Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell discusses his Substack newsletter Who's With Me? and how AI got his comedic personality all wrong; journalist and podcaster Jane Marie breaks down multi-level marketing and how it preys upon working class Americans; and indie band Y La Bamba perform "Crema de Melón." Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello unpack some wild scams our listene...

In his memoir Feh , writer Shalom Auslander attempts to escape his biblical upbringing and carve his own path, with a little help from Kafka; poet and former professional Muay Thai fighter Simon Shieh reckons with trauma, masculinity, and the art of healing in his debut collection Master ; and singer-songwriter Kara Jackson performs her single "Pawnshop" from her album Why Does the Earth Give Us P...

Comedian Dulcé Sloan ( The Daily Show ) shares some anecdotes from her new book Hello, Friends!: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs , including how becoming fluent in Spanish as a kid turned her into the neighborhood's child lawyer; filmmaker Brian Lindstrom chats about his documentary Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill , which follows the short life of a 1970s folk singer who went from li...

Poet Roger Reeves explains how he tried to reach the universal through the personal in his first collection of essays Dark Days ; stand-up comedian Sean Jordan unpacks why instructional videos on potty training your kids might be flawed; and singer-songwriter Erin Rae performs the title track of her critically-acclaimed album Putting on Airs, recorded live from Pickathon festival. Plus, host Luke...

Journalist and bestselling author Bianca Bosker ( Cork Dork ) takes us behind the scenes of the highfalutin art world with her new book Get the Picture, before getting a lesson on masterworks from a four-year-old; and singer-songwriter Brittany Davis performs the single "So Fly" from her new album Image Issues. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal the uncharted industries...

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Emily Nussbaum ( The New Yorker ) unpacks her book Cue the Sun: The Invention of Reality TV, which explores our obsession and distaste for what she calls "dirty documentary;" pianist Thomas Lauderdale and vocalist China Forbes of Pink Martini chat about their 30-year journey with the genre-bending musical group, before performing "Una Notte a Napoli" from their album...

Cartoonist Emily Flake ( The New Yorker ) reveals Joke in a Box, her 70-card deck of creative prompts, which results in some live cartooning from the stage; writer and artist Tessa Hulls discusses her graphic memoir Feeding Ghosts, which looks at the three generations of Chinese women in her family; and indie pop duo Pure Bathing Culture perform "The Memento" from their latest album Chalice. Plus,...

Writer and activist Ijeoma Oluo unpacks her new book Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World—and How You Can, Too, which shares conversations with those who are making positive changes in powerful systems; podcaster Sarah Marshall, host of You're Wrong About , reveals the real reason we take our shoes off at the airport; and singer-songwriter Anna Tivel...

Comedian and writer Moshe Kasher dives into his new memoir Subculture Vulture , which explores the six communities which shaped his life, from AA and Burning Man to sign language interpretation and his ultra-Hasidic upbringing; stand-up comedian Mohanad Elshieky tells us why he might be the most dangerous man in America; and indie band Glitterbox perform their single "TV." Plus, host Luke Burbank...

Annie Rauwerda, founder of the social media account Depths of Wikipedia , shares some more obscure entries from the website, including "The Kentucky Meat Shower;" photojournalist Ivan McClellan discusses his new book Eight Seconds , an exploration of Black rodeo culture in America; and fiddler Sami Braman plays the title track off her latest album Riveter. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Ele...

Bestselling writer Lindy West ( Shrill ) chats about her new podcast Text Me Back , which unpacks friendship, the news, and text threads; comedian Paul F. Tompkins takes a stab at some other P.F.T. acronyms; and soul ensemble Ural Thomas & The Pain perform "No Distance." Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some texting habits that really irk our listeners. 

Comedian and writer Ian Karmel pairs up with his sister Dr. Alisa Karmel to unpack the book they co-authored T-Shirt Swim Club, about growing up fat in a world made for thin people; stand-up comedian Zainab Johnson riffs on being one of 13 children; and Ethio-jazz artist Meklit performs the title track off her new EP "Ethio Blue." Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk sibling...

Writer Sloane Crosley unpacks loss in her memoir, Grief is for People , which poignantly weaves the suicide of a dear friend with the burglary of her home; The New Yorker cartoonist Roz Chast shares some of her weirdest dreams from her new illustrated book, I Must Be Dreaming , including meeting Fran Lebowitz… on roller skates; and indie rocker Black Belt Eagle Scout performs “Nobody” from her lat...

