The Megablast Podcast

Munger waxes poetic about the dangers of the Trade Wars.

Take the highway to the end of the night with ex-punk rocker Chris Barry. His abject failure and humiliation in having to front a Doors cover band and; then lifting himself out of the abyss to COCKting porn scripts in L.A. A life lived that shows us the way through the "garbage and the flowers."

Back for a second time!

Did the Catholic Church repress French Canada for a century or did it assist in the dispersion of services to the population? Vincent and Jason dig into it. Did Uber destroy the livlihoods of thousands of Montreal taxi drivers or crush a system of privileges that needed ending? Find out how Vincent and Jason originally met and Vincent's testimony to the Quebec government regarding rideshares and t...

Economist, Philosopher, and Joker Mike Munger and I dig into the depths of his discipline. What makes people flourish? Mike and Jason talk about what helps the people of the world: a chance to build their own lives. Why are so many people trying to get into the US, Canada, and Europe? What do poverty and wealth mean to regular people? What exactly is the Sharing Economy? Mike explains. Where is th...

Tom and I go toe to toe on how the mainstream media is circling the drain, and how the Wire Season 5 was prophetic in predicting this collapse. Siebert deconstructs the Big Lie in Wire S05, his own underestimation of The Wire, and what the Wire did so well and not so well. If the truth is a moving target, is current journalism up to the task of setting its sights on it? Is Craigslist guilty of col...

Mark Gabriel - painter, musician, bass player, and one of my oldest friends.  We go deep into where inspiration comes from as well as the  music  that defines us. From our childhood experience seeing the Clash at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto through his many indy groups, and now his solo career as a musician in Mexico, we drill down. I loved  this one and it promises to be the first of many! 

Me and John Hamer mixing it up about the Great Thomas Sowell, originally published on the Likeville Podcast.

What does it mean to be an authentic musician? Chris waxes poetic about his time on the scene in NYC, London, and Montreal as well as his friendships and connection with the heavies: Blondie (with whom, in bed, he watched TV one afternoon), Johnny -- rotting inside -- Thunder, William Burroughs and many more. What's with the deranged-radical left? Chris and I get into free speech, Donald Trump and...

Never before in history has there been such a constant craving for comedy. Why is this happening? From Aristophanes to Gilbert Gottfried, Nick traces the history of comedy, the cultural phenomenon of which is assured by the certainty that human beings love to laugh.

Child prodigy, producer, jazz musician - jazz critic, author, Renaissance Man Nick Catalano has rubbed shoulders with all the greats, has been an integral part of the New York cultural scene for half a century.

This episode was published in 2022. The terrible and sad shock of Tanya's passing in March, 2023  has led Megablast to republish this episode. Dedicated to a wonderful mother, wife, and political organizer. God rest her soul. The original description read as follows:  Prime Minister Justin Trudeau -- the art of normalizing betrayal. Vaccine hypocrisy. The beautiful and the damned retreating from t...

Despite living for three years with a progressively crippling neurological disorder (ALS), Serge Ouimet focuses on fully appreciating the moment rather than fretting about his condition. The podcast you are about to listen to bristles with humour and insight into the human condition touching on subjects dear to him: his relationship with Montreal, his ten years as a night-time taxi driver through...

Does anyone care about the Awards in the 2020s? Should we? What is the deal with Satan these days, is he just another dude, or is creative transgression just not a thing anymore? How well is Madonna ageing? Liz & Jason get into it. Plus: How beautiful is it to be alive? Jason praises life and Liz responds in a drole fashion, to create a diabolically good listening experience.. + much more! :)  

Montreal Legend Leonard Cohen's wonderful work The Stranger Song. Deconstructed by non-legend lol Montrealers  Ken Doolittle & Jason Mcdonald.

Sloppy and Depressed: Ken and I introduce the podcast and dig into Open Heart Surgery by the Brian Jonestown Massacre. 

What makes a truly great song? Rhythm? Guitars? Vocal work? Lyrics? How do the elements mix together to create a deep experience? What moves us to sublime beauty, to revulsion? Ken and Jason dig deep. Artists include: Leonard Cohen, Joni Mitchell, The Rolling Stones, Fiona Apple, Bonnie Prince Billy, and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. As well: I surprise Ken with a French Canadian classic by Les Co...

Today we flip the script on the Megablast Podcast: John Woolfrey interviews me on living and travelling in different parts of the world. What does it take to be a world traveller? How wild is Eastern Europe? Does everyone go through a life-changing experience visiting Hiroshima? We dig into it. Plus: what is it like to learn Slovak? What is it like crossing the fortified Greco-Turkish border? Jaso...

How much strength does it take to live with bipolar disorder? What does it feel like? John Jordan tells it like it is, what it is like to be on a manic high and then the subsequent crash. Plus: what was it like to be in a touring rock band? He discusses touring with his band - Me, Mom, & Morgentaler. What does it mean to be NDG (West End Montreal 'hood) proud? John explains some of the amazing con...

Liz and I hash out the Twitter situation and Musk. Why do so many people hate that guy? We dig into it. Also: in part 2 of this podcast we go through some interesting observations from listeners regarding our discussion on Jian Ghomeshi and Will Smith. 

Martin and Jason deconstruct Tintin, arguably animation's first global role model. But is the intrepid boy reporter guilty as accused: sexist, racist? Are women justifiably under represented in the Tintin canon? Do we admire the curiosity and retreat from the conceits? Was Tintin a visionary, a freedom fighter for whom the Nazi and fascists agendas were non-starters? Is he still the hero he once w...

Join the author of 'The Ugly' as we go toe to toe on the Freedom Convoy, philosophy, and the war in Ukraine. What are the differences between Buddhism and Christianity? How is Asia different from Europe and America? What is the pecking order of the different slavic nations? Alexander digs deep and Jason tries to keep up, see if you can! :_)

Travel back in time as Robert and I discuss the unimaginable poverty of Montreal during the transition from the Victorian to the Edwardian era. We also delve into the complex ways in which our cherished city differs from that era to our own, as well as what resonates today. Also the genesis of the St. Pat's annual parade. A must listen for Montrealers of any age,as well as history buffs from all s...

Did the #metoo movement go too far? What do gender and sex mean in 2022? From Jian Ghomeshi to Will Smith, what has been happening to masculinity and femininity while no one was looking? Liz and Jason dissect these issues and much more -- and how Red China fits in. 

Never mind the bollocks - here’s Jason and DJ Martin Deck going toe to toe about which Canadian city produces the best music: Montreal, Toronto or Detroit? They figure it out. And finally: what is reggae and punk? Where did they come from? Martin’s expertise shines and Jason guides the talk to an interesting conclusion about Caribbean, Canadian, the UK and modern pop music. ‘