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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

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Copyright: © Apostrophe Podcast Network

Latest Episodes:

The World of Work - Boy Wanted & Carl’s Retirement Mar 06, 2026

Show notes

“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.

Border Crossings - Dave Crosses the Border Feb 27, 2026

Show notes

“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.

Hardware Stores – Fireworks & Margaret Gets Married Feb 20, 2026

Show notes

“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.

Man and Beast - Arthur the Dog & Dave the Dog Walker Feb 13, 2026

Show notes

“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.

Hold the Phone - The Phone Message Feb 06, 2026

Show notes

"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.

Leacock - The Roundabout & Keswick Jan 30, 2026

Show notes

“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.

Shout out to… - Code Yellow & Murphy’s Bar Mitzvah Jan 23, 2026

Show notes

“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.

Après Ski & Other Lessons – The Greatest Hockey Game Jan 16, 2026

Show notes

“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.

New way to listen: Ad-free and much more! Jan 15, 2026

Show notes

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.

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.

Embracing Winter – Holland Jan 09, 2026

Show notes

“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.

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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