Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes returning guest Scott Shea—author of All the Leaves Are Brown and a forthcoming Waylon Jennings book—to discuss the anniversary of Bruce Springsteen signing with Columbia Records in June 1972 and the recent death of Clive Davis. Shea highlights Springsteen’s rare 54-year label loyalty, early rocky years, and how Born to Run marked progress before larger commercial succe...

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes back musician and actor Levi Petree to catch up on Bruce Springsteen, starting with reactions to recent shows and the tour’s purposeful, righteous energy, including standout moments like “War” into “Born in the U.S.A.,” “Long Walk Home,” “House of a Thousand Guitars,” “American Skin (41 Shots),” and the Tom Morello “Tom Joad” performance, plus crowd differences and setl...

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes writer, podcaster, and comedian Courtney Kocak, who grew up in small-town Minnesota and now splits time between Austin and Los Angeles, to discuss her debut memoir, Girl Gone Wild. Courtney traces her musical influences from classic rock radio and movie soundtracks to college-era rap, indie, and classic rock, and shares how reading and acting shaped her love of storytel...

On a JKL Media Podcast one-off special, Lou introduces Canadian prog-rock/metal trio Rush and asks Karen and Jesse for reactions, starting with a yes/no on Geddy Lee’s voice (Karen yes, Jesse no). Lou frames Rush as a technically revered “musician’s band,” outlines the members’ roles, and compares their music to headphone-focused listening like Pink Floyd. Karen and Jesse discuss songs from Lou’s...

Host Jesse Jackson steps outside the Springsteen universe for a B-side conversation with Ernest Lineberger, a retired Naval officer and former Texas Instruments supervisor/industrial engineer who ran for Congress in a tough Texas district, lost the 2024 general election, then continued organizing town halls, protests, and outreach before losing a subsequent primary. Lineberger discusses why voters...

Saying thanks for all the support this month as we explored other stories under the Bruce Umbrella. Please think about supporting the podcast by going to https://patreon.com/setlustingbruce and joining my Patreon Community. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Sylvan Groth, his Perfectly Good Podcast co-host, who shares growing up in suburban Boston, coming out as bi in the 1990s amid increased queer visibility, and facing emotional abuse and slurs from her stepfather while her mother tried to keep peace. Sylvan describes finding refuge with her aunt in Vermont—where a pride flag on a barn signaled safety—and how Springsteen...

Jesse and returning guest Arlen Schumer recap Arlen’s last-minute Madison Square Garden show experience, praise the E Street Band (including Tom Morello and Max Weinberg), and criticize modern concert phone use and disengaged audience behavior. They then discuss “Backstreets,” focusing on a fan essay suggesting the song’s gender-ambiguous “Terry” and certain lyrics could reflect a homosexual relat...

"Catch our latest chat where Ken Schaefer and I explore Stephen King's 'The Long Walk' adaptation and its thought-provoking themes. Ken also shares his thoughts on the new series from the creaters of STranger Things - The Boroughs #StephenKing #MovieNight" #dufferbrothers Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alonso Duralde joins the podcast to discuss his upbringing in an immigrant Spanish family in Atlanta, early influences from radio, classical music, and repertory cinema, and how Siskel & Ebert inspired him to pursue criticism. Duralde shares insights from his book Hollywood Pride, covering LGBTQ+ representation and creators from silent film to Everything Everywhere All at Once, plus surprises from...

As we continue Pride in Bruce, here is a re-releases a favorite 2017 conversation, edited to focus on guest Bella Pori’s joyful song discussion Jesse Jackson and Bella briefly discuss political engagement and gun reform before diving into Bella’s “Bruce Springsteen, gay as heck” lens on interpreting queer subtext in art. Bella shares her picks—“Streets of Philadelphia,” “Backstreets,” “This Hard L...

🎤 "This train carries saints and sinners, losers and winners..." To celebrate my birthday, Lou and Karen from the JKL Media Podcast joined me to talk about #SpringsteenOnBroadway in our newest #podcast episode! With insights, personal stories, and a love for the Boss, don't miss out on this special discussion! #SetLustingBruce #BruceSpringsteen Did they love it, like it or break my heart? Learn m...

