“There’s something about the ghosts who live in the house where you live. Some kind of an inexpressible pull between the people who have lived and loved under the same roof as you have.”   Today, a Dave and Morley story that is seldom heard: a story about place, about history, and about remembering and sharing those histories with the next generation. Also, we play one of our (and your) favourite Story Exchanges: about the bagpiper at Vimy Ridge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

“Our daughter is living with a man who takes pictures of roadkill!”   We’re dealing with difficult and weighty matters on this week’s episode. Yes, this week is all about art and beauty. Dave is slightly perturbed and not a little afraid to receive an invite to an art exhibit about roadkill. The artist is his daughter’s boyfriend, Tommy.    And Jess shares a backstory about Stuart’s favourite handy hint for handling difficult conversations; and how her attempt to follow that advice nearly...

“Let me state the case for Hallowe’en”   The nights are getting longer, the air is getting colder, so this week on the pod, two stories about the season and about finding light in the darkness. In Halloween, Steph learns to trust her instincts (while Dave learns that a painted watermelon will never be a satisfactory replacement for a pumpkin); and in Fireworks, Sam and Dave are mesmerized by a truck load of contraband. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“He was eye level with the falls…”   This week on the show, something different. We’re playing one of Stuart McLean’s most requested stories and you might be surprised to hear it is not a Dave and Morley story. This week: the amazing and moving story of Roger Woodward, the boy who went over Niagara Falls. We play new music (that’s right – music!) by Danny Michel that is inspired by this Niagara story and share Jess and Danny’s conversation about music, waterfalls, life on tour with the Vinyl...

“That afternoon, in his first true act of citizenship, Dave wore five lacy bras across the border.”    On today’s episode, Stuart tells two hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories about Dave’s encounters with deception. One of the stories ‘Shirts’, is an old one you may not have heard in a long time – but it is worth the wait! Dave’s favourite shirt goes missing from their washing line and is later discovered being worn by his good friend Jim Scoffield. As always, Dave has an interesting response to the...

“When Stuart stepped off his bus and waved goodbye, he thought to himself: 'This guy deserves an award.'” Back by popular demand: it’s the Arthur Awards! You asked, we listened; so today on the pod, we’re delighted to share two of our favourite Arthur Award interviews of all time. Plus we’re reopening the polls for next year’s Arthurs, so start thinking of who you’d like to nominate… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Dave thought, 'It will never get any better than this. Some people have God, and some people have money, and some people don’t have anything at all. I have this. I have the beat and the back beat.'” This week, a story that captures the joy of live music and performance. Jess reminisces about two amazing experiences on tour with Stuart and the Vinyl Cafe: one at Stuart’s final concert performance, the other at Hillside Music Festival. The story The Lost Chords was recorded that day at...

“He had, intentionally, set his bar low. Really low. And now someone was telling him he wasn’t even big enough to be small.”   Today’s episode turns out to be a bit of an ode to record stores. Jess talks about her experience working at the record store Sam the Record Man and in our story, World’s Smallest Record Store, Dave’s young employee teaches him the beauty of what he has created at his store The Vinyl Cafe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Just one day, she wanted one of them to come home and say ‘Gee, lunch was good.’”   On today’s episode, two stories about back to school: first a hilarious (and occasionally gross) account of a school lunch bag; then, in Best Things, a story from when Stephanie starts university and meets her boyfriend Tommy for the first time. And longtime Vinyl Cafe producer Jess Milton notices a theme that ran through so many of the Vinyl Cafe stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more...

"The best time to share bad news is almost always never.”   Welcome back to Season Two of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! We’re thrilled to be back and ready to kick off the new season with two Stuart McLean stories about Dave’s neighbourhood nemesis: the indefatigable Mary Turlington. This week Stuart tells two barn burners about Mary. First up, hypochondriacal Dave has to step up when he learns that Mary has head lice. In the second story, Dave’s neighbours decide to get a defibrillator for...

Charge your AirPods. Get your dog ready for her walk.  Because we’re back next week with Season 02 of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe. Join us for a new season of hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories and back stories. Here's a sneak peek... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you’ve listened to the podcast you’ve heard me talk about Stuart’s Long Suffering Story Editor, Meg Masters. I welcomed Meg into the Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe podcast studio for a chat recently and asked her the questions on all our minds: Why did Stuart call you Long Suffering? And just how badly did you suffer? So, on today’s bonus episode: a no-holds-barred, exclusive interview with the Vinyl Cafe’s Long Suffering Story Editor, Meg Masters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

In today’s bonus episode, two Postcards from Canada. When people think about the Vinyl Cafe, they often think about the concerts we did across Canada, in big towns and small. Stuart opened many of those concerts with an essay about the place and over the years it has added up to quite a collection. Here are two of our favourite ‘postcards’: one from Nelson, British Columbia and the other from the glorious Danceland, in Manitou Beach, Saskatchewan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for...

