With a line that stretched blocks beyond Terminal 5, bypassers could guarantee someone big was in New York City. Starting his tour on January 23 in California, it was time for pH-1 to return to his home state of New York to perform in front of a sold-out audience on his first-ever world tour. From people who had camped out starting at 6:00 a.m. to the crowd that had arrived just minutes before doors opened, one thing was true: everybody was ready to have a good night.

As the clock ticked closer to show time, you could feel the excitement bubbling through the venue, and no doubt this crowd was going to give it their all. Opening the show with rapper Ted Park, who just finished his own U.S. tour, fans who knew him from his H1GHR MUSIC days were in for a surprise. Performing his eight-track set consisting of hits like “Adore You, Dior You,” “Friend of Mine,” and “Slip n Slide,” Ted had the crowd lit. Nearing the end of his set, Ted surprised fans by performing some of his unreleased tracks. Though Ted had to wrap it up, he ended it with a bang, closing out with “Dance Like Jay Park.”

The crowd erupted in applause as Ted Park finished out his set, and as lights turned the stage a deep red, screams could only get louder. Emerging from the side stage, pH-1 began his set with “MEET N GREET" to a completely ecstatic audience. The crowd went absolutely insane as he finished out the track and began to introduce himself, letting us know when he said, “New York we here,” we would respond, “About Damn Time.”

pH-1 didn’t hesitate to go immediately into his set, continuing into “Malibu,” which had the crowd singing along, and “PACKITUP!” which solidified the vibes for the night. Performing a mashup of tracks from his earlier albums in 2018 to his latest release in 2022 and even some of his H1GHR MUSIC features, fans were truly getting a once-in-a-lifetime show.

The catchy tune of “ZOMBIES” filled the venue, and you could see fans jumping around, dancing, and genuinely enjoying themselves. The dancing didn’t stop as pH-1 transitioned into R&B tracks “TIPSY” and “YUPPIE TING,” where he also danced around the stage and even had the crowd sing some of the songs for him.

Taking a moment between songs to speak with the crowd and interact a little, pH-1 touched on his excitement to be home before introducing his next song “Homebody” and then going straight into “Groupie.”

pH-1 then took a moment to address the audience and emphasize how important tonight was to him. He mentioned how his family and friends being able to witness his first world tour meant the world to him, and the fact that it was sold out and in his hometown made it even more special. pH-1 even cracked a joke about how his dentist was in the audience, gaining a ton of laughs from the crowd before continuing his set.

His next few songs were “MR.BAD,” “Cupid,” “365&7,” and “JULIETTE!.” While performing the tracks, he sent hearts to the audience and made sure to include even those on the balcony. Traditionally, you see fanservice and aegyo at K-Pop concerts, so it was fun and refreshing to see how pH-1 interacted with his crowd. 

Before continuing with more songs, pH-1 took a second to be candid about his vice—alcohol—and introduce “BREAK THE GLASS” and “SHRINK TOLD ME.” Both songs are off of his latest album BUT FOR NOW LEAVE ME ALONE and give listeners a deeper look into the artistry of pH-1. Keeping the vibe on a lower note following his previous songs, a stool was brought to the middle of the stage where pH-1 performed “DVD” and “Like Me.” A strobe light illuminated his figure as the audience of waving flashlights swayed in rhythm with the beat and his smooth vocals.

Approaching the middle of the setlist, the vibes for the night took a shift—in a good way. Switching from “Nerdy Love” to “OKAY” signified the change in mood for the rest of the show. Up to this point, the show had been a balance of pH-1’s R&B tracks and pop-influenced songs, and now we were going headfirst into his rap and heavy flow we see in his H1GHR features.

Getting the crowd amped for the next songs, he continued into “MORAGO,” and if people thought they were hyped then, the second the piano keys of “TELEFONO” started, the venue  went wild. Keeping the energy at one hundred, pH-1 went into “Olaf,” which had fans chanting “Olaf” in tandem with the song. His set continued into “Achoo,” “Orange,” and arguably the most anticipated song of the night, “The Purge.” You could feel the energy in the venue the second it started, and the screams were even louder than you could imagine.

It had come to that part in the show where it was time for an exciting night to end, and pH-1 shared his final thanks and love with the crowd. Riding the wave of energy from “Good Day” and “iffy,” pH-1 closed out his set with “Oscar,” and we all couldn't have been more satisfied with the show. As fans prepared to make their way home for the night, you could hear chatter in the crowd, wondering when he would be back and how amazing the show had been. Though the show is over for New York City, pH-1 will visit a few more states on the East Coast before heading to Asia and Europe to continue his About Damn Time tour.

Edited by Erin Rupprecht