Host Jesse Jackson interviews Jason Bisogni, a Westchester, New York marketing professional and lifelong music fan, about his path into classic rock, his early concert experiences, and the moment he became a dedicated Springsteen fan after seeing the 1999 E Street Band reunion tour. Jason shares that he came out later in life (to two people at 39, more fully at 41 in 2021) and explains how Bruce’s...

We're bringing back one of our favorite conversations as part of Pride 2026. Co-host Bella joins Jesse to talk with Jesse — radio producer, drag performer, and co-host of The Boss Belongs to Us — about her podcast, her love of Bruce Springsteen's music, and the question at the heart of it all: Is Bruce a queer icon? If you haven't heard it, you're in for a treat. If you have, it's absolutely worth...

We kick off Pride in Bruce Month with guest Nico Stratus, a Toronto-based writer originally from Canada’s Yukon. Niko describes growing up in a music- and book-filled home, later leaving construction work after coming out as trans, and building a writing career through online essays, including an early op-ed that prompted an attempted libel threat. Nico recounts discovering Bruce Springsteen later...

In this special episode of Perfectly Good Podcast—where the hosts normally rank John Hiatt songs A to Z—Jesse and Sylvan welcome guest Lilly Hiatt to talk about her own career. Lilly recalls starting guitar at 12, overcoming shyness to perform, and beginning songwriting in middle school, describing how melodies and lyrics arrive together and how she captures ideas on voice memos. She explains how...

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Los Angeles–based musician and music teacher Jake Cassman, who shares his path from growing up in Berkeley on classic rock and ’90s alternative to discovering Bruce Springsteen later through a 2008 Obama rally performance, long bus rides through New Jersey, and years playing dueling pianos. Jake discusses teaching recording and songwriting at The Geffen Academy, the rea...

In this B-side episode, host Jesse Jackson talks with electro-punk pioneer Peter Pepper, calling from Shibuya, Tokyo, about growing up in rural Florida feeling alienated, discovering punk and industrial music, and channeling creativity through early audio editing into a music career. Peter shares how playing the State Theatre in St. Petersburg became a breakthrough moment, how “electro-punk” emerg...

Host Jesse Jackson opens a B-side episode of Set Lusting Bruce with musician and worship leader Brigitte Donahoe, who shares her journey from growing up in Atlantic City, Las Vegas, California, and Michigan to becoming a songwriter, wife, and homeschooling mom of two. Brigitte discusses her eclectic influences (’90s rock/ska, R&B vocalists, and later country), her complicated early church experien...

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes returning guest Tom to discuss the current Bruce Springsteen tour, upcoming shows in DC, Austin, and Atlanta, and reactions to the set list, including excitement about rarely played songs like “Born in the U.S.A.” Tom introduces his new Substack, “Blue Collar Costumes: A Comparative Study of Bruce Springsteen, Stephen King, and the World That Made Them,” which supports...

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Michael C back to discuss Jake Thistle’s American Idol elimination, arguing Jake’s strengths are his songwriting, frontman rapport, versatility in changing vocal styles across artists (Petty, Jackson Browne, Bruce, Phil Collins, John Hiatt), and strong character, with hopes for continued success and mention of an April 29 Monmouth University show with Vinny “Mad Dog” Lo...

Host Jesse Jackson presents a B-side episode of Set Lusting Bruce featuring Neat, a Punjabi Thai Sikh independent recording artist and development psychology graduate student from Bangkok who moved to New York at 25. Neat describes growing up with Bollywood and religious music, discovering Western artists like Britney Spears and Eminem, and secretly writing lyrics that sparked her own songwriting;...

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes music journalist, publicist, label executive, and manager Danny Goldberg for a B-side conversation about music memories and Bruce Springsteen connections. Goldberg recounts growing up in Hastings-on-Hudson with classical, folk, and cast albums, then shifting to rock after discovering Dylan, the Beatles, and the Stones, and later covering Woodstock for Billboard in 1969....

The echoes of Sunday night in Austin are still alive with me. The joy, unity, and tender moments at the Springsteen concert served as a reminder of the goodness we can foster in the world. Do yourself a favor and soak up this experience if you can! Email me at Setlustingbruce@gmail.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A few thoughts on the show in Austin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices