This Is Your Song
A Magical Mystery Moment with Montero Bar & Grill Karaoke Queen Amethyst Valentino
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Listen to the Music
PUNCH recently published a new essay of mine, “Montero Bar & Grill Sets Sail Into a New Era,” which pondered: Can a beloved and historic bar maintain its charms under new ownership? I had been privy to the news that Pepe and Linda Montero were planning on retiring and selling the Montero Bar & Grill, their beloved almost 90-year-old nautical-themed Brooklyn Heights dive bar a few blocks from the nearby waterfront, a year before the news became official.
Beyond the legacy of the bar and what its future might hold after being acquired by the Crew the seafaring restaurant group owned by brothers and lifelong sailors Alex and Miles Pincus, I had bigger concerns as I’ve lived above the bar since moving in two weeks before the pandemic flipped the world upside down in March 2020.
Thankfully, they soon assured me that they wanted me to stay (it takes a certain kind of character to live over a dive bar next to a BQE on-ramp), and promised longtime regulars that they planned to “keep Montero, Montero.”
I like to think that I know a thing or two about what makes a dive bar, a dive bar. I’ve often written about neighborhood dives and featured several examples in my book, Last Call. Since the summer of 2022 I’ve been curating the popular “Dive Bar Jukebox” series here on LAST CALL, where a cast of cool characters--including musicians, bartenders, authors, chefs, and restaurateurs--answer the Dive Bar Q&A and share an annotated playlist of songs they would play and why if I put ten credits on the jukebox at bar. I even spent two long years, and a lot of late nights, working on a book about dive bars until I gave up after spiraling to the realization that most of them didn’t give a damn about being featured in a book. (I still have the spreadsheet in my Google Drive with hundreds of potential cross-country dives of which I planned to visit many with photographer Ed Anderson.)
In my essay for PUNCH, which I hope you’ll jump over to read, I spent an afternoon at Montero with Alex as regulars drifted in and out and music played on the speakers and the local news looped highlights of the Knicks playoff run on the overhead TV. We had a long conversation about the bar’s legacy and its future, and the weight of responsibility he and the Crew team feel as stewards and their plan to make sure the historical bar lives on into a new era.
So if you’re still worried about Montero changing for the worse in any way, do yourself a favor and read the story first before leaving any knee-jerk comments online.
I also spoke with Amethyst Valentino, the ethereal host of Montero’s popular Thursday through Saturday night karaoke sessions for the past 18 years, where she possesses a Stevie Nicks-like presence, complete with witchy woman vibes and a firm-but-welcoming den mother presence swirled in a wisp of magic and mystery.
The at times raucous karaoke parties take place directly below my kitchen, but I’ve grown used to its specific vibrations which feel like a cool neighbor having friends over for a party. By now I can name the most of the oft-requested songs in three notes, like “Paradise By the Dashboard Light,” “Man! I Feel Like a Woman!” “Mr. Brightside,” “Landslide,” “Zombie,” and “Under Pressure.” And I get a kick when I hear someone singing songs from the BTP Songbook, like “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” “Girlfriend in a Coma,” “Boys Don’t Cry,” “Pretty in Pink,” “Can’t Hardly Wait,” or “Common People.”
When I first moved in I had planned to develop a persona of the eccentric guy who lived upstairs and drop in on Saturday nights in a big bathrobe like Brian Wilson, wearing TCB sunglasses and balancing a whiskey sour in one hand and a microphone in the other, belting out an immaculate rendition of “Suspicious Minds” before disappearing back upstairs.
That still hasn’t happened, for better or worse, and, in fact, since moving in I’ve only performed two karaoke numbers downstairs. The first time was a late December night with friends and one of them put my name down without telling me so I really had no choice when Amethyst called my name. Luckily it was one of my favorite songs, “Brandy (You’re a Fine Girl)” by Looking Glass, which was especially on point as its about sailors and bars and lost love and ships at sea. And dare I say, I owned it, and wondered why I didn’t do this more often. Amethyst even gave me her personal thumbs-up approval.
While there’s a quote or two from our Karaoke Queen in the PUNCH story, I wanted to share my full Q&A with Amethyst in all its glory as a companion piece of sorts. I hope you enjoy it.
