Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello consider the misconceptions our families have about us; comedian and actress Maria Bamford convinces us that anybody can create their own comedy special; stand-up comic Shain Brenden compares his former "single dad" status to a foreclosed home; and Grammy-nominated country singer-songwriter Brandy Clark spins her love of the film Jaws into the topical and heartfelt song "Bigger Boat."

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 new 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 new song Guarantee.

Host Luke Burbank and guest announcer Hari Kondabolu admit to being undecided on matters of personal hygiene and bed-making; science journalist Sarah Scoles encounters some true believers at the International UFO Congress; and singer-songwriter Angelica Garcia performs "I Don't Believe in Death" from her album Cha Cha Palace.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello defy expectations this week; 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 forthcoming album TAO.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk "do-overs" this week and hear from listeners about their finicky unfinished projects; New Yorker staff writer Casey Cep discusses her debut book Furious Hours, which follows a mysterious Alabama murder case that captivated beloved author Harper Lee; comedian Matteo Lane questions the job description of pharmacists; and singer-songwriter Samantha Crain details how her days as a child powerlifter prepared her for a life of touring, before performing "High Horse" from her album A Small Death.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello fantasize about a post-pandemic life; writer Daisy Hernández unpacks her latest book The Kissing Bug, a reportage-meets-memoir which follows how Chagas disease affects Latinx communities; Wayne Coyne, frontman of The Flaming Lips, discusses playing a Covid-safe concert where both the band and the audience members are inside their own space bubbles; and we hear a performance of their hit song "Do You Realize" from inside the bubble.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk movies this week, including some countlessly watched favorites; New York Times opinion writer and bestselling author Lindy West unpacks why she's known as the official hater of Love, Actually; filmmaker Kirsten Johnson comes to terms with the life, death, and legacy of her father through her Netflix documentary Dick Johnson is Dead; and folk singer Leyla McCalla brings the musicality of Langston Hughes' poetry to life with "Song for a Dark Girl" from her recently re-released album Vari-Colored Songs.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello touch on some fascinating things that are mystifying listeners; writer and Radiolab co-host Lulu Miller unpacks the problematic practices of turn-of-the-century taxonomist David Starr Jordan, the subject of her book Why Fish Don't Exist; comedian and New York Times contributor Sopan Deb discusses his memoir Missed Translations about reconnecting with his immigrant parents; and Moorea Masa performs her single "Honey."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss personal theme songs; cultural critic and poet Hanif Abdurraqib describes how his playlist project 68to05 reflects the origins of his personal music fandom; author Eula Biss unpacks the intersection of homeownership and white privilege in her newest collection of essays Having and Being Had; and alt-country singer Lydia Loveless performs "Say My Name" from her latest album Daughter.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello discuss what listeners have learned about themselves recently; writer Lidia Yuknavitch describes her latest collection of stories, titled Verge, as a series of devotionals to the outcasts among us; comedian Atsuko Okatsuka admits to her insecurities around teenage skateboarders; and Seattle-based rock group The Black Tones shred with "Mama! There's A Spider In My Room!" from their album Cobain & Cornbread.