There was a feeling in the air on July 16th that Juanes, the Colombian rock and pop superstar, would address the urgency of the moment. Halfway through his set at the Hollywood Bowl, perched atop a platform on the audio/video booth in the middle of the venue, literally surrounded by a sold-out crowd, he made his call to action.
“Toda la gente ha venido de otros lugares aquí. Olvidamos que el amor es más fuerte que el dolor...Ahora mas que nunca hay que mantenernos unidos."
You could feel the collective relief that statement brought to a Los Angeles crowd that had lived under siege for over a month. Juanes, no stranger to meeting the moment throughout his career, made his appeal and then continued delivering what became an unforgettable night at the Bowl, as is custom at the historic venue!
It was Juanes’ first show at the venue since 2018 during more innocent, pre-COVID times when the fascism wasn’t so fashy. The night, part of LA Phil’s 2025 Latin music concert series, was a welcome breath of fresh air where he played tons of hits, debuted a new song off his upcoming album (you had to be there! [unless someone took video, in which case, congrats.]) and played a bunch of amazing covers from Soda Stereo, Raymix (which, I guess, technically is not a cover since there’s an official version with his vocals), and plenty of Juan Gabriel. Is there another Latino alive that loves JuanGa more than Juanes? The competition is strong, but I doubt it!
Juanes turns 53 in two weeks but you wouldn’t know it from his live set. He had the energy of a 20-something musician with something-to-prove with the added benefit of more than 30 years experience in the industry. Just because the rockero went pop many years ago doesn’t mean the rockero ever left.
Juanes’ live show was a buffet of incredible moments from the cheer-inducing to the sublime. There were plenty of sing-alongs were Juanes let the audience lead, others were he guided the crowd through call-and-response, the aforementioned acoustic break in the center of the venue, done specifically so that the fans furthest away from the stage could feel closer to him for a few songs, and, all things being Los Angeles, ending the night with a mariachi ensemble who together performed a handful of songs to close the night.
SETLIST:
Mala gente
Amores Prohibidos / Persiana Americana
Nada Valgo Sin Tu Amor / Besos En Guerra
Volverte A Ver
Lo Que Me Gusta A Mí / Fuego / Luna
Fotografía
Es Por Ti
Es Tarde
Cuando Estamos Tú y Yo (new single)
Nada / Mis Planes Son Amarte / Un Día Normal
Una Noche Contigo
Para Tu Amor
Odio Por Amor
Colegiala (with LA LOM)
La Plata / Bonita
Gotas De Agua Dulce
La Paga
La Camisa Negra
La Noche
A Dios Le Pido
Querida
Me Enamora / Bésame Mucho / Oye Mujer
La Luz
Si Nos Dejan
Se Me Olvidó Otra Vez
