To make sure they’d set the bar high while opening up the Red Marquee on Friday, soulful Japanese three-piece Lucky Tapes got a little help from their friends to bring it up to a 10-member-strong full band. Sticking to a tight set without any time to waste on stage banter (or even applause), the group rolled out plenty of upbeat horn driven tunes that had morning crowds steadily flowing into the tent, stretching their legs and moving their feet.

Supporting their freshly released album “Cigarette & Alcohol”, the selections they churned out did a great job of showcasing each members strengths, whether it be smooth bi-lingual vocal lead Kai Takahashi’s tinkling keyboards, Keito Taguchi’s slapping bass solos, or a quick and heavy guitar riff from Kensuke Takahashi. The supporting members also shined, especially the powerful 3-member horn section, which carried much of the weight and gave a solid structure to each buoyant jazzy track. Female backup vocals peppered each chorus and lended a laid-back lounge feel to the bands already happy-go-lucky sound.

For fans streaming into to the Red Marquee in expectation of an early eye-opener, Lucky Tapes proved to be just the wake-up they needed, with their toe-tapping, brass-heavy soul sound putting everyone into a good mood.