WELCOME BACK TO THE VINYL CAFE!

We’re so happy you found us. Do you miss Stuart McLean and the warm, welcoming, hilarious world of the Vinyl Cafe? Join us on the new Vinyl Cafe podcast ‘Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe’!

 

HERE'S HOW TO LISTEN: just click on the purple “Latest Episode” button immediately below.

‘Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe’ is widely available. To find us on other podcast platforms click here.

If you ‘subscribe’ or ‘follow’ on any platform each new episode will magically appear in your feed – every Friday! Scroll down our page for more info on how to listen…

This week on Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe.

a hammer and a handsaw

Season 3, Episode 15 - “The Alchemy of Audience” – available now, wherever you get your podcasts.

“There are only so many holes a man can cut in his own house before he is told to stop.”

Today on the show, two classic Stuart McLean stories, including Odd Jobs. That’s the one where Dave tries his hand at some home renovations, with hilarious consequences. And Jess has a backstory about the magic of Vinyl Cafe audiences.

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If you’d like to submit a short, true story to our Story Exchange, or if you’d like to nominate someone for an Arthur Award, please email those to us at vinylcafe@vinylcafe.com. We’re looking forward to reading them!

New to podcasts? Don’t worry, it’s easy! Podcasts are just like radio shows, except instead of listening on a radio you listen on a computer or a mobile device (phone, tablet etc.) Don’t forget to turn the sound on! This How-to should help:

 

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. We’re here to help.

We’ll even walk you through it step by step! Below are links to some videos we’ve recorded, illustrating how to listen on various devices.

How to Listen on an iPad

How to Listen on an iPhone

How to Listen on an Android with Spotify

How to Listen on a computer with Spotify

How to Listen on a computer with iTunes

How to Listen on a computer with Apple Podcasts

CHECK US OUT ON SOCIAL MEDIA…

On this week’s podcast I played Stuart’s essay about birds and bird migration. We recorded it when we visited Point Pelee, Ontario. That was the trip where Stuart found he LOVED birding (and I found that I did not!) I talked about this tr
“I guess I figured having a fish head could come in handy.” On this week’s episode Stuart celebrates the joys of birding and the Spring bird migration. And we have two springy stories, including a favourite from the Vinyl Cafe story
There’s a part at the end of our first story this week that I love so much. This photo might give you a clue. We spent a lot of time away from home when we were touring with the Vinyl Cafe. It was always so much fun … but the best was al
"There is nothing like a wedding to addle people’s minds." Today on the pod we have two hilarious stories about marriage and proposal. In the first, Dave loses his wedding ring and fears it may have been swallowed by a duck. In the s
I love this time of year – signs of spring, the earth warming up, new life poking through. In celebration, we’re playing two stories about gardening on this week’s podcast.
Tune into The Current on CBC Radio tomorrow - Monday - morning to hear a classic Vinyl Cafe story by Stuart McLean. They'll be playing "Tree of Heaven". It's one of my favourites - the one where Dave finds a tiny sapling growing in his car.
"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.
On this week's episode we learn about how one of Stuart's Vinyl Cafe characters got their name. Here's a clue for you: I was joined in studio by Stuart's dear friends David and Elizabeth Morley. Any guesses which character we'll be talking about?! I
"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 I am thrilled to play you the recording of a wonderful chat I had in studio
"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
This isn’t a cardboard box, it’s a spaceship. This isn't a tree, it's a playground. These aren’t stickers, they are make-up. This week on the podcast we are talking about the wisdom of children. The things that we – adul

VINYL CAFE ALBUMS - ORDER or DOWNLOAD NOW!

Three hilarious stories for the festive season. Available now on CD and in digital.

Three stories about Morley, the beating heart of the family and the calm to Dave’s chaos. Available now on CD and in digital.

Three Dave and Morley stories for the Christmas season. Available now on CD or in digital.

 
 
 

VINYL CAFE 25 YEARS VOLUME l: DAVE AND MORLEY STORIES

2019 marked the 25th anniversary of the Vinyl Cafe. It’s hard to believe that it has been over 25 years since Stuart introduced us to Dave and Morley. In celebration of The Vinyl Cafe’s 25th anniversary, we are releasing two new 4-disc sets of Vinyl Cafe material never previously available on CD.

Over four hours of stories written and performed by the beloved – and greatly missed – Stuart McLean. Laugh along with audiences from across the country as they enjoy stories about Canada’s favourite fictional family: Dave, Morley and the kids.

VINYL CAFE 25 YEARS VOLUME ll: POSTCARDS FROM CANADA

For the very first time, we are releasing the much requested “opening scripts”: stories about the towns and cities that we visited with the Vinyl Cafe. Postcards from Canada features essays about 21 different Canadian locations, recorded at live Vinyl Cafe concerts across the country. These snapshots of Canadian life capture – in Stuart’s inimitable style – the beauty, history and poetry of Canada’s landscape and people.

 

ABOUT THE VINYL CAFE

The Vinyl Cafe aired weekly on CBC Radio, on select public radio stations in the United States, and via podcast. The radio show was written and hosted by the late Stuart McLean and featured stories, essays and music, often recorded at live concerts from across Canada and the US. It was on the air from 1994-2016. Periodically, The Vinyl Cafe returns to its old home on CBC Radio. Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe stories are featured on the new podcast, Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe, along with rare behind the scenes backstories by long-time producer Jess Milton.

The Vinyl Cafe stories are about Dave, owner of a secondhand record store called "The Vinyl Cafe". The stories also feature Dave's wife, Morley, their two children, Sam and Stephanie, and assorted friends and neighbours. The stories are collected in books and on CD. To view the full Vinyl Cafe discography, click here.

The motto of Dave's store – and of the radio show – is "We May Not Be Big, But We're Small."

WE’VE GOT MERCH!

 
Books, CDs and more.

Books, CDs and more.