Live Wire with Luke Burbank

Episode: Kari Ferrell, Zak Toscani, and Ural Thomas and the Pain
Date Originally Recorded: April 2025 (Aired: February 13, 2026)
Host: Luke Burbank
Announcer: Elena Passarello
Guests: Kari Ferrell (writer and memoirist), Zak Toscani (comedian), Ural Thomas and the Pain (band)

Episode Overview

This episode of Live Wire dives into eclectic realms of resilience, reinvention, and community. Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello lead listeners through an engaging mix:

• Kari Ferrell discusses her memoir and transformation from ‘hipster grifter’ to advocate and author
• Zak Toscani delivers stand-up about growing up goth in Hawaii and dentist mishaps
• Ural Thomas and the Pain bring the soulful sounds of love to the stage

The episode explores how people overcome their past, find humor in adversity, and nourish connections across generations and cultures.

Segment Breakdown & Key Highlights

1. Good News Roundup

Timestamps: 03:51–09:41

Purpose:
Luke & Elena share uplifting stories to open the show.

Highlights:

• Wisdom the Albatross:
  • Elena recounts the story of Wisdom, a Laysan albatross, banded in 1951, still hatching eggs at 74+ years old.
  • “She's closer to 100 than she is to 45.” – Elena, [05:23]
  • “Wisdom and her new partner... sat on this egg for the better part...” – Elena, [07:03]
  • Themes of resilience, adaptation, and intergenerational legacy.
• Doug Turner’s Neighborhood Rager:
  • Luke shares the story of 87-year-old Doug Turner, who throws legendary neighborhood parties in Bucks County, PA.
  • “4pm until the cops arrive” – invitation tagline, [08:20]
  • Joy from community-building, challenging stereotypes about aging.

2. Interview: Kari Ferrell – “Hipster Grifter” to Memoirist & Advocate

Timestamps: 09:41–32:17

Background & Bio:
Kari Ferrell was a media sensation as the so-called “hipster grifter.” She’s now re-entered public life with a raw, funny, and reflective memoir: You’ll Never Believe Me: A Life of Lies, Second Tries, and Things I Should Only Tell My Therapist.

Key Discussion Points

Early Life and Identity

• Adopted from Korea as a baby, raised by white Mormon parents in Utah.
• “My parents are the whitest white people you've ever seen. And this is Portland. So I'm looking around and I'm seeing... I feel at home.” – Kari, [11:17]
• Mormonism dominated every aspect of her social and family life.

Beginnings of Deception

• Outsider experience fueled self-defensive humor, then lying as a coping mechanism.
• “Part of the reason I'm so outgoing... is born out of the fact that I was like, I have to make fun of myself... before they do it.” – Kari, [12:20]
• Discovery that people believed her lies was initially liberating:
  “There was this weird freedom where I was like, oh, people will just believe what I'm saying.” – Kari, [12:57]
  “I was a star pupil, a master class in manipulation... For better or worse. Mostly worse.” – Kari, [03:12] & [12:57]

Escalation: Scams and Seeking Belonging

• “It was just an issue of identity, and it was an issue of not having a community to fall back on... I was addicted... more to the attention than money.” – Kari, [16:22]
• Describes the paradox of stealing from friends/boyfriend to gain acceptance:
  “It was really a way for me to ingratiate myself into these groups of people. And, in retrospect, now I'm like, oh, I didn't need any of that. But... I really felt like I had to do everything... to solidify myself as a person people wanted to be around.” – Kari, [17:38]
• Moved to NYC to “reinvent” herself, but quickly fell into old habits amid financial desperation.

Public Notoriety and the “Hipster Grifter” Era

• The media storm, mugshot virality, and being at the center of coveted New York scenes.
• “Your mugshot is posted. People are comparing notes about their interactions with you... What did that feel like?” – Luke, [21:02]
• “It was wild... the moniker ‘hipster grifter’... At the time, people were like, ‘what is a hipster, and what is a grifter, really?’... The ‘hipster’ part of it, that was like the worst part to me.” – Kari, [21:45]
• Reflections on race and gender in her treatment:
  “It was very race-based and misogynistic…look at this cute Asian girl who is actually this like, fierce, bad dragon lady kind of thing.” – Kari, [22:32]

Arrest, Incarceration, and Systemic Critique

• Apprehended in Philadelphia, spent almost a year incarcerated.
• “It was this eye-opening moment…it's all different types of people... Seeing the system and how it really wants to keep people in... trying to get people to view punishment... through a different lens.” – Kari, [24:17–25:41]

