Aterciopelados kicked off their long-awaited U.S. tour on December 6 with an electric, soul-stirring performance at Music Box in San Diego. The legendary Colombian rock duo filled the intimate venue with a blend of nostalgic classics and fresh sonic explorations from their newest album Genes Rebeldes, a project released in April 2025 that continues to redefine their place in Latin alternative music. The tour will travel through major U.S. cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Atlanta, Miami, and Orlando, where it will close on December 20. Fans can still grab tickets at the band’s official site, aterciopelados.com.
Announcing the tour, the band wrote: “Music becomes DNA, words become flesh, and rebellion runs through the veins.” And in San Diego, that sentiment wasn’t just quoted—it was lived.” And in San Diego, that sentiment wasn’t just quoted, it was lived.
MOMENTS THAT DEFINED THE “GENES REBELDES” OPENING NIGHT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR IN SAN DIEGO
1. Classics That United Generations
When the first notes of “Bolero Falaz,” “Florecita Rockera,” and “Barracuntana” hit, the room erupted. Fans spanning decades, those who discovered the band in the ’90s and those raised on their parents’ playlists, sang with a shared sense of ritual. These timeless songs remain cultural anchors.
2. “Rompecabezas”: A Wake-Up Call Wrapped in Soundscape
Their renewed version of “Rompecabezas” was another standout, infused with nature’s textures captured through VozTerra birdsong at dawn, the hum of waking ecosystems, and the sonic pulse of Colombia’s biodiversity. The band explained that this new arrangement symbolizes hope and rebirth, themes central to the track. This performance also highlighted the global initiative Sounds Right, which aims to recognize nature’s intrinsic value by incorporating natural soundscapes such as ocean waves, storms, wind, and birds sounds into music worldwide.
3. A Tribute Rooted in History — “La Ciudad de la Furia”
One of the night’s most powerful moments was the band’s reimagined take on “La Ciudad de la Furia,” an homage to their iconic participation in Soda Stereo’s 1996 MTV Unplugged. The performance served as both a time capsule and a modern reinterpretation: a reminder of when Andrea Echeverri joined Gustavo Cerati onstage that musical night in Miami to deliver a transcendent version of the song that forever linked their creative worlds. In Genes Rebeldes, Aterciopelados extend this tribute with “Eterno,” a song dedicated to Cerati—another thread in the long-standing artistic bridge between Colombian and Argentine rock.
4. A Call to Protect the Planet
True to their ethos, Aterciopelados wove environmental awareness throughout the show. They spoke about spirituality, collective responsibility, and the urgent need to defend sacred watersheds and protect the Amazon’s biodiversity. The message resonated as this was music with intention, activism carried on melody. You can learn more about the causes that the band supports here.
5. A Farewell With Juan Gabriel’s Blessing
Before closing, Aterciopelados delivered a tender, rock-infused reinterpretation of Juan Gabriel’s “He Venido a Pedirte Perdón,” turning the beloved classic into a vibrant celebration of life in their own voice.
The finale was pure magic: the duo tossing candies and merch into the crowd, laughing, dancing, and celebrating over 30 years of trailblazing music.
