Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe

“Eugene’s fig tree is the best-known tree in the neighbourhood.”   We’re all about gardening on the podcast this week, with two Dave and Morley stories about the act of faith and hope that goes into creating a garden.   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....

“It was 4:30 in the morning and Dave was having a nightmare about something that smelled bad .”   On today’s episode we have a fragrant story from way back. And Jess chats in studio with Stuart’s old friends David and Elizabeth, who share how Morley got her name—and surprise Jess with some entertaining backstories of their own!  Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free a...

“It is the best maple syrup I have ever had, said Sam.” We’re celebrating one of the wonders of spring on the pod this week: Stuart waxes lyrical about his favourite tipple, maple syrup, then tells a story about the time Dave tried to make his own.   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 s...

“The kids were always up to something in the Narrows.”   This week’s episode is all about kids and what we can learn from them. The first story relates an adventure from when Dave was a boy. In the second, Dave’s adventures continue, with a little help from his son Sam. Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual part...

“By the end of the first trimester, Dave had put on 12lbs.”   A surprising theme links our two stories this week. In the first, Dave has a hellish trip to the grocery store—and Jess has a backstory about what shopping with Stuart was really like. Our second story takes us back to the early days of Dave and Morley’s relationship, when Morley is pregnant with their first child. Ad-fre...

"He was about to climb in—just for a second, just to see…"   Poor Dave gets himself into some tight situations in both this week’s stories. And Jess explores the snapshots of detail that enrich them. 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:  apostro...

“'They tried to stop us,' says the old man. 'But we kept playing.'” More about the joy of winter sports on this week’s pod. Including Stuart’s ode to skating from Jasper, Alberta. And a beautiful Big Narrows story about a memorable game of hockey from long ago. 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,...

“It was the greatest skate of her life.”   Love is in the air today on the pod, with a Dave and Morley origin story—the one about how they first met. For our second story, we’re bringing back the Vinyl Cafe Story Exchange, with one of our favourite listener love stories. Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodies – like virtual par...

“The secret to planting more trees, is to plant more trees.” We have two hilarious Vinyl Cafe stories for you on today’s pod. Stories of things that happen at work. In the first, Kenny helps Dave out with something at the store. In our second story, Steph experiences a summer job like no other. And Jess digs into the research process behind the stories. Ad-free listening is here! Listen to th...

"Galway began flushing the toilet again in the autumn…" This week, two Dave and Morley stories that, in hindsight, seem strangely prescient. In the first, a fan favourite, Dave decides to teach Galway the cat a new skill. The second is a story that we haven’t felt comfortable playing in a long time. Jess explains why.  Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS...

"It began simply enough. It   began with a phone call."   On today’s episode, two stories about technical difficulties. In our first story, Dave attempts an inventive solution to an ill-considered phone message left for the Turlingtons. In our second, an electric razor causes him problems at the airport. And Jess shares some stories about Stuart’s habits with phones …and a...

I resolve to organize upstairs.   Welcome back for Season 3 of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! We’re embracing the spirit of the New Year with a show all about resolutions and lists and getting things done. We start with an essay about Stuart’s fraught relationship with his to do list. And Jess has a backstory about her own relationship to lists and resolutions, and how that informed t...

A New Year = A New Season of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe! So join us next week for Episode 1. Hilarious stories by Stuart McLean. Entertaining backstories and more by host Jess Milton. Here's a sneak peek... 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:  apos...

“Family and friends, they sure mess up our lives…” For our final episode of this season, two classic Vinyl Cafe Christmas stories by Stuart McLean. Dave tries to make himself useful at Mary Turlington’s festive dinner party, with disastrous consequences. In our second story, the family experiences a very different kind of Christmas, special in its own way. And Jess realizes a surprising theme...

“Come and get me, copper!”   We’ve got to know Dave and Morley’s neighbours well over the years. This week, two stories about the neighbourhood at Christmas. Holiday gift-giving gets a bit out of hand in our first story, while a punchbowl mix-up livens up the party (for some) in our second.  Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whole bunch of other goodi...

“I was thinking it would be fun if we  made  presents for each other this year”   What’s the best gift you have ever received? On today’s podcast, Jess shares the surprising truth about her favourite gift, ever. Accompanied by two hilarious Dave and Morley stories about Christmas gifts and gift-giving.  Ad-free listening is here! Listen to the pod ad-free and early, PLUS a whol...

“Did you take the turkey out of the freezer?”   Today is the day Dave Cooks the Turkey! Jess tells us why it gives her such pleasure to say those words on the pod today and plays the beloved turkey story that has become a Christmas tradition for so many. Also on today’s episode more of Dave’s festive shenanigans – in another hilarious story from the very first Vinyl Cafe concert. Ad-free list...

“Jim never had any intention of having any pets at all”   To be fair to the other household critters (and no, we’re not talking about headlice again!), last week was dogs, so today we have a story about cats. One of our favourite characters, Jim Scoffield, finds a new friend while caring for his cat Molly. And Jess gets into some of the practical and technical aspects of being out on the...

“You know how loud he snores? Ninety decibels. That’s the equivalent of sleeping beside a pneumatic drill.”   This week, two stories about dogs. Oh how we love them! Even if, like Stanley, they snore and have – um – “digestive problems”, or if, like Arthur, they add a whole new level of challenge to Dave and Morley’s important dinner party. Jess shares a backstory about the very ear...

“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) favou...

“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...

“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...

“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 Niaga...

“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...

“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… Ad-fre...