Monte Belmonte

Started as an intern at WXRV in 2000 under Joanne Doody, Dana Marshall and Keith Andrews. I was impersonating Al Gore off the air on Election Day 2000. Keith thought it was funny and put me on the air as “Intern Al Gore.” Luckily that schtick lasted more than one day. Joanne hired me part time when the internship ended. I have been at WRSI after that.

1. How did you become interested in radio?

I’ve always been interested in music. But I remember listening to WODS (Oldies 103)/Boston and shows like “The Elvis Only Hour.” And all those great early rock ‘n’ roll and soul cuts played on the same station. Then in high school I fell in love with Brown University’s WBRU/Providence and started listening to “alternative” music before it had that moniker. I also loved WBCN, even though I was too young to enjoy the heyday of Charles Laquidara. I liked Nick Carter. And I loved Stern.

2. Congrats on 40 years! What are you doing to celebrate this great milestone?

Free shows! We’re doing a block party in Amherst with some local bands, including one fronted by one of our jocks -- Kaliis Smith. And then the non-profit theater that I help to run, The Shea, is co-sponsoring a huge free outdoor show with Rubblebucket, who has a huge local following. On the air, we’ll be featuring old playlists and airing all sorts of audio snippets from the past 40 years -- including some of our famous alumnae like Rachel Maddow and “Jimmy Olsen & Johnny Memphis,” immortalized in the Dar Williams song “Are You Out There?”

3. How has the music on the station evolved over the past 40 years?

When Johnny Memphis, who is now Disc Jockey Emeritus, officially retired, he told me never to forget that we are a roots music station. And we remain true to that. But I think we are less afraid now to push the sonic envelope. We still play John Prine, John Hiatt and Joni Mitchell, and we’ve always played a lot of soul and funk. But now we’re just as inclined to play Pixies and Dinosaur Jr, who got their start in Amherst, or TuneYards, who went to Smith College. And we don’t shy away from hip-hop anymore.

4. How has Northampton evolved?

Northampton has been the area’s cultural and political driving force since I got here almost 20 years ago. But now communities surrounding Northampton, like Easthampton and Holyoke and further north in Greenfield and Turners Falls, have learned from Northampton and are trying to steal some of its street cred. But all those communities know that supporting a vibrant downtown makes for a fun and diverse place to live. Now, if Northampton could get a handle on its rent prices!

5. Do you anticipate a new way the station will operate considering what you have experienced and learned over the past year and a half?

If anything, the pandemic has taught us how important live radio -- run by real people, living in the same community -- is to that community. When I was seeing things like “It’s Monday,” trending on Twitter in the early days of the pandemic, I realized what people needed was some sense of normalcy. We heard a ton of feedback as to just how our being on the air everyday was comforting to people. I also changed up my morning show to be more interactive. I developed “Quaranthemes,” where each day of the week I had a different musical theme and between 8-9a people would call or email in their requests. It was a fun way for us all to be together while we were apart. I am continuing to keep the show interactive in a similar way.

6. Now that the COVID restrictions are losing up, what annual events are you reviving at the station?

The Green River Festival (which is actually run by the record label that grew out of our station -- Signature Sounds) was originally WRSI’s 5th Anniversary Party back in 1986. It starred a then-unknown 10,000 Maniacs and NRBQ. The station is still very much involved. Last year, we aired a weekend’s worth of live music: The Green River Festival On-The Air. Given the circumstances, it was great. But we are all very excited for the actual festival to return.

7. Are venues and concerts picking up?

Concert listings and ticket sales are picking up, but at this moment almost no indoor music has returned. I think people in the area are playing it safe and watching as much outdoor music as they can. And then we will see what the late summer and fall has in store. We like Delta music. The Delta-variant, not so much.

8. What is the one truth that has held constant throughout your career?

In Phil Rosenthal’s book, You’re Lucky You’re Funny, there is a quote that I live by: “The best advice I ever got from anyone about anything was from writer and producer Ed Weinberger. He said, ‘Do the show you want to do because in the end, they’re going to cancel you anyway.’”

9. What would surprise people most about you?

When I tell people I was a theology major, went to India, met Mother Teresa, lived in Jerusalem, but now I’m a devout agnostic that hosts a morning radio show, that usually surprises them.

10. Fill in the blank: I can't make it through the day without … ?

Audiobooks. It’s a nice way to take a break from radio.

First record ever purchased:

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”

Favorite band of all-time:

The imaginary band where Bowie and Prince and Mavis are backed by The Wrecking Crew.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time away from work?

I have spent the better part of the past year binge-watching ‘70s and ‘80s Kung Fu movies. Wu Tang Forever!