“Live Wire” Celebrates 20 Years of Joyfully Captivating Public Radio
“The show has evolved tremendously, but the heart has stayed the same: bring together creative talent from around the country to share with listeners everywhere”
Public media organization PRX is pleased to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Live Wire Radio, the weekly public radio variety program artfully blending riveting conversation and captivating entertainment from live on stage in Portland, Oregon as well as in Seattle, Washington in partnership with KUOW.
Hosted by Luke Burbank, the show has featured talk and performances by hundreds of individuals at the forefront of creativity and culture, including writers, musicians, and humorists such as Salman Rushdie, Reggie Watts, Roz Chast, Samatha Irby, W. Kamau Bell, George Saunders, Phoebe Robinson, Marc Maron, Sam Sanders, Quasi, and many more.
On Friday, May 17, Live Wire will broadcast a 20th anniversary special, featuring Burbank and announcer Elena Passrello’s favorite moments over the decades. Brought to listeners in partnership with PRX, the show airs on 190 public radio stations across the United States and is also available to listeners everywhere on-demand as a podcast:
Earlier this spring, Live Wire held a special event at Portland’s Revolution Hall — in partnership with Oregon Public Broadcasting — and was joined by more than 1,000 audience members. Guests included Wild author Cheryl Strayed, comedian Mohanad Elshieky, and music from Ural Thomas & The Pain united in the joy, discovery, and connection that Live Wire listeners cherish. The celebratory recording of this special evening will be broadcast in the coming months:
“The show has evolved tremendously, but the heart has stayed the same: bring together creative talent from around the country to share with listeners everywhere,” says executive director Heather de Michele, who joined the team at Live Wire Radio in 2020 after serving as managing director of the legendary Groundlings theater company in Los Angeles. “Most importantly, we aim to infuse joy into the lives of our audiences,” de Michele continues.
