Funk, Fierceness, and Finding Home: Amy Armstrong Ignites Nacho Daddy
There are nights in Puerto Vallarta when the energy shifts — when conversations get louder, cocktails taste brighter, and the whole city feels like it’s leaning toward something fun. Those are the nights when Amy Armstrong steps onto the stage at Nacho Daddy. A vocal powerhouse, a razor-sharp comedian, and a natural storyteller, Amy doesn’t simply put on a show. She creates an atmosphere — one filled with soul, laughter, spontaneity, and the kind of musical joy that pulls strangers together.
Her latest production, Funk It!, is already one of Vallarta’s most talked-about nights out. A rich blend of funk, R&B, soul, and Motown influences, it pulses with both nostalgia and fresh energy. The show runs Wednesdays and Saturdays through December 13, and after that, Funk It! shifts to Wednesdays only, continuing as Amy’s midweek musical party.
“It all started with the music I grew up with,” Amy says. “I love mixing different genres, and I thought an R&B, funk and soul show would get people going. Growing up in Detroit, I was surrounded by Motown, soul and funk music. I get excited singing music that I love and brings back good memories.”
That excitement radiates through every song. Funk It! isn’t a typical cover show; it’s a celebration. Audiences sing along, drinks are raised, laughter rolls across the room, and the band keeps elevating the energy until the whole venue feels electric.
Groove, Chemistry, and Three Electrifying Performers
While Amy’s voice and personality command the spotlight, Funk It! thrives because of the chemistry between three exceptional musicians: Amy on vocals, Eugenia Prieto on violin, and Al Ramirez (Mimi) on guitar. Each brings their own style, but together they create a sound that’s textured, joyful, and full of heart.
“Eugenia and Mimi are incredible musicians who understand my love of music,” Amy says. “I always say you have to find your ‘groove’ with someone to really feel the music. They not only hooked into my groove — they enhanced the music I love to sing. I am honored and blessed to play with them.”
Their synergy is obvious. They glide from Stevie Wonder to Luther Vandross, from Aretha Franklin to Dusty Springfield, blending the familiar with the unexpected. The violin adds richness, the guitar adds soul, and Amy ties everything together with vocals that move from raw power to soft vulnerability in a heartbeat.
A Career Born From Humor, Resilience, and a Little Bit of Chaos
Amy’s unique blend of comedy and music — the “voice of an angel, mouth of a sailor” combination that has become her signature — didn’t come from a workshop or a plan. It came from a heckler.
“One night early in my career, I got a heckler,” she says. “He was drunk and making fun of me. I decided, ‘not today, Satan,’ and started coming back with funny lines. The audience laughed, he slinked away, and my comedy and singing career began.”
She discovered she didn’t want to choose between comedy and music — she wanted both. And her audiences loved her for it.
“I love making people laugh and forget their troubles, and I enjoy singing to them as well,” she explains. “About 70% of my material is spontaneous. I love improv comedy and talking about everyday life.”
This spontaneity is a huge part of what makes her shows so irresistible. She adapts to the crowd, bounces off the room’s energy, and transforms each performance into something fresh and unrepeatable.
The Cancer Battle That Changed Everything
Behind the jokes, behind the vocals, behind the fearless stage presence, Amy is also a survivor. Seven years ago, she was diagnosed with Stage 3 ovarian cancer — an experience that changed not only her life but also her relationship with her audience.
“I decided to let my friends and fans know and take them on my journey,” she says. “I didn’t know the impact it would have.”
Fans followed her updates, offered support, and formed a community around her healing. That support became part of her strength.
“They helped me when I needed it, and I helped others going through cancer or other diseases,” Amy says. “My audience says they feel the emotions in my songs. I hope I help them through difficult or trying times. That is why I do this — I want you to just enjoy the moment and forget about life for a while.”
Her performances today carry that emotional depth. When she sings, she sings from a place of survival, gratitude, and connection.
A Lifelong Ally to the LGBTQ+ Community
Amy’s career has been closely tied to the LGBTQ+ community from the very beginning. It was Chicago’s Boystown — and the queer family she found there — that helped her discover who she was as an artist.
“Without the LGBTQ+ audiences, I don’t know where I would be,” she says. “You accepted me for who I was — a big girl with a voice and a sense of humor who wanted to be loved.”
That support gave her confidence, resilience, and opportunities — including decades of performing on LGBTQ+ cruises, stages, and benefit events worldwide.
“You helped pick out fabulous songs, fabulous clothes, fabulous makeup,” she says. “You gave me tough skin. I will be your ally until my last breath.”
Puerto Vallarta: The Place That Changed Everything
Surprisingly, Amy nearly never returned to Puerto Vallarta. Eight years ago, after a painful experience, she vowed she was done with Mexico. But Tammy — a friend who saw something ahead that Amy couldn’t yet see — kept calling her, week after week, until she finally agreed to come back.
“Some people thought I was taking a step down going to Nacho Daddy,” Amy says, “but I knew it was a hidden gem, and I trusted them.”
That leap reshaped her life. Nacho Daddy embraced her, nurtured her creativity, and connected her to a community that felt like home. Performers and musicians gravitate to the venue for the same reason audiences do: it’s warm, inclusive, and filled with heart.
“When you come to Vallarta, you click into the energy here,” she says. “I’ve been to over 30 countries and never felt like I do in Vallarta. This magical place healed me and made me a better performer. Vallarta has my heart. Forever.”
Funk It! — A Show That Feels Like Joy
Funk It! is the culmination of everything that makes Amy Armstrong an unforgettable entertainer: her Detroit-rooted musical soul, her sharp wit, her vulnerability, her gratitude, and her ability to turn a room full of strangers into friends. It is joyful, emotional, hilarious, and deeply human — a reflection of the woman at its center.
When Amy Armstrong says “Funk It!” she means it.
Beginning December 20, Amy also begins a brand-new chapter at Nacho Daddy: a Saturday-night show with Sargento Dan and Mark Hartman titled She, He, Him. Another reinvention, another explosion of creativity — and undoubtedly another reason Vallarta audiences will keep coming back for more.
