Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe welcomes listeners into the warm and comforting world of the Vinyl Cafe. Each episode features stories about Canada’s favourite fictional family: Dave, Morley and the kids, narrated by the late Stuart McLean and recorded live in concert. For the first time ever, long-time producer Jess Milton shares rare, behind-the-scenes stories from her 15 years touring, travelling, laughing, and recording with her close friend Stuart.
This is a world that is rooted in kindness, connection, and the laughter of recognition. A world that brings people together to rejoice in our ridiculousness. A world where we celebrate the small triumphs over the adversities of the everyday: like trying to find the perfect gift for someone you love, or the first Christmas without your sister; like trying to stage manage the school Christmas pageant, or trying to defrost a turkey with a hairdryer (we’ve all done that, right?).
Join us. New episodes every Friday.
www.vinylcafe.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Location:
United States
Description:
Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe welcomes listeners into the warm and comforting world of the Vinyl Cafe. Each episode features stories about Canada’s favourite fictional family: Dave, Morley and the kids, narrated by the late Stuart McLean and recorded live in concert. For the first time ever, long-time producer Jess Milton shares rare, behind-the-scenes stories from her 15 years touring, travelling, laughing, and recording with her close friend Stuart. This is a world that is rooted in kindness, connection, and the laughter of recognition. A world that brings people together to rejoice in our ridiculousness. A world where we celebrate the small triumphs over the adversities of the everyday: like trying to find the perfect gift for someone you love, or the first Christmas without your sister; like trying to stage manage the school Christmas pageant, or trying to defrost a turkey with a hairdryer (we’ve all done that, right?). Join us. New episodes every Friday. www.vinylcafe.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Language:
English
Episodes
Cat show - Jim and Molly the Cat
4/17/2026
"Galway began flushing the toilet again in the autumn…"
For all you cat lovers out there, today is your day. Today on the show we’re all about our feline friends, with two hilarious stories about the cats in Dave & Morley’s neighbourhood.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:49:32
Feedback Episode - Odd Jobs & The Turlingtons’ Dog
4/10/2026
“It would work so much better if we could plug the toaster in at the table”
Two of your most-requested Vinyl Cafe stories on this week’s show. Some vintage Stuart McLean, at your service!
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:40:35
More Postcards from Canada – Tofino & Halifax
4/3/2026
You asked, we listened! So, this week on the pod, we’ve got two more of Stuart’s love letters to this country, what we call his Postcards from Canada.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:33:16
Fun on Wheels - Cat in the Car & Dave and the Bike
3/27/2026
"He looked like a kid on a roller coaster. But not one of the happy ones.”
On today’s episode, two stories about transportation—and what happens when it takes on a life of its own (with a little help from Dave of course…)
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:35:54
Je Ne Sais Quoi - Petit Lac Noir & Montreal
3/20/2026
“Bonjour,” he said. “Je m’appelle Dave.”
Stuart loved Quebec and was proud to have grown up there. That influence is apparent in so many of his stories. We’ll play one of them today. Plus one of his Postcards from Canada, from Montreal.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:43:52
In the Woods - The Man Who Punched Trees
3/13/2026
“It was a magnificent tree.”
We’re thinking about our connection to the natural world on this week’s pod. We’ve got an essay from Stuart McLean about a Winnipeg tree that galvanized a community, and a story about a woodsman from Dave’s childhood in Cape Breton.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:42:14
The World of Work - Boy Wanted & Carl’s Retirement
3/6/2026
“It was Sam’s first year in high school. And it was not going well.”
On today’s episode: two of Stuart McLean's hilarious Dave & Morley stories about the wonderful world of work. And Jess talks about her work on the Vinyl Cafe.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:49:24
Border Crossings - Dave Crosses the Border
2/27/2026
“That afternoon, in his first true act of citizenship, Dave wore five lacy bras across the border.”
This week is all about the relationship between Canada and the U.S. We’ve got a Dave & Morley story about crossing the border, plus Stuart’s essay from the Haskell Free Library and Opera house, that straddles the Canada U.S. border. An essay that has particular poignance today.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:47:19
Hardware Stores – Fireworks & Margaret Gets Married
2/20/2026
“There is nothing like a wedding to addle people’s minds.”
Today on the pod we’re celebrating one of Stuart’s favourite stores: The good old hardware store. We’ve got two Dave & Morley stories to illustrate the point.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:47:14
Man and Beast - Arthur the Dog & Dave the Dog Walker
2/13/2026
“He wanted to be alone so he could try the beef-flavoured toothpaste”
On this week’s episode: two fan favourites: stories about some of the sweetest characters in the Vinyl Cafe universe – the animals!
