At Silverio's Dance-Friendly Ruido Fest Show, Clothes Will Be Optional
By Mae Rice in Arts & Entertainment on Jul 7, 2016 7:21PM
Go see Silverio at Ruido Fest on Friday. Just go.
He loves to improvise, so we can’t make specific promises about his show. But here are some things he’ll likely do before his set ends: strip down to a distinctly European Speedo; command you to dance like a dog in his native Spanish; make a haircut that’s a cross between a mullet and a bowl cut look sexy; and curse your mother. In fact, by the time you get to the end of this interview, Silverio may have already cursed all of the mothers in Chicago?!
You can’t say the man isn’t a bold artist. Especially after a shot of his live, vaguely NSFW performance of his single “Perro” (translation: dog), followed by a chaser of the produced, cinematic music video for “Perro,” also vaguely NSFW for Speedo reasons, featuring many torches.
Silverio is a multifaceted man, and every facet is ready to freak out your grandparents. With a smile.
Silverio earned this confidence over more than two decades in the music business. Born in Chilpancingo in Mexico’s Guerrero, he released his first single from Mexico City in 2002—and he’s still based in Mexico City today, making danceable music he describes as “electronic music mixed with excesses, women, cursing and obscenities.”
Before his upcoming Chicago show—his second showing at Ruido Fest, and just one of the many international shows he’s played in his long career—we talked to Silverio about how his live show is different from other live shows, his views on nudity, and his favorite curse word. (I don't speak Spanish, so he graciously spoke to me in English.)
You’ve been performing for a long time—’Yepa yepa yepa’ came out in 2002. What’s something you’ve learned about performing live since you started?
For me… the heart of the show is made by the audience. So I never know what can happen. It starts with the audience. I want them to watch in a not passive way. The more active the situation, the better. So in that way for me, the show is changing all the time, and for the audience too. I never know what can happen in my shows. It’s been 15 years playing in different parts of the world, and all the time I get different situations.
I'm curious about how much you involve the audience. Do you bring people from the audience onstage during your shows?
Yeah! I like to invite the audience on the stage, and not only that, like if they want to play songs, if they want to be on the stage, if they have songs they want to provoke the audience, to insult the audience—whatever they want, they can enjoy with me. I think that that’s an important part of what I want… they are invited to do whatever they want to do. If they want to go naked, they can do it. It’s important that they want to know that, so they can be prepared for that.
Speaking of nudity, I’ve heard that you often strip during your shows. Do you think you'll strip at your show in Chicago coming up?
I never know exactly what I will do. I improvise a lot. It’s not about to do like, a strip show, it’s more like, I like to have a few elements on the stage. So I play with a couple of machines. I don’t like lights and fire, things like that on the stage. I have my body to do a show… it’s like, to not be ashamed about anything. I have how I am, and I’m not afraid to show that. It’s more about that, being very simple on the stage.
What drew you back to Ruido Fest for a second summer?
The songs that I can play, I have new jokes… it’s a surprise. The surprise element is very important for this show. I have a couple of surprises so that people shit in their pants!
Speaking of new stuff—what are you working on right now? Are you working on a new album?
Yeah, I’m working on the next album of Silverio, of course. I’m working all the time. The next couple months, I’m planning a new video… at a location in Mexico’s country. The name of the song is “Tu Casa” [your house], and it talks about Mexican hospitality.
If new fans want a sense of your music before the show, what track should they start with, and why?
"Yepa yepa yepa" [first released in 2002]. I still start my show with that song. It’s music for the party.
What does that mean? "Yepa yepa yepa"?
“Yepa yepa yepa" doesn’t mean anything. It’s just an expression, here in Mexico, it’s like… for something to happen. It’s like, to invoke something, you know. It can be related to parties, but in this case, in my case, "yepa yepa yepa" is like… putting everything on the table.
It sounds like swearing, or curse words, are a big part of your music and your style. I’m curious: What’s your favorite swear word in English or Spanish, and why? Like, in English, “shit” is one.
Let me think about it. I have a bunch in my pocket. For example, here in Mexico, talking about someone’s mother… that is a big “shit.” “Chingue a su madre” is one of my favorites because it works really well. [Rough translation: “fuck your mother.”] Chingue a su madre to the people of Chicago!
Silverio performs at Ruido Fest in Addams/Medill Park on Friday. For more of Silverio and his music, follow him on Facebook and Twitter.