UK indiepop cult heroes Heavenly were in NYC this weekend for three shows, which were their first US dates since 1995. They played Market Hotel on Friday and Saturday and also played a matinee show at Trans-Pecos on Saturday afternoon. People flew in from all over North America for these — I also knew many people who went to all three — and with some pretty cool openers it felt like a little popfest (RIP NYC Popfest).
I hit the Saturday matinee, which also featured sets from Frankie Cosmos (playing solo under her Franz Charcoal pseudonym) and Widowspeak, making for a chill, fun and all-around terrific way to spend the sunny first day of June. The band — Amelia Fletcher, Rob Pursey, Cathy Rogers, Peter Momtchiloff, and Ian Button filling the drum kit seat of the late Matthew Fletcher — seemed very happy to be at Trans Pecos on Saturday and a little taken aback by the response. It was good vibes all around.
All three NYC shows featured lots of Heavenly’s ’90s classics, including “P.U.N.K. Girl,” “Our Love is Heavenly,” “Space Manatee,” “Atta Girl,” “Starshy,” “Sperm Meets Egg, So What?” and more, plus they played a few NEW songs, including “Scene Stealing” and “Portland Town,” both of which sounded terrific. Other than saying the songs were new, Fletcher didn’t intimate any other news about the band.
One of the highlights across the shows was their song “C is the Heavenly Option,” which was originally a duet with Beat Happening’s Calvin Johnson but had different guest vocalists at each of the three shows. Friday’s Market Hotel show got Phil Sutton (Comet Gain, Pale Lights), Trans-Pecos got Kip Berman (The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Natvral) who was also the day’s DJ, and Saturday’s Market Hotel show got The Pooh Sticks‘ Hue Williams, who plays in Swansea Sound with Fletcher, Pursey and Button.
Check out photos by P Squared from Trans-Pecos, along with setlists from all three shows and “C is the Heavenly Option” with Kip and other video from throughout the weekend, below.
Speaking of Swansea Sound, they’re using the Heavenly shows to springboard a short Northeast tour with Jeanines and that kicked off Sunday night at Trans-Pecos and will hit NYC again at Knitting Factory at Baker Falls on June 8 with Young Adult Friction.
Heavenly will be back this fall for West Coast shows in Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
SETLIST: Heavenly @ Market Hotel 5/31/2024
Starshy
Our Love Is Heavenly
Sperm Meets Egg, So What?
By the Way
Portland Town
Shallow
Cool Guitar Boy
Skipjack
Hearts and Crosses
Scene Stealing
Cut Off
She and Me
Nous ne sommes pas des anges
Atta Girl
Trophy Girlfriend
P.U.N.K. Girl
Encore:
Dig Your Own Grave
Space Manatee
C is the Heavenly Option (with Phil Sutton)
SETLIST: Heavenly @ Trans-Pecoas 6/1/2024
Starshy
Cool Guitar Boy
Sperm Meets Egg, So What?
Portland Town
By the Way
Three Star Compartment
Our Love Is Heavenly
Scene Stealing
Trophy Girlfriend
Nous ne sommes pas des anges
Hearts and Crosses
Space Manatee
P.U.N.K. Girl
C is the Heavenly Option (with Kip Berman)
Encore:
She and Me
Atta Girl
SETLIST: Heavenly @ Market Hotel 6/1/2024
I Fell in Love Last Night
Our Love Is Heavenly
Portland Town
Shallow
(Dedicated by Cathy to Mathew Fletcher)
Sperm Meets Egg, So What?
Starshy
Skipjack
By the Way
Trophy Girlfriend
Scene Stealing
She and Me
Cut Off
Nous ne sommes pas des anges
Hearts and Crosses
Space Manatee
P.U.N.K. Girl
Encore:
Dig Your Own Grave
Atta Girl
C is the Heavenly Option (with Hue Williams)