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:42:33
Hold the Phone - The Phone Message
2/6/2026
"It began simply enough. It began with a phone call."
Stuart loved talking on the phone: much of his work revolved around phone calls. Jess talks about some of the memorable phone calls you may have heard on the Vinyl Cafe radio show over the years, plus we’ve got an essay Stuart wrote about his journalistic practice and a Dave and Morley story.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:40:53
Leacock - The Roundabout & Keswick
1/30/2026
“What’s in a name? When it’s yours – a lot, apparently.”
We’re talking about Canadian humour today on the podcast. We're following a thread back to Stephen Leacock and the ways in which he influenced Stuart McLean's writing. We have a Dave & Morley story for you, plus a postcard from Leacock’s hometown, which includes memories of Stuart's friend, the late CBC Radio host Peter Gzowski.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:42:00
Shout out to… - Code Yellow & Murphy’s Bar Mitzvah
1/23/2026
“Dave’s relationship with hospitals over the years has not been without problems.”
The two Stuart McLean stories on today’s episode are connected in a very cool way. Both contain secret shout outs to people Stuart loved. Jess tells the backstory behind the little easter eggs like this that Stuart occasionally hid.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:50:35
Après Ski & Other Lessons – The Greatest Hockey Game
1/16/2026
“They tried to stop us, says the old man. But we kept playing.”
We’re talking about winter sports on this week’s episode. We’ve got two stories about hockey – a Dave & Morley story and a listener story exchange. Plus, a back story from Jess about her personal connection to sportswriting and how that informed Stuart’s research for his hockey story.
Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual parties, Q&As, listener shout-outs & more. Subscribe here: apostrophe.supercast.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:42:25
New way to listen: Ad-free and much more!
1/15/2026
Season 7 of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe started last week, did you catch the first episode? We’ll be with you every Friday until the summer. Whoo!
And for those of you who have asked: Our friends at the Apostrophe Podcast Network are now offering a subscriber option. Subscribers listen to the pod ad-free – zero ads across the entire catalogue. Every week subscribers get the show early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies too… Click here to learn more about how to subscribe. There's already an early access episode waiting for you!
If you are happy with the podcast just the way it is? All good! No need for you to do anything. Nothing is changing unless you want it to.
Subscribe here.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:02:01
Embracing Winter – Holland
1/9/2026
“It was the greatest skate of her life.”
Happy New Year! Welcome back to Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! Light a fire, get a bowl of soup, and a cozy blanket and settle in, because we’re celebrating the season today on the show. We’ve got a story exchange for you, plus an essay Stuart wrote for the radio show about walking on ice. And we have a Dave and Morley story for you about their trip to Europe to skate on the canals.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:36:11
Christmas Cheer - Christmas at the Turlingtons’ & Dave Cooks the Turkey
12/19/2025
“Did you take the turkey out of the freezer?”
For our last episode of the season – and our last before the Holidays – two Christmas classics! Plus, a beautiful, seasonal listener story from the Vinyl Cafe Story Exchange. For many of you, these Stuart McLean stories need no introduction, so grab a cup of egg nog, put your feet up and enjoy. Merry Christmas!
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:54:02
Best Behaviour - Christmas at Tommy’s & Polly Anderson’s Christmas Party
12/12/2025
“First fires…. and then floods”
On this week’s episode, two hilarious Stuart McLean stories about being out and about, Christmas visiting. Our first story is one that many of you may not have heard before, about Dave and Morley’s visit to the home of Stephanie’s boyfriend,Tommy. Tommy's parents are facing their own challenges with cooking the turkey. Jess shares a backstory about some of the characters in that story.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:55:28
Dave on the Roof - Dave on the Roof & Christmas on the Road
12/5/2025
“Eustache was bracing himself for a long and lonely Christmas”
It’s December so we’re going the full festive from now until Christmas! This week, two classic Dave & Morley stories of seasonal shenanigans, plus a story exchange about a very special Christmas Eve.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:43:41
Dave Plays Santa - Dave Plays Santa & Springhill
11/28/2025
“Christmas in Dave’s record store is just plain fun”
On today’s episode, Jess talks about the challenges of trying to create Christmas magic when you’re not necessarily feeling it yourself. That’s a bit of the back story behind Stuart’s writing of “Dave Plays Santa” - we’ll play that story for you. And we’ve got another back story connected to “Dave Plays Santa”, which links to our second story this week.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Duration:00:53:03