Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk ambitious DIY projects; chef and food writer J. Kenji López-Alt tests his knowledge of cooking gadget infomercials; comedian Sara Schaefer leads a seminar on how to perform standup in various comedic styles... including puppetry; and indie rock group Dehd discusses bad loves stories and dental work, before performing "Bad Love" from their new a...

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal what our listeners would like to have named after them; legendary filmmaker John Waters ( Pink Flamingos, Cry Baby)  chats about his first novel  Liarmouth  and why he'll never leave Baltimore; writer Sasha LaPointe ( Red Paint)  unpacks her nomadic upbringing in the Pacific Northwest and why  Twin Peaks  made an impact on her as young Native...

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello recall some fads of the past; Aubrey Gordon discusses how her hit podcast  Maintenance Phase  debunks the junk science behind nutrition, wellness, and fatness; stand-up comedian Chris Meija gives us an unexpectedly hilarious account of his call to the suicide hotline; and lawyer-turned-powerhouse vocalist Danielle Ponder performs "Only the Lonely" f...

In this podcast EXTRA, Maintenance Phase podcaster Audrey Gordon participates in a round of “The Jar of Truth” and gives her hot takes on some fads past and present.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk wacky cooking hacks; acclaimed chef and restaurateur Gregory Gourdet ( Top Chef ) discusses how his newest cookbook  Everyone's Table  begins with his journey to sobriety; and musician and scholar Julian Saporiti, a.k.a. No-No Boy, describes how he transformed his doctoral research on Asian-American history into a multimedia project, before per...

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some stories of when our listeners went "over the top;" actor and comedian Molly Shannon chats about her memoir  Hello Molly  and how she championed her famous character Mary Katherine Gallagher for  Saturday Night Live ; South African rocker Tuelo explains why she secretly believes her native Mwana tribe inspired rock 'n roll music; plus, Tue...

In this special Holiday Edition of Live Wire, host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share their favorite holiday traditions; comedian Paul F. Tompkins unpacks "weekend water" and passive-aggressive Christmas carolers; social critic Sarah Marshall, host of the hit podcast  You're Wrong About,  discusses why our misperceptions of the past are largely influenced by the news cycle; and jazz...

In this podcast EXTRA, comedian and writer Demi Adejuyigbe serenades us from the live stage with his own holiday song, "Rock n' Roll Santa Claus."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss the ways in which we are too hard on ourselves; writer and podcaster Nora McInerny ( Terrible, Thanks for Asking ) explains why she is the saddest happy person she knows; music entrepreneur Nabil Ayers chats about his memoir  My Life in the Sunshine  and his estranged relationship with his biological father, funk/soul musician Roy Ayers; and...

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello remember some beloved comic strip characters; comedian Jamie Loftus unpacks her newest podcast  Aack Cast , which takes a deep dive into how the Cathy comic still pertains to feminist struggles today; writer and publisher Jelani Memory ( A Kids Book About Racism ) discusses how he launched a book series for parents and kids to tackle heavy topics; a...

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello reveal the unexpected expertise of our listeners; novelist John Darnielle, frontman of The Mountain Goats, reflects on America's obsession with true crime and becoming a writer in his own right; and rapper and podcaster Dessa discusses falling out of love for a behavioral science experiment, before performing "Jumprope" from her album  Chime . 

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate teachers and the impact their words have had on us; award-winning author George Saunders unpacks his writing process and how creating confusion for himself often leads to interesting literary worlds; and singer-songwriter Samantha Crain discusses the importance of making music in her Choctaw language, before performing "Joey" from her albu...

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some "personal Mt. Everests" from our listeners; writer and mountaineer Silvia Vasquez-Lavado discusses how she became the first openly gay woman to climb “The Seven Summits” while overcoming addiction and childhood trauma; comedian Curtis Cook explains why you shouldn't wear a suit to Red Lobster; and Patterson Hood, frontman of Drive-By Truc...

Luke and Elena discuss disturbing Times Square billboards, kittens in a fighter jet, and cuddling turkeys.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello set out to solve some mysteries; Washington Post reporter Casey Parks unpacks her new book  Diary of a Misfit,  wherein she reckons with her own sexuality, her Southern identity, and her complicated relationship with her mother; and singer-songwriter Thunderstorm Artis explains how his music went from  The Voice  to  Grey's Anatomy , before performi...

Luke and Elena discuss a (now debunked) dazzling detail about Julia Roberts, Dolly Parton's rock 'n' roll aspirations, and how a man provided the city of Philadelphia some much-needed solace... via a rotisserie chicken-eating marathon. 

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello remember the things we were better at as children; celebrated poet Kaveh Akbar explains how learning Farsi as his first language shaped his poetic sense of the English language; writer Danielle Henderson ( Feminist Ryan Gosling ) unpacks her memoir  The Ugly Cry  and how her iconoclastic grandmother helped forge her own fiercely independent path; an...

Luke and Elena discuss a motorcycling sabbatical, Susie Burbank's dance stylings, and wedding rendition of Mambo No. 5.

Host Luke Burbank and Elena Passarello unpack some dating red flags; comedian and satirist Ginny Hogan explains the terms and conditions of being her undetermined partner; Oregon Poet Laureate Anis Mojgani describes a surprising encounter with an unlikely poetry fan; and jazz vocalist and Pink Martini member Jimmie Herrod recounts his successful run on  America's Got Talent  before performing his...

Luke and Elena discuss Airbnb decor, a man who made a floating suit out of wine bottle corks, and an emo festival that collided with a Katy Perry concert in Las Vegas.

Host Luke Burbank and Elena Passarello discuss the kindest things our friends have done for us; author Gary Shteyngart takes us into the world of fictionalized friendship in his latest book  Our Country Friends , which is lauded as the Great American Pandemic Novel; comedian Atsuko Okatska explains why getting married is more childlike than staying single; and indie folk duo The Lowest Pair perfor...

Luke and Elena discuss furniture-scratching cats, saxophone-accompanied brain surgery, and twins who finally sold their domain name.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share the worst jobs our listeners have ever had; writer and podcaster Sona Movsesian makes the case for why she is "the world's worst assistant" to Conan O'Brien; stand-up comedian Marcella Arguello unpacks the politics of airport parking; and spiritual jazz duo Brown Calculus perform their song "Seven Seas."

Luke and Elena discuss Fat Bear Week, Trader Joe's sample resurgence, and Russell Crowe's charitable donations.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello unpack some controversial music opinions; writer and radio host Tom Scharpling ( The Best Show)  explains how his dislike for Billy Joel began as a teenage misadventure to Madison Square Garden; comedian Mohanad Elshieky describes why navigating checkpoints is better than talking to his Uber driver; and indie rock group MAITA perform "A Beast" from...