The Regulars: Minty Monday

Around 7 p.m. every Monday, the song request slips start rolling in to the Mint's karaoke jockey.

Amber requests "Bulletproof." Nick asks for 'Octopus's Garden.' Daniel requests "You Are So Beautiful." "Sour Times," writes Angie.

And a certain nonagenarian and his wife ask for the same song they request every Monday — a Sonny and Cher AM radio classic that sums up a bond.

Over the years, a set of regulars on "Minty Mondays" has become an ingrained part of the Mint.

"We've just found our little tribe," said Dana Cory, who helped start the tradition back in 2006 along with some improv and theater friends after they realized they could dominate the karaoke rotation on a relatively slow night.

The "Minty Monday" crowd has absorbed more regulars and developed more karaoke enthusiasts partly because the group is so encouraging. Each regular is greeted with a hug. No performance ends without applause.

As the sun goes down and Market Street quiets, the soft glow of neon permeates the Mint's bar. The white stage lights undulate during performances. On special occasions, the KJ will turn on three paper theater flames that sit above the stage and bar.

Mike Frentz, who has been a Minty Monday crooner for nearly two years, thumbs through a well-worn songbook until he settles on a page. It's surprisingly tough to figure out what to sing sometimes.

"You have to balance: What do I actually like to sing? What song will fit?" he said. "You can pick a song, put it in, and in the hour or so it takes to get up on stage, the mood of the room will completely shift.

"I also try to balance it with trying new things. I don't want to be stuck doing the same 10 songs every four weeks. It's not easy."

On this Monday night, he settles on "Friday I'm In Love" by the Cure.

"Not everybody can sing," Frentz likes to say, but "everybody can karaoke. There is a difference."

Kathleen Chan, 60, hums along to the song, waiting for her turn. Chan believes you're never too old to start karaoke. As proof, she points to her husband, Jones Chan, a retired National Guardsman who started singing karaoke at the age of 91.

"He used to always watch. I got him up here four years ago," Kathleen Chan said. "I have 40 songs. He has one."

Every Monday night, after Kathleen has sung her songs, she writes their request on a small slip of the Mint's paper.

Your name: Jones + Wifey.

Song title: "I Got U Babe" — the "U" a bit of 2010s sensibility grafted onto the 1965 tune.

Usually, Kathleen holds Jones by the arm and they slowly make their way to the stage. But this week, their duet starts a little differently. A small crowd of Minty Monday regulars gathers at the foot of the stage and sing "Happy Birthday" for Jones, who just turned 96.

After the cheering and the handing out of tiny cupcakes, the familiar tap of the drum begins their song. The couple sway and hold the microphones.

"They say we're young and we don't know. We won't find out until we grow," Kathleen croons into the mike.

"Well I don't know if all that's true, 'cause you got me, and baby I got you," sings Jones.

All eyes follow them on stage as they sing, "Babe. I got you babe."

"I sing it twice a night sometimes, 'cause it's all he knows," Kathleen said.

They've been married for 33 years. These last few years have been tough — Jones went through a round of health problems, and Kathleen has become his sole caretaker.

"If I didn't have karaoke, I wouldn't have a life," she said. "It's my social life now. For a break from reality, it's a fabulous thing.

"Our lives have been built around each other for so long, it's like we're peas in a pod. I have had a fabulously marvelous life, and now my job is to take care of him and make sure that he has the best end of life possible. And karaoke sure fits the bill."

As their duet draws to an end, they make their way back to their seats, nestled among fellow regulars.

The Regulars is a weekly photo and video column by Erin Brethauer and Tim Hussin focusing on the people who frequent the places of the city. To see a video with this piece, visit The Take at www.sfchronicle.com/thetake. If you know a regular, e-mail regulars@sfchronicle.com.