The Velvety Ones

Addressing her audience at the Belly Up, singer-guitarist Andrea Echeverri asked, "Do you prefer English or Spanish?" "Espanol!" came the unanimous reply.

Many dedicated fans of her Colombian band Aterciopelados ("The Velvety Ones"), had traveled from Tijuana, where they had performed the previous night.

In Solana Beach, their devotees jumped, embraced, danced, and took lots of photos as the band married energetic rock with traditional Colombian and Latin-American music.

Echeverri, her face adorned with jewels, belted out anthems from her band's nearly two-decade career, passionately delivering messages about feminism, the environment, and political injustice. She alternated between strumming her acoustic guitar and stalking back and forth across the stage, often reaching out to fans, who added bracelets to her already well-decorated arms.

It was the kind of show where it seemed that everyone knew every word to every song, especially "Rompecabezas," "El Estuche," and their hit from 1995, "Bolero Falaz."

After closing with the audience-requested "Florecita," Echeverri touted recycling as she displayed colorful discs made from used materials before sailing them into the crowd.

The band later met fans who'd waited beside the stage, graciously chatting, posing for photos, and signing autographs.

• Concert: Aterciopelados
• Date: August 12
• Venue: Belly Up Tavern
• Seats: general admission, floor