Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello get nostalgic for the 1990s; writer Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs) unpacks his newest book The Nineties and admits how the "slacker ethos" of the decade made him embarrassed to succeed as a writer; and international rock band Making Movies explains why it's difficult to separate activism from their music, before performing the title track off their new album XOPA.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate the songs lyrics that reflect our lives; writer Nichole Perkins discusses her memoir Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be and makes the case for why Niles Crane is sexy; Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker (Waste Land) unpacks her epic documentary Bring You Own Brigade, which goes deep inside the devastation of California's wildfires; and Tony-nominated performer Joshua Henry (Hamilton) shows us how seductive our cellphones can be in his song "Guarantee."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello unpack some unexpected topics of conversation; writer and podcaster Dylan Marron chats about his book and podcast of the same name, Conversations with People Who Hate Me, and how a phone call can forge a deeper connection than social media; and musician Brittany Davis explains how music became their first language as a blind person, before performing "Loud Loud World" from their new EP I Choose to Live.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some surprising facts about our listeners; comedian Cecily Strong delves into her memoir This Will All Be Over Soon, which weaves themes of grief with moments of absurdity, like filming SNL with her phone during lockdown; Toronto rapper Shad chats about interviewing his heroes for the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series Hip-Hop Evolution and why he's fine with being the "nice guy" in rap music; plus, Shad performs "Out of Touch" from his prescient album TAO.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk dream businesses; writer Jon Mooallem (The New York Times Magazine) discusses his newest collection of essays Serious Face and why you shouldn't tell your friend they look like a 1940’s Spanish bullfighter; chef Jenny Nguyen chats about opening her Portland bar The Sports Bra, which exclusively televises womens' sports; and singer-songwriter Laura Veirs performs "My Lantern" from her new album Found Light.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate the spirit of live performances; writer Daisy Hernández unpacks her latest book The Kissing Bug, a reportage-meets-memoir which outlines the impact of Chagas disease on Latinx communities; Wayne Coyne, frontman of The Flaming Lips, explains how to play a Covid-safe concert using space bubbles; and we hear a performance of their hit song "Do You Realize" from inside a bubble.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some go-to icebreakers from our listeners; comedian and Emmy Award-nominated writer Sam Jay (SNL) chats about turning a party with her friends into poignant content for her HBO show PAUSE; stand-up comedian Sean Patton pokes fun at regional airports with a tough TSA; and singer-songwriter Kurt Vile confesses to being Philadelphia's best forklift driver, before performing "Flyin (Like a Fast Train)" from his new album (watch my moves).

In this final episode before a brief hiatus, Luke and Elena discuss their summer plans, including an Alaska writing residency and mega home renovations. The Best News will return weekly beginning September 14, so stay tuned!

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate dads this week, in honor of Father's Day; filmmaker Kirsten Johnson comes to terms with the life, death, and legacy of her father through her Netflix documentary Dick Johnson is Dead; comedian and podcaster Chris Garcia pokes fun at his life choices by channeling his Cuban father; and Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy serenades us with "Save It For Me," accompanied by his two sons. 

Luke and Elena discuss the Kate Bush resurgence, a missing dachshund that made its way into Hillary Swank's lap, and sexy Swedish trash cans.