Rehabilitation, Writing, and Public Critique

• Emphasizes accountability and the difficulty of “profiting” from a criminal past.
• Points to double standards in how society treats (white, male) figures like Jordan Belfort vs. herself.
• “Why, then, will people look at me and be like, ‘Oh, she should not be able to write a book or profit off...’... I'm really not trying to profit off the crime part of it.” – Kari, [26:14–27:30]

Humorous “Identity Theft” Quiz Segment

• Luke quizzes Kari on criminal nicknames and stories; both display wit and humor.
• Kari’s quip: “If I know anything, it's dumb men, right?” – Kari, [30:19]

Notable Quotes

• “I just picked up on things really quickly. For better or worse. Mostly worse.” – Kari, [03:12]
• “I just needed someone to talk to.” – Kari (about criminals sharing their stories), [31:38]
• “The book is great. That's the good news. The book is 'You'll Never Believe Me.'” – Luke, [32:09]
• “[On being labeled a grifter] The ultimate grift, right?” – Kari, [27:30]

3. Audience Participation: "What's the Most Trouble You've Ever Gotten Into?"

Timestamps: 34:08–37:33

Highlights:

• Anna: As a kid, planned to bike from Massachusetts to California to meet Stevie Nicks, secretly skipping school and mapping out her epic quest. Got caught when her parents intercepted the school call.
• Kim: Got her mouth washed with soap for saying the F-word as a child, then did it again next week.

Themes: Ingenious and rebellious youth, nostalgia, humor in parenting.

4. Stand-Up Comedy: Zach Toscani

Timestamps: 38:14–45:51

Set Highlights:

• Tooth Trouble in Portland:
  • Dentist says: “Man, I don’t know... teeth are weird.”
  • "It's like your tooth rolled its ankle." – Dentist via Zach, [03:26]
• Goth Childhood in Hawaii:
  • “Goths are not indigenous to Hawaii. We are an invasive species.”
  • Wore JNCO jeans, black-painted puka shell necklace: “I thought I could bridge the cultures.”
• Identity Shift:
  • “I tried to start a goth ukulele band. We were called Laid to Rest.”
  • “I put down my sword... stop being goth... It was when I tasted mango for the first time.”
• Memorable Moment:
  • “I must have ruined a lot of people’s vacations just being in the background of a photo.”
  • [Audience laughter throughout]

5. Musical Guest: Ural Thomas and the Pain

Timestamps: 49:53–53:56

Background:
Ural Thomas was once a shipyard repairman, previously a soul singer (The Montereys), then rediscovered and reignited his music career at age 74. Now touring internationally with his band.

Performance:

• Song: “Gotta Say I Love You” (from The Right Time, 2018)
• Atmosphere: Soulful, passionate, vintage sound that celebrates timeless love.
• Lyrics sample:
  • "People say I'm crazy to tell you this, but I love you. And how can I resist, saying it's true..." [50:23]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Outgrowing Old Patterns:
  • “In retrospect, now I'm like, oh, I didn't need any of that.” – Kari Ferrell, [17:38]
• Unique Self-Deprecation:
  • “If I know anything, it’s dumb men, right?” – Kari Ferrell, [30:19]
• Resilience & Belonging:
  • “I just need to be remembered for... not being forgotten. I mean, I think it's kind of adopted Kid Abandonment 101.” – Kari, [16:22]
• Comedic Transformation:
  • “You are the Hot Topic.” – Zach Toscani’s mom, [40:14]
  • “God is good. You guys have been excellent.” – Zach Toscani, [45:49]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Best News of the Week: 03:51–09:41
• Kari Ferrell Interview: 09:41–32:17
• Audience Trouble Stories: 34:08–37:33
• Zak Toscani Stand-Up: 38:14–45:51
• Ural Thomas & the Pain Song: 49:53–53:56

Tone & Style

• Warm, irreverent, and self-aware—true to Live Wire's brand.
• Deeply personal yet inviting, with frequent use of humor to navigate thorny topics.
• Multigenerational and multicultural stories woven seamlessly together.

In Summary

This episode of Live Wire is a journey through mischief, redemption, and soul—spotlighting voices who have transformed struggle into creative expression and connection. Whether learning from the “hipster grifter,” laughing with a recovering goth, or losing yourself in timeless soul, the show celebrates resilience, self-discovery, and community. Listeners leave with hope, a few laughs, and a soulful tune replaying in their heads.