Writer Noé Álvarez traces his family lineage through the history of the accordion in his latest book Accordion Eulogies: A Memoir of Music, Migration, and Mexico ; professor of engineering Naomi Fitter introduces us to Jon, a stand-up comedian robot she developed who riffs on the dating life of a bot; and singer-songwriter John Craigie explains the awkwardness of running into fans at the post offi...

Comedian and writer Dave Hill dives into his newest book The Awesome Game, which makes the case for why hockey should be more popular in the United States, then tries his hand at the surprisingly popular genre of "hockey romance" novels; and singer-songwriter No-No Boy performs "Western Empress" from his latest album Empire Electric , which tells the history behind the grave of the first Japanese-...

Writer and podcaster Amanda Montell ( Sounds Like a Cult ) unpacks her new book The Age of Magical Overthinking, which looks at our cognitive biases, like why some of us worship celebrities or believe in the power of manifestation; stand-up comedian Laurie Kilmartin gets stoked about her son going to college, so she can start dating again; and singer-songwriter Lizzie No performs "Deadbeat" from t...

Podcaster Avery Trufelman unpacks her podcast Articles of Interest , in which she reveals the history behind fashion and clothing, including prison uniforms and the debate over pockets; author Camille Dungy discusses her latest book Soil: The Story of a Black Mother’s Garden , which chronicles her attempts to diversify her garden in the predominately white community of Fort Collins, Colorado; and...

Critically acclaimed writer Hanif Abdurraqib unpacks his latest book, There's Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension , in which he explores his lifelong love of the game and what it means to make it; singer-songwriter Kristin Hersh of Throwing Muses discusses her new book The Future of Songwriting ,  where she considers how to be an artist in a commercialized music industry, before performi...

Journalist J. Wortham ( The New York Times Magazine, Still Processing ) recounts what happened when they visited a nude queer beach in Oaxaca; author Curtis Sittenfeld discusses her newest novel Romantic Comedy , which flips the script on the celebrity love story; and singer-songwriter Margo Cilker performs "With the Middle" from her sophomore album Valley of Heart's Delight . Plus, host Luke Burb...

Comedian and television host W. Kamau Bell discusses his Substack newsletter Who's With Me? and how AI got his comedic personality all wrong; journalist and podcaster Jane Marie breaks down multi-level marketing and how it preys upon working class Americans; and indie band Y La Bamba perform "Crema de Melón." Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello unpack some wild scams our listene...

Comedian Hari Kondabolu discusses his new standup special Vacation Baby and how regrettably he blew off congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez on her campaign trail; writer Kristi Coulter unpacks her memoir Exit Interview: The Life and Death of My Ambitious Career , which recounts the often soul-crushing work culture of an Amazon executive; and indie rock duo Quasi performs "Queen of Ears" off the...

Comedian Dulcé Sloan ( The Daily Show ) shares some anecdotes from her new book Hello, Friends!: Stories of Dating, Destiny, and Day Jobs , including how becoming fluent in Spanish as a kid turned her into the neighborhood's child lawyer; filmmaker Brian Lindstrom chats about his documentary Lost Angel: The Genius of Judee Sill , which follows the short life of a 1970s folk singer who went from li...

Podcaster Sam Sanders ( Vibe Check ) shares his hot takes on pop culture, from the Barbie movie to his favorite nepobaby; comedian Reggie Watts interprets his feelings about generation differences through a spoken word poem; and indie folk duo Sway Wild perform their song "Home," which was inspired by a two-month sailing voyage in British Columbia. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passa...

Journalist and bestselling author Bianca Bosker ( Cork Dork ) takes us behind the scenes of the highfalutin art world with her new book Get the Picture, before getting a lesson on masterworks from a four-year-old; and singer-songwriter Brittany Davis performs the single "So Fly" from her new album Image Issues. Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal the uncharted industries...

Author and columnist R. Eric Thomas shares anecdotes from his memoir Congratulations, The Best Is Over , including how baking cupcakes may have saved his life; standup comedian Ian Karmel makes the case for why Arby's is a farm-to-table restaurant; and indie group NONBINARY GIRLFRIEND perform the title track off their new album Big and Kind . Plus, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello...