Live Wire

Series produced by Live Wire! Radio

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Live Wire artfully blends unpredictable conversation, live music, and original comedy from all types of cultural talent and creative minds, from emerging artists to established acts.

NOTE: This program is available to PRX affiliates. For more information please email memberships@prx.org.

Hosted by Luke Burbank (Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, CBS Sunday Morning), the show is taped in front of a live audience in Portland, Oregon and reaches over 300,000 listeners via 150 public radio stations across the country (including WAMU in DC, KUOW in Seattle, KJZZ in Phoenix, Minnesota Public Radio, and more).

Past guests include writers and authors such as George Saunders, Cheryl Strayed, Hanif Abdurraqib, Lindy West, Chuck Klosterman, Salman Rushdie, and Gary Shteyngart; performers and comedians John Hodgman, Paul F. Tompkins, Abbi Jacobson, Michael Ian Black, Jackie Kashian, Naomi Ekperigin, Ian Karmel, Phoebe Robinson, Andy Kindler, and Reggie Watts; and film directors Gus Van Sant, Todd Haynes, Lynn Shelton, and Chapman & Maclain Way (Wild Wild Country). Past musical guests include Helio Sequence, The Dandy Warhols, Meklit, Laura Gibson, Open Mike Eagle, Pink Martini, Jonathan Coulton, and Bilal, to name a few.

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Hosted by Luke Burbank (Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me, CBS Sunday Morning), the show is taped in front of a live audience in Portland, Oregon and reaches over 300,000 listeners via 150 public radio stations across the country (including WAMU in DC, KUOW in Seattle, KJZZ in Phoenix, Minnesota Public Radio, and more). Past guests include writers and authors such as George Saunders, Cheryl Strayed, Hanif Abdurraqib, Lindy West, Chuck Klosterman, Salman Rushdie, and Gary Shteyngart; performers and comedians John Hodgman, Paul F. Tompkins, Abbi Jacobson, Michael Ian Black, Jackie Kashian, Naomi Ekperigin, Ian Karmel, Phoebe Robinson, Andy Kindler, and Reggie Watts; and film directors Gus Van Sant, Todd Haynes, Lynn Shelton, and Chapman & Maclain Way (Wild Wild Country). Past musical guests... Show full description


Additional Files

637 Pieces

Order by: Newest First | Oldest First
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Commercial parody for people who are too busy for books on tape - from Live Wire!, a live radio variety show.

  • Added: Jun 05, 2007
  • Length: 04:01
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Piece created for Oregon Public Broadcasting regarding why the president of the Fiona Richie fan club might give to public radio.

  • Added: Aug 21, 2007
  • Length: 02:54
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Why give to public radio? Live Wire Radio offers a reason you may not have heard yet.

  • Added: Aug 21, 2007
  • Length: 01:08
Caption: John Roderick, Jonathan Coulton and John Hodgman, Credit: Anthony Pidgeon for Live Wire!
Live Wire's annual star-studded show celebrating Portland's Wordstock Literary Festival

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass.


  • Added: Dec 30, 2008
  • Length: 01:58:27
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Cartoonist Berkeley Breathed, Credit: Anthony Pidgeon for Live Wire!
Live Wire! is a radio variety show recorded live in front of an audience at the Aladdin Theater in Portland, Oregon. The show features original ske...

  • Added: Jan 10, 2009
  • Length: :00
Caption: Thomas Lauderdale and Ari Shapiro, Credit: Anthony Pidgeon for Live Wire!
Live Wire is a radio variety show that tapes in Portland, OR and features a rich mix of interesting interview guest, stellar musical guest and orig...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass.


  • Added: Jan 10, 2009
  • Length: :00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Coraline Director Henry Selick, Credit: Anthony Pidgeon for Live Wire!
A live radio variety show out of Portland, Oregon featuring Henry Selick ("Nightmare Before Christmas," "Coraline"), Blue Giant and essayist Stacy ...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass.


  • Added: Jan 15, 2009
  • Length: :00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Live Wire! Band Leader Ralph Huntley, Credit: Anthony Pidgeon for Live Wire! Radio
This weeks guests include Jon Raymond, writer of acclaimed film Wendy and Lucy, Author and Columnist Peter Ames Carlin on the virtues and demonic ...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass.


  • Added: Feb 20, 2009
  • Length: :00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Dan Savage and Storm Large, Credit: Anthony Pidgeon for Live Wire! Radio
Live Wire celebrates its 5th anniversary with author/sex columnist/Stephen Colbert's National Spokes-Gay, Chanteuse Storm Large and musical guests ...

Bought by WCAI / WNAN Cape & Islands, Mass.


  • Added: Mar 27, 2009
  • Length: :00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Actor Daniel Stern, Credit: Geoffrey Silver for Live Wire!
Live Wire from Portland, Oregon delivers old school variety with a modern twist. The perfect blend of original sketch comedy, music and interview.

Bought by 90.5 WESA


  • Added: Mar 16, 2010
  • Length: :00
  • Purchases: 1
Caption: Michael Curry
Guests include: Master Puppeteer and Kinetic Sculpturist Michael Curry. Cartoonist and creator of Too Much Coffee Man, Shannon Wheeler. Musical g...

  • Added: Jul 02, 2010
  • Length: :00
Caption: The Baseball Project
Guests include: Congressman Earl Blumenauer. Writer & blogger Stacy Bolt. Musical guests The Baseball Project.

  • Added: Jul 02, 2010
  • Length: :00
Caption: John Roderick
Guests include: Pulitzer Prize winning novelist Richard Russo. Farm to Table organization Plate & Pitchfork. Musical guest John Roderick.

  • Added: Jul 06, 2010
  • Length: 59:38
Caption: Bill Oakley
Guests include: Author Steve Almond. Television writer Bill Oakley. Musical guest Damien Jurado.

  • Added: Jul 06, 2010
  • Length: 59:22
Caption: Dave Dahl
Guests include: Author Daniel H. Wilson. Entrepreneur Dave Dahl. Musical guest Maia Sharp.

  • Added: Jul 08, 2010
  • Length: 59:23
Caption: Sneakin' Out
Guests include: Memoirist Wendy Burden. Poet Anis Mojgani. Musical guests Sneakin' Out.

  • Added: Jul 08, 2010
  • Length: 58:43
Caption: Donald Miller
Guests include: Author Donald Miller. Spoken word performer Joe Sib. Musical guest Chris Shiflett.

  • Added: Jul 08, 2010
  • Length: 58:48
Caption: One Night in Frogtown
Guests include: Poet Derrick Brown. Musical storybook One Night in Frogtown. Musical guests Black Prairie.

  • Added: Jul 08, 2010
  • Length: 59:32
Caption: Timmy Williams, Credit: Geoffrey Squier for Live Wire
Guests include: Comedian Timmy Williams. Author Robin Romm. Musical guests Floater.

  • Added: Jul 16, 2010
  • Length: 58:50
Caption: Kevin Sampsell, Credit: Geoffrey Squier for Live Wire
Guests include: Memoirist Kevin Sampsell. Journalist/Author Arianne Cohen. Musical guest Ritchie Young.

Bought by 90.5 WESA


  • Added: Jul 16, 2010
  • Length: 58:56
  • Purchases: 1