Luke and Elena discuss Tony Passarello's Live Wire fandom, the first female Mariachi band in Denver Colorado, and rescuing a busload of stranded Torontonians.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello chat about childhood misperceptions; writer Isaac Fitzgerald grapples with identity, forgiveness, and a new vision of masculinity in his searing memoir Dirtbag, Massachusetts; stand-up comedian Carmen Lagala explains how her love of the WNBA broke up a teenage relationship; and singer-songwriter No-No Boy performs "Boat People" from his album 1975, as a tribute to the millions who fled southeast Asia after the fall of Saigon.

Luke and Elena discuss fly-by summers, food stand hustles, and South Dakota's Corn-Bassador.

In this EXTRA episode, comedians and podcasters Paul F. Tompkins (Spontaneanation), Sarah Marshall (You're Wrong About) and Demi Adejuyigbe (Gilmore Guys) team up for a raucous round of "Whose Podcast Is It, Anyway?" live from the stage in Portland, Oregon.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello get nostalgic for the 1990s; writer Chuck Klosterman (Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs) unpacks his newest book The Nineties and admits how the "slacker ethos" of the decade made him embarrassed to succeed as a writer; and international rock band Making Movies explains why it's difficult to separate activism from their music, before performing the title track off their new album XOPA.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate the songs lyrics that reflect our lives; writer Nichole Perkins discusses her memoir Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be and makes the case for why Niles Crane is sexy; Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Lucy Walker (Waste Land) unpacks her epic documentary Bring You Own Brigade, which goes deep inside the devastation of California's wildfires; and Tony-nominated performer Joshua Henry (Hamilton) shows us how seductive our cellphones can be in his song "Guarantee."

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello unpack some unexpected topics of conversation; writer and podcaster Dylan Marron chats about his book and podcast of the same name, Conversations with People Who Hate Me, and how a phone call can forge a deeper connection than social media; and musician Brittany Davis explains how music became their first language as a blind person, before performing "Loud Loud World" from their new EP I Choose to Live.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello share some surprising facts about our listeners; comedian Cecily Strong delves into her memoir This Will All Be Over Soon, which weaves themes of grief with moments of absurdity, like filming SNL with her phone during lockdown; Toronto rapper Shad chats about interviewing his heroes for the Emmy Award-winning Netflix series Hip-Hop Evolution and why he's fine with being the "nice guy" in rap music; plus, Shad performs "Out of Touch" from his prescient album TAO.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello talk dream businesses; writer Jon Mooallem (The New York Times Magazine) discusses his newest collection of essays Serious Face and why you shouldn't tell your friend they look like a 1940’s Spanish bullfighter; chef Jenny Nguyen chats about opening her Portland bar The Sports Bra, which exclusively televises womens' sports; and singer-songwriter Laura Veirs performs "My Lantern" from her new album Found Light.

Host Luke Burbank and announcer Elena Passarello celebrate the spirit of live performances; writer Daisy Hernández unpacks her latest book The Kissing Bug, a reportage-meets-memoir which outlines the impact of Chagas disease on Latinx communities; Wayne Coyne, frontman of The Flaming Lips, explains how to play a Covid-safe concert using space bubbles; and we hear a performance of their hit song "Do You Realize" from inside a bubble.