Q with Tom Power

Last week, we took the show on the road all the way to Tom Power’s hometown of St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador! This special live taping of “Q” took place at the historic St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre, featuring performances and interviews with musician Alan Doyle formerly of Great Big Sea, opera singer Deantha Edmunds, comedian Rick Mercer, actors Allan Hawco and Joséphine Jobert, and many more. Here’s a sample of some of the funny, heartfelt and wonderful moments that happened that night. Next week, we’ll share more from Q Live in St. John’s, including conversations with comedian Mark Critch and award-winning drag queens Tara Nova and Gravy, plus an incredible stand-up performance by comedian Trent McClellan of “This Hour Has 22 Minutes.”

Elle Fanning is an A-list actor who calls herself a "nepo sibling.” When she was just two years old, she appeared in her sister Dakota Fanning’s movie “I Am Sam,” playing a younger version of her character, Lucy. But for someone who’s been famous for nearly her entire life, there’s a bit of mystery surrounding Elle — and that’s intentional. During the Toronto International Film Festival in September, she sat down with Tom Power to talk about her latest film, “Sentimental Value,” which broke applause records when it premiered in Cannes earlier this year. She discusses the movie, her start in acting and why she wants to maintain some mystery around who she is.

Amaarae is one of the biggest new voices in music with a sound that blends Afrobeats, pop, house and rap. In the past few years, she’s gone viral on TikTok, she’s performed at Coachella, and she’s opened for Sabrina Carpenter and Childish Gambino. Amaarae joins Tom Power to talk about her new album, “Black Star,” how she got her start in music, and how a trip to Ghana led her to reconnect with her roots.

Sydney Sweeney is one of this generation's biggest stars. Her new film “Christy” tells the story of the trailblazing boxer Christy Martin, who broke into the male dominated world of 1990s prizefighting and became one of the biggest stars in boxing. It may not seem like Sydney — star of the hit teen show “Euphoria” and rom-com “Anyone But You” — would have much in common with Christy. But they both come from small towns, broke into their respective industries without connections, and have backgrounds in combat arts. Sydney joins Tom Power to talk about taking on the role of Christy, the physical transformation she underwent, and how her own background in martial arts influences her life and career.

Benny Feldman is a one-liner comedian who’s written thousands of jokes, including ones that poke fun at his own experience with Tourette Syndrome. Over the last few years, his career has been picking up steam after performing on Comedy Central and at the Netflix Is A Joke Festival. Even the great comedian and actor Patton Oswalt is a huge fan, saying that Benny is an “amazing joke writer and even better joke deliverer.” Benny stops by the Q studio to tell Tom Power about his new hour of stand-up “Butterfly Pavilion,” the art of one-liners, and being his “own heckler.”

Actor Stephan James (Homecoming, If Beale Street Could Talk) has made a name for himself playing major historical figures like runner Jesse Owens in “Race” and civil rights activist John Lewis in “Selma.” After working with legends like Julia Roberts and Laurence Fishburne, Stephan wanted to come back to his community in Canada and share his success. Earlier this year, Tom Power caught up with Stephan in front of a live audience to talk about his career and his plans to uplift young Black creatives.

A few years ago, the Canadian musician Brendan McLeod and his band The Fugitives wrote a collection of songs inspired by the real-life experiences of soldiers who fought at the Battle of Vimy Ridge during the First World War. Last year, ahead of a performance of those songs in a stage show called “Ridge,” Brendan joined Tom Power to talk about the project and the significance of Canada's sacrifice at Vimy Ridge.

Alex Cuba is a Grammy-winning artist known for his joyful, genre-blending sound. But on his new album, “índole,” he taps into sorrow as a creative force. His songs also reflect his Afro-Latin roots, and he wrote his 11th studio album as a thank you to his ancestors and the African diaspora that gave Latin music its heartbeat. He joins Tom Power to talk about finding beauty in pain, gratitude in his ancestors, and the true nature of where his music comes from.

It’s been a big year for the James Barker Band, one of Canada’s biggest country groups. They just celebrated 10 years as a band and won group of the year at the Canadian Country Music Association Awards. Despite all this success, the James Barker Band decided to revisit their hometown on their new album, “One Of Us.” The record details the people and places of Woodville, Ontario who have made them the artists they are today. James Barker drops by the studio to talk with Tom Power about the band’s big year, their new album, and why community and showing up for your neighbour is on his mind right now. 

A new documentary shines light on the early years of the hugely successful Canadian wildlife painter Robert Bateman. “The Art of Adventure” peels back the layers of how the artist fell deeply in love with the natural world and launched a lifelong fight to protect it. Yet, critics often dismiss Robert’s art. He has received the Order of Canada, but has never been invited to show at the National Gallery of Canada. At 95, Robert looks back with Tom Power on an unusually artistic career which has been both celebrated and misunderstood by his home country.