Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe - TopPodcast.com

View Top 200 Chart

Back to Rankings Page

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:

Gone Fishing - Curse of the Crayfish & Mabou May 15, 2026

Show notes

“I swear I smelled his breath.”

We’ve got another Postcard from Canada for you today. It’s about the town of Mabou, Cape Breton, but it’s also about the art of fly fishing. And we’ve got a Dave & Morley story for you: Dave and friends enter a fishing derby and catch way more than they expected!

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.

Where We Gather - Fire at the Old Town Hall May 08, 2026

Show notes

“Everyone in town heard the lightning hit.”

We’re talking about gathering places on this week’s episode; those vital places that serve our communities in so many ways. We start with a piece Stuart wrote about the Parliament buildings (a follow up to the Amazing Spaces episode from last season). Then a moving listener story about a town hall, and a story about the town hall in Dave’s hometown.

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.

Grandparents are the Best Parents -The Mermaid and Other Mysteries & Summer of Stars May 01, 2026

Show notes

“And then one night … there were shooting stars.”

Today on the pod, two stories set in Dave’s hometown of Big Narrows, Nova Scotia, stories where the grandparents step in to help, and to work their quiet magic.

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.

Community – Defibrillator Apr 24, 2026

Show notes

“It’s not clear who thought up the defibrillator”

On today’s episode, we’re talking about community. We’ll play one of Stuart’s opening scripts, about an inspiring community project that we learned about on our travels with the Vinyl Cafe: The Smiths Falls Station Theatre. Plus, a Dave and Morley story about a more unusual type of community venture.

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.

Cat show - Jim and Molly the Cat Apr 17, 2026

Show notes

"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.

Feedback Episode - Odd Jobs & The Turlingtons’ Dog Apr 10, 2026

Show notes

“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.

More Postcards from Canada – Tofino & Halifax Apr 03, 2026

Show notes

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.

Fun on Wheels - Cat in the Car & Dave and the Bike Mar 27, 2026

Show notes

"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.

Je Ne Sais Quoi - Petit Lac Noir & Montreal Mar 20, 2026

Show notes

“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.

In the Woods - The Man Who Punched Trees Mar 13, 2026

Show notes

“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.

Related Podcasts