Something special for you for our first bonus episode. From one of my absolute favourite Vinyl Cafe radio shows, from 2011, this is Stuart and I in studio talking about bloopers! We laughed so hard recording this show. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"This waterslide was the waterslide to end all waterslides”   We are taking a break over the summer, so in honour of our final episode of Season 1 we’ve got two Vinyl Cafe stories for you about summer. If you listen carefully you’ll hear something unusual in the first, A Letter from Camp, when Stuart inserts a personal story from his own days at his beloved summer camp. And of course, we can’t talk about summer without including the hilarious fan favourite: The Waterslide. All this and more,...

“The Pensionne du Quebec was lit up like a party ship”   Sam is apprehensive about Dave signing up to escort the school field trip to the art gallery. You’ll understand why. On this week’s episode, laugh along with audiences from across Canada with two stories about Sam’s school trips: Field Trip is one from the early days, while in A Trip to Quebec, Sam’s Grade 8 heart is won over by a chance meeting in Quebec City. Jess shares some school trip back stories that didn’t make it into the final...

"Coming into Dave and Morley’s house is, quite frankly, a bit of a feat. You have to really want to get in.” In time for Mother’s Day, this week’s episode is all about Morley – the beating heart of the family and the calm to Dave’s chaos. In The House Next Door, Morley fantasizes about a life very different from her own; and in The Pot, meditates on her role as both a mother and a daughter. And Jess talks about how becoming a mother herself has changed her perspective on so many of the Vinyl...

“What are flies attracted to?”   We’re talking hypochondria on the podcast this week with two stories revealing Dave’s undeniably hypochondriacal tendencies. Jess lets us into the secret of how Stuart was able to portray this trait of Dave’s so authentically. We start with an old favourite: The Fly. Then in our second story, Dave goes to visit a friend in the hospital. Result: Code Yellow! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Dave chose Happy Hour: Three honey-mint-refresh-colonic cocktails.”   The Yoga Retreat: a place of well-being, calm and reflection. Usually. But not always; or not for Dave and Stephanie, at least. This week, Stuart McLean tells two hilarious stories about Dave’s good intentions gone awry. And Jess shares some road stories, including a memorable attempt to get the entire Vinyl Cafe crew up to the remote but spectacular Powell River, British Columbia.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy...

“I found my father’s old chemistry set…”   This week’s episode is about good friends and friendship: two stories about Sam and his best friend Murphy. In the early days of their friendship they get their hands on a vintage chemistry set, with explosive results. And on their first trip to Cape Breton the friends find adventure in the form of an abandoned car on Macaulay’s Mountain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It’s time for Stephanie to see more of the world.”  Stuart McLean talks about connection – to place, to each other and to history – with the stories London and Springhill (aka The Laundry Chute). And Vinyl Cafe producer Jess Milton describes a remarkable moment from the reading of that Springhill story at the Savoy Theatre in Glace Bay and their own special connection that began that day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Surely Mary wouldn’t miss one of those little buttercream shrubs…” Today’s Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe is all about birthdays. Jess shares some behind the scenes stories of ways she and Stuart celebrated birthdays on the road; and we have two hilarious Dave and Morley stories about birthdays that have gone awry. In The Birthday Cake, Dave is left in charge of delivering Mary Turlington’s carefully decorated cake to a party; while in Morley’s 40th Birthday Bash, Dave throws Morley a party....

"Imagine. A million dollars. What would you do with a million dollars?” A couple of favourite Vinyl Cafe stories this week. Stories about faith. When Tommy’s grandpa dies the conversation turns to his unscratched lottery ticket and the faith he had in its possibilities. That was one of Stuart’s favourites. And Jess shares a personal story about the inspiration behind the story Morley’s Hairdresser. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We stumble upon the great loves of our lives in the oddest ways” On this week’s episode of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe, two funny stories about Dave’s mother, Margaret and the new beginnings, loves and friendships she finds in later life. In Opera, she takes a long-awaited trip to New York City. In Spring in the Narrows, Dave heads back to his hometown of Big Narrows, Nova Scotia and finds Margaret has a new spring in her step. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“He wanted to be alone so he could try the beef-flavoured toothpaste” Jess shares a special memory from a concert at the Place des Arts in Montreal – a memory about Stuart and his mom. And we have two Dave and Morley stories about hobbies: in an old favourite – Morley’s Bookclub – Morley finds her new hobby is not as relaxing as anticipated and in Dogwalker, Dave seems to have bitten off more than he can chew. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.