Soft Revolution

Diana Frances and Steve Patterson join to discuss their podcast The Canadian Star System and how we can create a system of success in Canada. First, an update on Joe Rogan and Spotify, and sadly…The Convoy.

Just us chickens running the gamut on the news of the week including Neil Young and Spotify, Democrats' loss of support approaching the midterms, Boris Johnson's partying, and Taylor Swift being simply too rich to have to care.

Musical genius and Soft Revolution's European Correspondent, Chilly Gonzales is back with his take on the future of cities, finding true independence as an artist and whether or not he will join Cameo.

Kate Taylor of the Globe and Mail discusses her latest piece : "Arbitrary shutdowns show that most Canadian leaders don’t value artists." First, Torq and Ali respond to some incredible listener mail and celebrate the end of The Golden Globes.

Come From Away producer Michael Rubinoff joins the pod to discuss the show's closing in Toronto, why commercial theatre matters, and how government support could have saved the show. Also, in a panic-attack fuelled move, Torquil goes DaVinci.

A lot has happened since we got together last, and we were here to talk about it all.

Ali went to a Giveon concert and was shook, Torq rants again on the media, Stephen Sondheim is like Shakespeare, and don't be so hard on Yoko Ono.

The cast and crew of What You Won't Do For Love by Why Not Theatre, including the inimitable power couple David Suzuki and Tara Cullis on their new foray as actors and how artists are key to solving the climate crisis.

Is 77.5% capacity the new 100%? A peak Torq-rant on the tragic disaster of Astroworld. What happened in Virginia and how we as progressives must learn to share values, and to talk "to" and "with" and not "at" and "over".

Actor extraordinaire and climate activist Liisa Repo-Martell on how her hope on combatting climate change springs from action. But first, the tragic shooting on the set of 'Rust'; should there be more than one heritage minister in Canada; and how does the for-profit entertainment world survive when not everyone wants back inside.

BC's revival of Footloose!, a long follow-up on Dave Chapelle, will the not-for-profit theatre world become more humane and Torq hates the Macintosh.

James Smith, a musician, actor, and creator of LESSONS IN TEMPERAMENT on how we are all pianos and how his show opens beautiful windows into the world of neurodiversity. Oh, and Dave Chapelle.

Cliff Cardinal's AS YOU LIKE IT is amazing, and it doesn't matter what any critic thinks. Stratford is re-auditioning their company of CHICAGO...huh? Facebook is the worst, and even Facebook knows it. Justin goes to Tofino on our first day of Truth and Reconciliation...why?

Our first ever guest Michael Healey rejoins the pod to discuss the results of the 44th Canadian election.

The boys go wonky breaking down the culture platforms of all major parties, and a discussion on the People's Party of Canada being a continuing thing in Canada.

Choir master and co-head of Choir! Choir! Choir! Nobu Adilman asks is there even a point doing a show right now? Plus, how choral singing can never end. But first, they're throwing gravel at the Prime Minister, social media is tearing the moral, intellectual and cultural fabric of society, and the Tyndall Centre creates a blueprint for zero carbon concerts.

Actor and screenwriter Jesse LaVercombe joins the pod to discuss Deep Canvassing and how it changes votes and minds. But first - do we have a real plan with these vaccine passports? Where's Drake's vaccine selfie? What's up with DONDA? And with the news of artists being murdered in Afghanistan, let's fight to save them.

Kevin Hanchard joins the pod to discuss the use of the N-word, now and in the future in response to the Shaw Festival's cancellation of Assassins. Torq and Ali first discuss the Canadian election, and how Afghanistan teaches us again, that if you can't change culture, it doesn't matter how many bombs you drop.

Tess Benger and Julia McLellan from the Canadian Green Alliance join the podcast to discuss what being an Artivist really means and how we can be making theatre as eco-friendly as possible. But first, Torq ate beside the Clintons and Bernie Sanders and wonders what's up with their secret service; Ali had a nice chat with Allan Detsky on what the pandemic to endemic path looks like; and how in the...

Just us, and it's a great one. Simone Biles and stage fright. Vaccine passports...again. How can we articulate what the actual "New" New Normal is going to look like? Can we relinquish the fear?

Amanda Smith and Emily Hill from the AFC join the pod to discuss the AFC's new mental health initiatives aimed at curbing the mental health crisis in the arts industry. But first, are vaccine passports inevitable? Are producers and tour managers about to be put into impossible situations? But none of this really matters if we keep destroying our climate.

In a first for Soft Revolution, after more than a year, Torq and Ali meet in person at Crow’s Theatre and are joined for a wide ranging conversation by the one and only Shad. It’s definitely better when we are together. SUBSCRIBE TO OUR PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/softrevolution

Some listener mail, and a long talk on all the amazing things going on in the world. Want to hear us live? Well, we are headed to Trinity Bellwoods to make it happen July 17th at 2pm. And guess who's coming? The one and only Shad!

Ben Dietschi, a regarded saviour and consultant to arts organizations on the resilience of the not-for-profit arts sector, what makes a successful organization, and a truly hopeful take on our future. Plus, what the hell do we do about the climate as artists? JOIN OUR PATREON - $3/MTH - EARLY ACCESS - PROCEEDS TO THE AFC (https://www.patreon.com/softrevolution) PICKS : Isabel Allende - Daughter of...

Singer-Songwriter and founder of Side Door Access, Dan Mangan on how it might be best to not cast your net wide, but deep, and in an ode to Father's Day, a beautiful distillation of what being a father has meant to him as an artist. Plus, Torq is really happy about Canada's reopening plan...not. And Ali dives deeper on Muslim representation in film and television and how changing culture can chang...