a huge upside for the band, was that the merch table was picked clean long before everyone had a chance to buy something. That’s probably a pretty clear sign that North America was ready and waiting for a long time for Tricot to finally arrive.
When I wrote about Tricot back in August, little did I know I would get the opportunity to see them in Toronto only two months later. Their energy and musical ability are as good as it gets, and you can call it a biased fan’s opinion, but you’d be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable live show than the spectacle that Tricot delivers. They’ll be on tour until October 29th, so if you live anywhere near the following cities, do yourself a favour and make it out to one of the best rock shows you’ll ever get to see.
Oct. 20 – Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL
Oct. 21 – The End – Nashville, TN
Oct. 23 – Rubber Gloves Rehearsal Studios – Denton, TX
Oct. 24 – Black Barbie – Houston, TX
Oct. 25 – Hi-Tones – San Antonio, TX
Oct. 27 – Soda Bar – San Diego, CA
Oct. 28 – DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
Oct. 29 – Bootleg Theater – Los Angeles, CA