A Magical Mystery Moment with Karaoke Queen Amethyst Valentino
As a beloved host, you seem to possess, and enlighten the room, with a certain spirited, ethereal charm. Could you imagine Montero without you being an elemental part of the bar experience?
Amethyst: Well, thank you so much for your lovely words. People do tell me that I’m charming at times but I’m also strict like their “home away from home” mom. Some call me a goddess. Someone once called me a queen. However, could it be that I am channeling Archangel Sandalphon…? In fact I had a dream about that. I never even heard of that Archangel before and I had to look it up, but after reading what it said I have to agree...
Montero’s has been my home and family for so many years. So when you say could I imagine Montero existing without me... well, I think I would have a very boring life. I truly love my job and I love the people. Truth be told, I’ve had an outpouring of love from my karaoke family. They’re the ones who are the elemental part of the “vibe.” There’s a synergy that comes with a karaoke host and the singers.
What is it about Montero that makes it so special or stands out to you?
Amethyst: Well, there was that ghost, Nick [a longtime regular], who used to always nudge me. There’s a picture of him at Montero’s. One night I caught his image in a picture on the wall—just an outline of his face, you have to look really hard to see it. I actually asked Linda [Montero], What is this? This looks like a ghost. Do you know who this is? And she said, “Yes, that’s Nick!” You can ask Mr. and Mrs. Montero more about that, but they used to let Nick hang out at the bar and he always sat where I now sit and run karaoke. But once I acknowledged his presence he stopped nudging me.
So many people will contact me when they come to New York and they tell me that they heard about me when they were in Australia from a friend, and they said you have to stop by and see Amethyst. Other people from England, other people from Italy, Spain, even Canada.
I was really happy to hear that people know me all around the world for karaoke. Honestly, I was shocked. But I love it and the fact that music and karaoke is such a way to express yourself, and that people like my style, or they want to come and see me when they come to NYC. It can be a little bit of a hike to Brooklyn for some people, so I’m so grateful for everyone who has been here throughout the years. I’ve made some close friendships from hosting karaoke.
Among the many regulars who come to sing each weekend, you’ve also experienced many unexpected surprise guests and even celebrities from film, Broadway, and the music world. Who are some of the bold-face names who have graced your stage, and are there any particular moments like that that stand out to you?
Amethyst: Of course, Matt Damon, who lives in the neighborhood. I was a little embarrassed when I had to say over the microphone: “Hey, Matt! What’s your last initial? I already have two other Matt’s on the waitlist.”
It’s always so lovely when Clairo comes in. She’s such a sweetheart… she truly is. And Phoebe Bridgers along with Ayo Edebiri. Chris Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth. Victoria Justice stops by now and then.
Some actors are just in the background watching, like Jemima Kirke. One time, Kevin Bacon, his wife Kyra, and his brother Michael came in with Daryl Hall. Unfortunately they weren’t able to sing, as they came in too late and Pepe and Linda didn’t want to stay open because they had to get up early for their granddaughter’s birthday party the next day.
While I know you have to respect everyone’s song selections, what are a few “over-requested” songs that you wish you could retire? And are there any “do not play” songs you keep off your list for personal reasons?
Amethyst: The only downer of a song is when they try to sing “American Pie.” It’s an 8-minute song! And if they’re a terrible singer that can be a long eight minutes. Well, you get my drift. So I had to find the short version of the song to keep on hand. [Laughs]
Finally, do you have any thoughts to share about Montero changing hands and your hope for bar and all it represents going into a new era?
Amethyst: It was a little scary at first. I’m a fixed sign so I don’t like change. [Laughs] However, now the patrons are able to use credit cards, which is great. Other than a few of the internal changes that they’ve made, things are pretty much running the same as it did all along. And people are really looking forward to the new owners and team serving food as well. The new managers are great. I love the people I work with and I’m so grateful that we all get along well.
Thanks for having me a part of this. I know my answers are pretty long-winded. [Laughs] I could go for an Amaro Montenegro right about now.
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Nice job Brad. You did everyone justice in the Punch piece. 🍻
Thanks, BTP!