Q with Tom Power

Canadian comedian Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall) is a lifelong Toronto Maple Leafs fan. He’s always had a love of the game — even when it felt like the game didn’t love him back. Now, he’s hosting a new docuseries, Hockey Fanatics, which explores hockey fandom across North America. In the show, Dave visits NHL teams and their biggest and most notable fans, including Wynonna Judd (a Nashville Predators fan), Party of Five star Scott Wolf (a Utah Mammoth fan), and Canada’s own Jay Baruchel (a Montreal Canadiens fan). Dave drops by the Q studio to talk to guest host Garvia Bailey about all things hockey. Plus, he shares some exclusive knowledge about the origin of Canada’s latest catchphrase, “elbows up.”

Winnipeg-based musician Liam Duncan, also known as Boy Golden, is back with a new record, Best of Our Possible Lives, which can only be described as a balm for the uncertain times we’re living in. He sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the record, the power of having an alter ego, and why he thinks softness and vulnerability are the countermeasures to grief and suffering.

Award-winning composer Kris Bowers is the man behind the musical scores for films like Green Book, King Richard, The Color Purple, and The Wild Robot, as well as TV series like Bridgerton, Mrs. America, and Dear White People. His latest score is for the new animated movie Goat, which follows a small goat named Will who has big dreams about joining the pros to play roarball — a high-intensity sport that’s a lot like basketball. Kris joins guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us how he brought some advice from the late Kobe Bryant to the project, why he wasn’t worried about writing “serious film music,” and how this movie helped him honour his family roots.

Canadian jazz singer and pianist Laila Biali recently caused a stir after her album Wintersongs received a Grammy nomination for best traditional pop vocal album, alongside Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, Brandi Carlile and Elton John, Laufey, and Barbra Streisand. She sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us about the unexpected recognition, and what it was like to go to the Grammys ceremony in Los Angeles.

Laura Ramoso is bringing her most personal material yet to her new comedy tour. It’s called The Calm Down Tour, and she’s launching it this month at Just For Laughs Vancouver. Laura is best known for the viral character impressions she posts on social media. Some of her most popular characters — including “German Mom,” “Italian Dad,” and an airline worker named Chiara — have racked up millions of views online. That success has led to sold-out shows around the world and opening slots for the likes of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. Ahead of her first show in Vancouver, Laura joins guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to tell us what it’s like sharing the stage with comedy legends, what her earliest comedic influences were, and why her new material is her most personal yet.

Canadian actor and playwright Natasha Mumba has described her debut play, Copperbelt, as an “African Succession.” It centres on the Kasubas, a wealthy Zambian mining family. After the family patriarch falls ill, he summons his adult children home to help run the business. But long-simmering tensions rise and relationships fracture, forcing the family to confront its legacy — and its future. Natasha sits down with guest host Garvia Bailey in the Q studio to tell us more about the play and why she wants to change how theatre tells African stories.

Natalie MacMaster is a virtuoso Canadian fiddle player from Cape Breton who’s brought traditional East Coast music to the rest of the world. She was nine when she got her first fiddle, but she felt like she already had nine years of experience at that point because she had been surrounded by fiddle music from the time she was born. Now, Natalie has released a new memoir, I Have a Love Story, which traces her incredible life in music. Last fall, she sat down with Tom Power to talk about her first fiddle, the advice Santana gave her when she broke a string on stage, and how to get your kids to practice music at home (she has seven children herself).

Lifelong best friends and creative partners Jay McCarrol and Matt Johnson began their careers making the viral web series-turned-TV show Nirvanna the Band the Show. Now, they’ve adapted that project into a feature film, fittingly titled Nirvanna the Band the Show the Movie. During the Toronto International Film Festival back in September, Jay and Matt sat down with Tom Power to discuss the film, their friendship, the perils of fame and how they convincingly staged a wild stunt to jump off the CN Tower and parachute into the SkyDome.

Veteran actor Joan Chen (The Last Emperor, Twin Peaks) has entered a new phase of her career, earning acclaim for her recent performances in the drama Dìdi and the comedy The Wedding Banquet. In her latest film, Montréal, ma belle, she plays an immigrant woman who represses her sexuality for the sake of her husband and children. Joan joins guest host Garvia Bailey to tell us what drew her to the role, what it was like being “discovered” during the Chinese Cultural Revolution, and how she feels about media outlets declaring a “Joan Chen renaissance.”

Wally Baram isn’t afraid to overshare. That’s how she carved out a successful career in stand-up comedy, TV writing (What We Do in the Shadows, Shrinking), and acting (Overcompensating) all before turning 30. Now, she’s back on the road doing stand-up with a stop at Just For Laughs Vancouver. Wally joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about her early days as a stand-up comedian, what it was like being raised by eccentric parents in a Mexican-Syrian household, and what really goes on in a Hollywood writers’ room.