From small stage to national audience, ‘Live Wire Radio’ variety show evolves through its 20 years

Published 12:15 am Wednesday, March 6, 2024

It started 20 years ago as a fun variety show before 175 family members and friends at Hollywood Theatre.

A year later, Oregon Public Broadcasting became involved, and “Live Wire Radio” hit the airwaves.

Now, “Live Wire” celebrates 20 years from coast to coast with fans from New York to Miami to Minneapolis to Chicago to Austin to Los Angeles. More than 200 public radio stations carry “Live Wire,” which certainly rates as one of Portland’s better entertainment business success stories.

And, of course, it’s hometown of Portland also joins in the celebration. There’ll be a 20th Anniversary Festival from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 16 at Revolution Hall.

Founders Robyn Tenenbaum and Kate Sokoloff will be there, as will original host Courtenay Hameister. They’ll be interviewed, from 3 p.m.-4:30 p.m., by host Luke Burbank, who now heads the variety show along with announcer Elena Passarello.

Original members of the sketch comedy act “Faces For Radio!,” including Hameister, take the stage from 5 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Then, starting at 8 p.m., the show will feature three guests who have made multiple appearances on “Live Wire” throughout the years: Portland author Cheryl Strayed, comedian Mohaned Elshieky and soul band Ural Thomas & The Pain.

It’s hard to believe it’s been 20 years, Tenenbaum said. The show started as “variety for the ears, vaudeville for the mind” and it just kept going. Tenenbaum and Sokoloff didn’t have experience in radio, but the two women along with Jim Brunberg (Mississippi Studios) and Hameister believed they could put a variety show together that featured interviews, conversation, skits, music. It happened.

Tenenbaum said “proud is an understatement” when talking about the show.

“Other than my own children, ‘birthing’ something like this is the next greatest birth,” Tenenbaum said. “It started on dining room tables from a seed of an idea.”

A year later, Oregon Public Broadcasting started airing live recordings of the show. They could give airtime but not money, Tenenbaum said. “Live Wire” went from a for-profit venture to a nonprofit, allowing it to apply for grants and seek donors.

The radio network grew nationally, and organizers took “Live Wire” on the road to New York, Chicago and Los Angeles— as they continue to do with trips planned to Miami, Austin and Minneapolis. Podcast have been added.

“We were finding our way,” said Tenenbaum, who stayed with “Live Wire” as executive director and executive producer until 2018, and she still consults the show and attends all the stage events in Portland. “Kate stepped away at the beginning of 2011, and I stepped away in the middle of 2018. I turned 50 and wanted to seek out new adventures — ‘now or never.’ It was amazing and great and I’m still a fan. They’ve got it. I’m happy to still be closely tied to it.”

Heather de Michele took over as executive director and “she has steered it in great ways, she cares about its roots,” Tenenbaum said. “Luke and the staff have been great stewards.”

The show has featured big-name celebrities and local entertainers, comedians, musicians, authors/poets and creatives and more. The list includes:

Salman Rushdie, Pink Martini, Marc Maron, Phoebe Robinson, Reggie Watts, Mo Rocca, Aubrey Gordon, George Saunders, W. Kamau Bell, Lindy West, Ani DiFranco, Nick Offerman, Thundercat, Samantha Irby, Aasif Mandvi, and Strayed.

“It’s always been a variety show with the goal to amplify unique voices,” de Michele said.

The shows have catered more toward the radio audience with the growth of listenership nationwide. Shows still take place before an audience at Alberta Rose Theatre and elsewhere, and taped live recordings go out to listeners.

“Live Wire” has also been a hit with stagings/recordings in Seattle.

“It’s so rare to be able to sit in a space and be part of live recording experience, and your cousin in Miami can listen on the radio,” de Michele said. “There’s a unique niftiness there.

“We’re really terrific curators of both local and national culture makers that we know are going to resonate and be thought-provoking and appeal to curious-minded.”

Host for about 10 years, Burbank “is very relatable,” de Michele said. “He’s very charismatic and comfortable on stage, and he’s really great talking to anybody.”

Passarello is an Oregon State University creative writing professor and has been show announcer since 2018. She promoted one of her books on “Live Wire,” and show organizers felt Passarello could be a good addition alongside Burbank.

“Live Wire” visits Corvallis for a show April 26 at the new PRAx venue.

In its 20 years, “Live Wire” has produced more than 500 live recordings broadcast nationwide on more than 200 radio stations, with a weekly listening audience of over 300,000. The show has visited dozens of cities. Podcasts reach thousands of people.

“This is an opportunity to reflect on not only our past, but also build momentum as we enter our next creative chapter as one of Portland’s most unique cultural offerings,” de Michele said. “The show has evolved tremendously in the last 10 years, but the heart has stayed the same: bring creative talent from around the country to Portland as well as share a bit of our beloved city with the rest of the world. But most importantly, infuse joy into the lives of our audiences.”

More: livewireradio.org.