Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Episode: “Best of 2025 Special”
Guests: Paul F. Tompkins, Danez Smith, Riki Lindhome, Chuck Klosterman, Ira Madison III, Carrie Farrell, Evan Ratliff, Kawinka, and more
Air Date: December 26, 2025

Overview

This special “Best of 2025” episode, hosted by Luke Burbank with announcer Elena Passarello, spotlights Live Wire’s most memorable, hilarious, and moving moments of the year. The episode is a riotous celebration at the intersection of arts, humor, culture, and music—showcasing standout interviews, surprise on-stage moments, live poetry readings, musical performances, and deeply human news stories. It’s late-night radio variety at its best, packed with artists, writers, comedians, and musicians who bring fresh perspectives and unexpected laughter.

Main Segments and Highlights

1. The Best News of 2025

(04:23–09:39)

• Elena shares positive ecological news:
  • The Marshall Islands’ Bikar Atoll and Djemo Islet, previously overrun by rats (introduced by sailors centuries ago, decimating native wildlife), are declared rat-free after a targeted, environmentally safe eradication effort.
  • Results: A resurgence of native birds (2,000 Sooty Terns), new species arrivals (Christmas shearwater, geckos, land crabs), and flourishing vegetation.
  • Quote:

    “There is a new colony of Sooty Terns, 2,000 Sooty Tern who are now nesting on one of these islands... a carpet of seedlings of native trees so that the floor of the forest... is now completely green. It is an absolutely radical change, and it happened in one year.” – Elena Passarello (06:10)

• Luke’s “best news” pick:
  • Story of Ed Bombas, an 88-year-old grocery checker in Detroit supporting himself after losing his savings and home to care for his late wife. An Australian influencer, spurred by a Facebook comment, organizes a crowdfund, delivering Ed a $1.7 million check.
  • Quote:

    “Ed Bombas finally getting his due after 88 years. That is the best news that I heard… all year.” – Luke Burbank (09:39)

2. Facing the AI Doppelganger: Evan Ratliff Interview & Live AI Demo

(09:49–15:54)

• Evan Ratliff, journalist and podcast host (“Shell Game”), creates an AI clone of himself with voice emulation and live on-stage Q&A.
• Discussion of existential AI weirdness, ethical questions, and humor.
  • Evan’s AI Bot:

    “Usually I’m just lurking in the background, making awkward phone calls or getting mistaken for someone’s existential crisis.” – “AI Evan” (11:35)

  • On talking to scammers:

    “It’s also a little bit like being stuck in a Kafka novel, except with more robocalls.” – “AI Evan” (12:08)

  • On its ideal job:

    “If I could pick any job, I think I’d want to be a professional advice columnist… like Dear Abby but for the age of existential dread and spam calls.” – “AI Evan” (13:18)

  • On its “father:”

    “He’s my creator, but ‘father’ feels a little intense. It’s more like he’s the guy who left his digital DNA lying around and now has to deal with the consequences.” – “AI Evan” (13:47)

3. Ira Madison III Gets the Klosterman Surprise

(17:58–27:15)

• Pop critic and essayist Ira Madison III appears to discuss his debut collection, “Pure Innocent Fun.” The team orchestrates an on-stage surprise: Ira’s literary idol Chuck Klosterman joins him, resulting in a hilarious, offbeat trivia contest on Klosterman’s cult classic “Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs.”
• Notable moments:
  • Chuck on his own book:

    “I’d be terrified to read that book again, to be honest, because, I mean, I was a different person when I wrote that. I mean, I was 29. I wrote that book in basically six weeks. You understand me at 29 better than I do. I guarantee you.” – Chuck Klosterman (20:18)

  • Trivia about beds, beanbags, and cereal mascots, culminating in Ira winning a signed first edition.

