P1Harmony Rocks Out Governor’s Ball and Wraps Up Their U.S. Tour

Photo courtesy of Governor’s Ball

One of the common questions you hear in K-Pop stateside is who is next to blow up here. Of the groups that we’ve seen go beyond the normal tour circuit, another player is shaking things up and is primed to be next, though many would say that they’re already wearing that hat. P1Harmony (aka P1H) has toured stateside before and has always had a great following with vibrant shows with an increasingly larger group of P1eces (their fandom) filling each venue. This time the scale was beyond club level venues and as the group just concluded the U.S. leg of their P1USTAGE H:UTOP1A Tour with a sold-out show at the Forum in Los Angeles last Sunday, June 16. Prior, they had not only made an appearance at the American Country Music Awards in Dallas, but made their first appearance at New York’s Governor’s Ball on the IHG stage on June 8. The sextet under FNC Entertainment made up of Keeho, Theo, Jiung, Intak, Soul, and Jongseob proved this time around that they had leveled up to become real players in the K-Pop domestic market. 

As the only representative East Asian performer at Governor’s Ball, they had a large demographic to fill, but frankly the crowd wasn’t there to show cultural support. The floor was already lined up with P1eces of every demographic ready to pour out their support to P1H. Without a New York tour stop, this was the only chance for locals to see them perform live. Coming onto the outdoor stage in full daylight, the sextet jumped into “Emergency” dressed in a mix of white, black and denim decorated jackets and trousers, with Jongseob standing out in mostly black. The immediate reaction from all was the thrill of seeing Jiung, who had missed the beginning stops on the tour due to injury. Back as a sextet, they were ready to conquer their first GovBall! 

As they moved onto “Everybody Clap,” the floor was rocking, already happy and knowing it. With “Oh-oh”s in the air, their perfectly synchronized choreography brought the energy to an all time high. As the camera moved across the sea of people, you could see arms moving in perfect harmony to the beat of the song.

Photo courtesy of FNC Entertainment

After taking a moment to introduce themselves to their first GovBall crowd, Jiung set the stage for the next song by asking everyone to put their hand where their heart was. Teaching everyone the chorus of “Heartbeat Drum,” everyone was singing and tapping their hearts together before the song began. Though the sun was hot, the stage was hotter as the beat of sound reverberated accross it. Intak and Jongseob killed the rap lines and the whole crew jumped to the song as if it wasn’t sweltering under the hot sun.

Keeho took the mic, thanking everyone there for their love and support, and expressing his love for New York City before the crew jumped into “Killin’ It” and “Back Down.”  Moving swiftly between formations with high energy, it wasn’t until the song concluded that the guys reacted to the heat which had everyone grabbing for water. Keeho asked, “who here is seeing us for the first time?” The response, demonstrating a large new body of people who had just discovered this dynamic group, showed how effective the festival was as there was bound to be a sea of new P1eces created that day. Keeho passed the mic to Jiung, who was greeted with screams. Acknowledging his injury and his time out, Jiung noted that he was really blessed to be in front of everyone there supporting P1H’s moment. Keeho then commented on the heat and the amount they were sweating onstage. Next ordering everyone to say “Hi” to meet those around them, he noted that “P1eces are all really nice people.” Next, changing up the vibe to something Keeho called “sweeter," noting that they would sing in English, he asked the floor to sing and dance along. Toning the energy down, the mellow “Gotta Get Back (feat. Pink Sweat$)” and then the addictive “Fall in Love Again” filled the air with sweetness as stated. With Keeho, Jiung and Theo’s vocals leading the way, the sea of people felt the vibe the guys wanted to get across as voices sang along to the catchy choruses. 

With “Doom Du Doom'' the P1H had everyone moving again to sing, “Dum Dum” with Soul flexing his dance skills. Stating what a special day it was, it was soon time for everyone to “Jump.” Giving instructions when to sit down and when to jump, this song required full audience participation and nobody was unwilling. With a sea of people jumping as far across the floor, the song was as fun as Keeho promised it would be. The jumping wasn’t over as “Follow Me” was next and with a chorus that you also had the jump to. This wasn't just a show, it was a party.

GovBall wasn’t just a performance for P1H. It was also a chance for them to chill and to check out other artists as they hung around various performances throughout the three days festival with fans spying members at Dominic Fike, Sabrina Carpenter, 21 Savage, SZA and more, it was refreshing to witness a glimpse of the guys having a great time dancing, recording and just having a blast watching artists they admire onstage casually just as any other person attending the festival.

P1Harmony continued their tour post Governor’s Ball, finally finishing off in Los Angeles. Showing their dynamism there via a more dramatic and structured stage as afforded the Forum, it was clear they knew how to make their mark on any stage or venue. With every tour hitting larger and larger venues, P1Harmony has proven their place amongst an impressive group of artists that have, or begun to, really made a mark in the U.S. We hope to see them at more festivals and arenas next time around. It seems like their time has come, and judging from the crowds at Governor’s Ball and on tour, P1eces old and new, are more than ready for it.

Where can you catch P1Harmony next? Well, for now those of you off to KCONLA will be able to catch them at the Los Angeles Convention Center’s KCON STAGE on Friday July 26 as well as at the meet and greet for those who were lucky enough to grab a ticket. They’ll also be gracing the main M!Countdown stage that day, so make sure to get your ticket to see them again next month!

Photo courtesy of FNC Entertainment