Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe podcast | Listen online for free

146 episodes

In the Woods - The Man Who Punched Trees
2026-03-13 | 42 mins.
“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.
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The World of Work - Boy Wanted & Carl’s Retirement
2026-03-06 | 49 mins.
“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
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Border Crossings - Dave Crosses the Border
2026-02-27 | 47 mins.
“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
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Hardware Stores – Fireworks & Margaret Gets Married
2026-02-20 | 47 mins.
“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
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Man and Beast - Arthur the Dog & Dave the Dog Walker
2026-02-13 | 42 mins.
“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.

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About Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe

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.

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