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Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe — Society & Culture
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.

Copyright: © Apostrophe Podcast Network

Latest Episodes:

It's Arthurs Time! Oct 09, 2026

Show notes

“When Stuart stepped off his bus and waved goodbye, he thought to himself: This guy deserves an award.”

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving! This week: shout-outs to some new Arthur nominees and a selection of our favourites from The Vinyl Cafe Arthur Awards.

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.

Performance - Kenny Wong and the Tank of Tranquility Oct 02, 2026

Show notes

“When things go wrong, when, it is seldom the result of some big thing, it is always a chain of simple things, almost all of them avoidable.”

What makes a good performer? What makes a great performance? These are the questions we’re exploring on the pod this week, with a backstory about Stuart McLean and a recording of a story that perfectly illustrates 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.

M’Chigeeng - Le Morte D’Arthur Sep 25, 2026

Show notes

This week we’re spending the entire episode on beautiful Manitoulin Island. We have Stuart’s opening essay from our wonderful visit back in 2010, plus a story exchange and a very special Vinyl Café 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.

Looking Good - The Hairdresser & The House Next Door Sep 18, 2026

Show notes

“Coming into Dave and Morley’s house is a bit of a challenge. You have to really want to get in.”

There’s how things look…. And how things actually are! Today on the pod, two stories about looking good.

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.

School Days - School Lunch & Planet Boy Sep 11, 2026

Show notes

“Just one day, she wanted one of them to come home and say ‘Gee, lunch was good.’”

The alarm clocks are set, the pencils are sharpened, the backpack is loaded. It’s September! We’re back to school and back with a brand new season of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe and two hilarious Stuart McLean stories about school days.

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.

Season 8 - Starting September 11th Sep 04, 2026

Show notes

Whether you've been on the road, by the lake or curled up with a good book, we hope you have enjoyed your summer. We are so looking forward to welcoming you back to the Vinyl Cafe. We have more of your favourite stories coming up, we'll hear about travels coast to coast and we'll even celebrate the Arthur Awards. Cozy up with a pumpkin spice latte and join us for season 8 starting Friday September 11th.

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.

REWIND WEDNESDAY: All’s Well That Ends Well – Car Wash & Murphy’s Bar Mitzvah Aug 26, 2026

Show notes

"Thank God, he thought, help has arrived.”

Dave tries to be helpful by offering to take Mary Turlington’s car to the car wash — but things don’t go exactly as planned. No stranger to car wash shenanigans herself, Jess fesses up about the inspiration for that story idea. In the second story, Dave plays an unanticipated starring role in Murphy’s Bar Mitzvah.

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.

REWIND WEDNESDAY: Summer Things - Dave and Morley, Dancing Aug 19, 2026

Show notes

"Dave said: 'You're thinking about dancing, aren't you?'"

We’re looking towards summer on today’s episode. We have a script Stuart wrote about a magical evening spent in pursuit of fireflies. And a story of summer evenings in Dave and 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.

We Regret to Inform You: Rejecting the Goalie Mask Aug 12, 2026

Show notes

Today we bring you an episode from our friends at the Apostrophe Podcast Network – one of the most-loved shows from the podcast ‘We Regret to Inform You.’

If you’re new to the pod, it’s a series that tells the inspiring stories of actors, athletes and even astronauts, who overcame major rejection on their journeys to the stars. This episode, however, is a little different. It's about an object. Specifically, the goalie mask.

Before goalie masks were widely accepted, one hall of fame goalie endured over 400 stitches to the head and neck over the course of his career.

Some of the early objections to goalie masks included:

“Masks make goalies complacent.”

“Masks eliminate fear in goalies – the fear that drives them to play well.”

“A real man wouldn’t hide his face from his opponents.”

We hope you enjoy "Rejecting the Goalie Mask."

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.

REWIND WEDNESDAY: The Cricket - The Cricket & I Need to Pee Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

“He’s not well, Stuart.”

We’re going way back today with two pieces from pre-Vinyl Cafe days! One is a favourite you’ve been requesting, back from Stuart McLean’s regular appearances on Peter Gzowski’s Morningside. (Spoiler alert: You’ll see what happens when two presenters get the giggles on live radio.)

Excerpt from Morningside reproduced by permission of CBC Licensing.

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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