Juanes delights crowd at The Joint — PHOTOS

More than 3,000 eager fans packed The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel on Thursday to catch pop star Juanes' only show in Las Vegas this year.

About three hours after they arrived, there was a collective awe in the air as the 20-time Latin Grammy winner finished a five-song encore set and left the stage.

Touring for his sixth studio album, "Loco de Amor," the native of Medellín, Colombia, made Sin City his second United States show after spending most of the year touring across Latin America and Europe and playing Tuesday in Bakersfield, Calif.

And on Thursday, after a 30-minute gap between opener Ximena Sariñana  and the start of his show, Juanes brought most of the subdued crowd to its feet, opening with "Mil Pedazos" from his latest album, followed by 2002 hits "La Noche" and "La Paga."

By the end of his third song, the Colombian pop star had the entire crowd standing, and kept it there with a cover of Bob Marley's "Is This Love," his only English-language song of the night, and 2010 single "Yerbatero."

The show continued with album-title track "Loco de Amor," and classics like "Fotografia," "Es Por Ti" and "Hoy Me Voy," before the 42-year-old, who also owns two regular Grammys, played 2015 single "Juntos" and a mellowed, more acoustic version of "Volverte a Ver."

As usual, Juanes offered very little chatter, besides about 60 seconds to thank the audience and salute fans from Colombia, Mexico, Central America and, of course, Las Vegas. As a result, the crowd's energy remained consistently high for just about all of the show, as fans young and old waved their hands and moved their hips even through less popular songs like "Gotas de Agua Dulce," and the slow-moving "Para Tu Amor."

A little more than an hour after taking the stage, Juanes introduced the members of his five-man band and concluded his set list with 2007 hit "Me Enamora" before walking off, seemingly ending the concert.

Three minutes later, the band was back for more.

The encore opened with a cover of Juan Gabriel's "Querida," followed by Joe Arroyo's salsa hit “La Rebelión” and Juanes' own 2013 single "La Luz."

It wouldn't be a Juanes concert without "La Camisa Negra" and "A Dios le Pido," and the Colombian singer saved his best for last, playing his two most popular songs to finish Thursday's show for the second time to a roaring audience.

After taking another bow, he high-fived and grabbed the hands of a few dozen fans at the front of the stage with the venue lights turned back on. Not to be outdone, he rushed back to center stage, grabbed a beer off an amplifier while leaving behind two unopened water bottles, took a swig and disappeared backstage.

The "Loco de Amor" tour continues with back-to-back shows in Los Angeles on Friday and Saturday.

Juanes is not scheduled to return to Nevada in 19 shows scheduled through Dec. 4.

Contact Chris Kudialis at ckudialis@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0283. Find him on Twitter: @kudialisrj