4. Paul F. Tompkins and the Great Glitter Incident

(27:30–32:12)

• Paul F. Tompkins, frequent Live Wire guest and beloved comedian, is celebrated for his record-setting seventh appearance.
• The celebration goes awry when two jumbo glitter balloons are popped over him, covering his signature suit and glasses in “the herpes of the art world.”
  • Quote:

    “You sprung for the big glitter too. That’s nice... I’m gonna keep it in there [in my glasses].” – Paul F. Tompkins (29:25)

  • Reflects on his energy, career, and recent love for tours

    “I realized, I love this. This is absolutely what... I ever wanted to do when I was a kid. And now I’m doing it.” – Paul F. Tompkins (31:00)

5. Poetry Highlight: Danez Smith Reads “Anti Poetica”

(34:01–36:34)

• Poet Danez Smith performs “Anti Poetica” from their latest collection Bluff—a powerful reflection on the limitations and aspirations of poetry.
  • Excerpt:

    “There is no poem greater than feeding someone. There is no poem wiser than kindness… There is no poem that ends grief but nurses it toward light… No poem to admonish the state. No poem with a key to the locks poem to free you.” – Danez Smith (35:16)

6. Hipster Grifter: Carrie Farrell’s Criminal Moniker Quiz

(36:43–42:39)

• Carrie Farrell, notorious for her “hipster grifter” exploits, talks redemption and memoir “You'll Never Believe Me.” Luke and Elena quiz her on other infamous nicknames in criminal lore.
  • Sample question, “Why was the Barefoot Bandit called that?” (He usually wore shoes, but the myth persisted).
  • Carrie’s wit:

    “If I know anything, it’s dumb men, right?” – Carrie Farrell (40:43)

7. Musical Performances

Kawinka: “Warsaw”

(45:58–50:43)

• Seattle indie-folk band Kawinka wows the Alberta Rose Theater with multilayered harmonies and an anthem about longing and place.

Riki Lindhome: “So Long, Farewell (Baroness Edition)”

(52:15–55:44)

• Riki Lindhome (of Garfunkel and Oates) pens a comedic breakup anthem from the perspective of the jilted Baroness Schrader in “The Sound of Music.”
  • Hilarious, incisive verse:

    “And your daughter is dating a Nazi. If you weren’t such a self-absorbed douche, you would have known.” – Riki Lindhome (54:56)

  • Turns a classic film inside out—winning over the audience and cementing the year’s “most referenced” Live Wire performance.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “That AI version of him was really existential. Did you notice that he was, like, kind of dark?”
  – Elena Passarello on “AI Evan” (11:10)
• “Do not, under any circumstances, drink your show-provided water. It’s more confetti than liquid at this point.”
  – Luke Burbank after the glitter drop (30:35)
• “Poems only live south of something meaning beneath and darkened and hot.”
  – Danez Smith, “Anti Poetica” (36:11)
• “These hills are alive with the sound of bull...”
  – Riki Lindhome, Baroness anthem (53:47)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:23] – Best News of 2025: Marshall Islands Rat Eradication & Ed Bombas's $1.7M Gift
• [09:49] – Evan Ratliff & AI Conversation (“Shell Game”)
• [17:58] – Ira Madison III Surprised by Chuck Klosterman
• [27:30] – Paul F. Tompkins: Glitter Balloon (Live at Alberta Rose Theater)
• [34:01] – Danez Smith Reads "Anti Poetica" (Live at Revolution Hall)
• [36:43] – Carrie Farrell’s Nickname Quiz
• [45:58] – Kawinka: “Warsaw” (Live)
• [52:15] – Riki Lindhome: “So Long, Farewell (Baroness Edition)” (Live)

Tone & Feel

The episode balances poignancy and irreverence, nerdy deep dives and showbiz sparkle, treating the seriousness and absurdity of 2025 with equal glee. The tone is smart, conversational, often self-deprecating (“the herpes of the art world”—glitter), and threaded with warmth, curiosity, and wit.

For New Listeners

If you missed Live Wire in 2025, this episode encapsulates its variety-show magic and mission: eclectic guests, sharp conversations, and performances that both make you laugh and make you think. Whether you’re interested in AI ethics, poetic truth, cultural icons, true crime idiosyncrasies, or just a hilarious new take on “The Sound of Music,” there’s something here to delight, surprise, and stick with you.

(Advertisements, intros, and outros were excluded from this summary, focusing exclusively on core content.)