Tricot (photo: Lorisa Salvatin)

Photos and words by Lorisa Salvatin

When Tricot’s Ikkyu Nakajima told the crowd packing Above DNA that she wanted to fucking party, San Francisco gave her a fucking party. The Japanese four-piece blew away Bay Area fans at Above DNA on Wednesday. This was a first for the group, who have never played in San Francisco. Their warm welcome: a sold out show.

Ecstatic to kick off the night’s bill, the post-rock quartet Wander channeled their energy into a beautiful performance. Their captivating melodies, complemented by powerful crashes, enveloped the room.  The San Leandro-based band felt humbled to meet and play with Tricot, a band they’ve greatly admired for a few years.

Second to play, Strawberry Girls, created a literal wall of sound, lining up their instruments along the edge of the stage and letting the audience take their punches of frenetic riffage and pounding rhythms. Their songs pumped adrenaline into the crowd’s veins, readying them for the long-awaited headliner.

Tricot’s set could only be described as an epic rush, weaving the audience through the thrill of songs from their newest album, A N D, and the gripping nostalgia of old favorites. The four-piece slowed it down with a eloquent display of “Oyasumi” before unleashing the song that listeners have fallen in love with. Fans geeked out to “Ochansensu-Su” and “Anamein,” singing along and shifting in one big sway closer to the punching riffs emitting from the stage. They then spiced it up with a little samba interlude during “Court,” maracas and cowbell included. During the set, Tricot shed the timid veneer they kept during sound check, scaling their amps and diving into the crowd during “POOL” and “Matsuri” as the crowd cheered them on in approval.

Before closing out the evening, Tricot graced their admires with an encore of “Explosion Pannier,” leaving an everlasting impression on the crowd. Sweaty and exhausted, the audience had exited the venue with clear satisfaction. Tricot’s explosive energy and spastic stage presence will be forever embedded with those that saw their intimate performance: a gift from Japan, a show to remember.