'Are you really that big in Japan?' inquires a hypothetical interviewer on Tahiti 80's website. To which the band reply: 'Yes, we are.' Though their winsome, high-sheen pop has been criticized in some quarters as too darn nice, the French six-piece seem to have struck a chord with Japanese audiences. Cornelius' Keigo Oyamada was an earlier supporter, including a demo version of "Heartbeat" on his 1999 compilation Llama Ranch Compilation, and Tahiti 80's debut album, Puzzle, subsequently went gold here. A decade later, they may have fallen short of genuine pop greatness, but the band remain almost impossible to dislike.
Note: this show was rescheduled from March 22