Live Wire with Luke Burbank
PRXLike late-night for radio, Live Wire is hosted by Luke Burbank (Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me) and artfully blends an eclectic mix of artists, musicians, writers, filmmakers, comedians, and cultural observers.
| Publishes | Weekly | Episodes | 735 | Founded | 19 years ago |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Listeners | Categories | Performing ArtsArts | |||
Listen to this Podcast
Latest Episodes
Author Héctor Tobar explores the meanings and myths of the term "Latino" in his sixth book Our Migrant Souls; comedian and writer Jena Friedman (Borat Subsequent Moviefilm) chats about her debut collection of essays Not Funny and recounts the time sh... more
Actor and writer Jeff Hiller dives into his memoir Actress of a Certain Age: My Twenty-Year Trail to Overnight Success, which highlights his awkward youth as a bullied kid in Texas to his Emmy win for HBO's hit series Somebody Somewhere; stand-up com... more
Award-winning author George Saunders (Lincoln in the Bardo) unpacks his writing process and explains how creating confusion often leads to interesting literary worlds; and singer-songwriter Samantha Crain discusses the importance of making music in h... more
This "Best of 2025" special episode features some of Live Wire's favorite moments of the year: host Luke Burbank interviews an AI chatbot version of journalist Evan Ratliff; comedian Paul F. Tompkins receives a glitter bomb to celebrate his 7th appea... more
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Reviews
- Love
Listening to Live Wire on my commute brings me so much joy. Luke and Elena bring the perfect balance of humor, warmth, positivity, and oddly specific geographic knowledge. I love hearing from writers about their lives and artistic process. The standup routines, musical guests, “best news,” and station location examination segments are not only entertaining, but a true comfort in these challenging times. This show is a major highlight of my week!
Apple Podcasts5randomuno
United States9 months ago - Damp January
With new guidelines recommending a cancer warning label for alcohol and thinking about why I consume alcohol, this series is thoughtful and got me thinking about different perspectives. I also appreciate Luke’s courage and honesty in the interview with his mom and his own experience with alcohol. Worth listening to!
Apple Podcasts5Upstate MidwesternerUnited Statesa year ago - So good!
Love the show but some new eps would be nice. You can’t do a TAL rerun-based model with this few episodes.
Apple Podcasts5Raincloud06United Statesa year ago - Love Luke!
So excited for this new series Damp January! Luke is the best and his perspective on this topic is so insightful.
Apple Podcasts5D7s4United Statesa year ago - Best Weekly Podcast Around
There’s nothing that delights me more during my busy week than to be notified that Live Wire has dropped another episode. Luke and Elena are delightful and charming and their dynamic is top notch. The guests they have on are obviously chosen with great care, and even when I may not have an immediate recognition of the guest’s work, I’m soon drawn into the interview and I walk away more informed about the world around me. Best News is fun and light, and Station Location Identification is a great ... more
Apple Podcasts5Sakura Mama NYCUnited Statesa year ago
Listeners Say
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Chart Rankings
How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.
Apple Podcasts | #74 | United States/Arts/Performing Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #98 |  Canada/Arts/Performing Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #174 |  Spain/Arts/Performing Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #197 |  South Korea/Arts/Performing Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #198 |  Poland/Arts/Performing Arts |
Apple Podcasts | #249 |  Sweden/Arts/Performing Arts |
Talking Points
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Audience Metrics
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Frequently Asked Questions About Live Wire
What is Live Wire about and what kind of topics does it cover?
This podcast features an eclectic mix of guests including musicians, comedians, writers, and cultural figures, all brought together in a lively and engaging format reminiscent of late-night shows. Conversations are designed to entertain and inform, often weaving in humor and personal anecdotes, making it a delightful exploration of creativity and human experience. The show is characterized by its emphasis on artistic expression, storytelling, and cultural commentary, appealing to those interested in the intersections of various art forms.
With a focus on North American culture and personal narratives, the episodes incorporate live performances and comedic elements, providing not only insights into the guests' lives and works but also a sen... more
Where can I find podcast stats for Live Wire?
Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for Live Wire. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to Live Wire and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.
How many listeners does Live Wire get?
Rephonic provides a full set of podcast information for three million podcasts, including the number of listeners. View further listenership figures for Live Wire, including podcast download numbers and subscriber numbers, so you can make better decisions about which podcasts to sponsor or be a guest on. You will need to upgrade your account to access this premium data.
What are the audience demographics for Live Wire?
Rephonic provides comprehensive predictive audience data for Live Wire, including gender skew, age, country, political leaning, income, professions, education level, and interests. You can access these listener demographics by upgrading your account.
How many subscribers and views does Live Wire have?
To see how many followers or subscribers Live Wire has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.
Which podcasts are similar to Live Wire?
These podcasts share a similar audience with Live Wire:
1. TBTL: Too Beautiful To Live
2. Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
3. How To Do Everything
4. This American Life
5. Fresh Air
How many episodes of Live Wire are there?
Live Wire launched 19 years ago and published 735 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.
How do I contact Live Wire?
Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.
Where can I see ratings and reviews for Live Wire?
Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for Live Wire from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.
View all the reviews in one place instead of visiting each platform individually and use this information to decide if a show is worth pitching or not.
How do I access podcast episode transcripts for Live Wire?
Rephonic provides full transcripts for episodes of Live Wire. Search within each transcript for your keywords, whether they be topics, brands or people, and figure out if it's worth pitching as a guest or sponsor. You can even set-up alerts to get notified when your keywords are mentioned.
What guests have appeared on Live Wire?
Recent guests on Live Wire include:
1. Héctor Tobar
2. Jena Friedman
3. Jeff Hiller
4. Edna Vázquez
5. George Saunders
6. Samantha Crain
7. Danez Smith
8. Carrie Farrell
To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.