When Jonathan Torrens and Jeremy Taggart first decided to host their own podcast in 2014, they just wanted to make each other laugh.
Taggart, former Our Lady Peace drummer, and Torrens, former Trailer Park Boys actor, have since racked up nearly 4 million downloads, won a Canadian Comedy Award for Best Audio Program and for the past two years they’ve been taking their show to fans from coast-to-coast.
“Our expectations at the beginning were just like, ‘Well, this is fun and maybe other people will think it is fun as well and will listen to it,’” Taggart said. “I guess we were right, because it just really started to pick up really quickly.”
Now entering their fifth year of Taggart and Torrens, the duo are kicking off their 2019 tour at the Queen’s on Jan. 16. It’s their first time bringing the podcast to the Island.
“It has an intimate feeling, although there’s a lot of people in the room,” Taggart said of their live show. “But it also brings people together.”
Taggart said that the show, like the podcast, will include conversation, games, music and comedy bits. They’ll also take questions from the audience.
“It’s not necessarily like a concert or a comedy show, it’s definitely a merge of the both,” he said.
The partnership has also led to other creative endeavours. In 2017 they released the book Canadianity: Tales from the True North Strong and Freezing, and Taggart said right now they’re writing their first album with a release date set for the fall.
Taggart described it as a “full-fledged rock comedy album” from the ’70s, with each song sung by a different podcast character.
“2019 is going to be great for us,” Taggart said.
WHAT’S ON … Taggart and Torrens Podcast Live at the Queen’s on Jan. 16. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 8. $20 at the door, $15 in advance from the venue, Lucid, Desire Tattoo, Sunrise Records and online. 19-plus show.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
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