Advertise on podcast: Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Russell Van Brocklen, a New York State–funded dyslexia researcher, to discuss how Bruce Springsteen’s music—especially “Born in the U.S.A.” and “Born to Run”—sparked his love of music and mirrors the “spark” dyslexic learners need. Russell shares his own path from severe reading and writing struggles and damaging academic setbacks to developing a writing-first, typing-based intervention that builds skills by focusing on a student’s specialty, moving from specific details to big picture, and using word analysis and articulation. He explains why traditional “well-rounded” schooling and accommodations often fail dyslexics, describes outcomes from his studies and case examples, and outlines guidance for parents. Russell also answers the “Mary question” about “Thunder Road,” and provides contact info at dyslexiaclasses.com. 00:00 Welcome to the Show 00:49 Meet Russell’s Story 02:35 Finding Bruce Early 04:16 Born in the USA Impact 09:23 Dyslexia and the Brain 12:54 Teaching Through Hooks 15:45 Born to Run Spark 18:12 Deep Dive and Lyrics 21:27 Dancing in the Dark Layers 23:25 Diagnosed and Determined 24:28 ADHD and Finding Purpose 28:13 Fixing a Broken System 29:46 Typing Over Handwriting 30:37 Interest Driven Learning 31:57 Specific To General Method 32:47 Why Schools Resist 35:03 Program Breakdown 36:40 When To Start Help 38:23 Reed Success Story 39:59 Parents Biggest Mistake 42:01 Motivation By Chores 44:25 Bruce Live Shows Talk 46:47 Thunder Road Mary Debate 48:18 Where To Find Russell 49:13 Podcast Wrap Up 49:47 Host Housekeeping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The gang is back to discuss week 3 of the NFL Season. We have Rich, Jean Marie, Joe Kay, Holly Mac and me discussing the ins and outs of their teams. We discuss injuries, records, heartbreaks and happiness. Let us know your thoughts on your team by sending us an email to [email protected] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesse Jackson welcomes Matt Donnelly for his third appearance on a B-side “Set Listing Bruce” episode that detours from Springsteen into Matt’s life in comedy and magic. Matt recounts how a dare from Penn Jillette led him to learn magic with mentor Johnny Thompson, tour with Piff the Magic Dragon, and build routines through problem-solving, tension, and performance. He discusses nerves onstage, the work of writing and “mascot” duties on Penn & Teller: Fool Us, and shares the story of Moxie Jillette being motivated to fool Penn & Teller. They talk about luck and risk in show business, Springsteen’s long-standing political outspokenness, and criticism of the film Deliver Me From Nowhere. Matt plugs upcoming touring plans, Jokers of Magic, Virgin Voyages work, and his podcasts and Patreon. https://mattdonnellymagic.com/ 00:37 Matt Returns 01:25 Vegas Life Update 02:30 Magic Origin Story 03:54 Why Magic Clicked 06:47 Building A Killer Routine 10:35 Performance And Audience Trust 14:12 Nerves And High Stakes 16:46 Fool Us Behind The Scenes 19:41 Mascot Writer Role 21:13 Moxie Pep Talk Twist 24:18 Protecting Moxie’s Well being 24:53 Dream Job Reality Check 27:16 Luck Risks and Connections 29:42 Springsteen Breakthrough Myth 31:53 Bruce Gets Political Again 34:40 Nebraska Biopic Misfire 38:45 What’s Next for Matt 40:13 Cruise Ship Pros and Cons 41:29 Podcasts and Communities Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes returning guest Arlen Schumer, who discusses his Twilight Zone book and debates standout episodes including “Eye of the Beholder,” “To Serve Man,” and “Walking Distance,” while previewing a September webinar deconstructing “Shadow Play.” Schumer then shares his opening-day visit to the newly renamed Bruce Springsteen Center for American Music, praising its first-class architecture, interior design, and dense, well-presented exhibits, including a detail about matching wood to Bruce’s guitar. The conversation ranges into Springsteen’s influences, the “Boss” nickname, Bruce’s cultural stature compared with Elvis, Dylan, The Beatles, and Hendrix, and the role of managers Mike Appel and Jon Landau in his career. Schumer also notes rising interest from Black audiences via reaction videos and plugs his website and upcoming events. https://arlenschumer.com/ 00:00 Patreon Thanks 01:29 Meet Arlen 02:03 Twilight Zone Favorites 07:47 Serling Legacy Today 11:13 Twilight Zone Meets Bruce 13:07 Springsteen Center Opens 14:21 Design Details Tour 20:48 Why Not The Boss 21:48 Bruce As The King 27:06 Biopic Scenes And Myth 30:02 Appel Hammond Landau 36:28 Appel Versus Landau 38:11 Outtakes And Alternate Albums 39:17 Bruce As Generational Icon 41:10 Dylan Beatles And Jungleland 48:05 Modesty Influences And Museum 51:47 Unreleased Songs Deep Dive 54:59 Archives Beyond Bruce 56:42 Race Audience And Reaction Videos 01:02:47 Where To Find Arlen 01:03:51 Twilight Zone Events 01:06:47 Farewell And Listener Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesse Jackson and his friend Ken Schaeferdiscuss Apple TV’s Widow’s Bay after Ken watches it, comparing its supernatural-small-town premise to Haven. Then they pivot to loving Galavant and memorable musical TV episodes (Buffy’s “Once More, with Feeling” and Strange New Worlds). They briefly touch on accents, songwriting for TV, and plan to discuss Supergirl next month. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

🎙️ Dive into the heart of NFL week 2 and Bruce Springsteen's legacy with us on Set Lusting Bruce! Jean Marie, Holly Mac, Rich and Jesse share their thoughts on week two in the NFL. Catch our episode now! #SetLustingBruce #NFL #Springsteen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Sam Sodomsky, senior editor at Pitchfork and musician behind The Bird Calls, to discuss how a childhood encounter with a “Dancing in the Dark” parody sparked a lifelong Springsteen obsession that led him to guitar, songwriting, and writing about music. Sam shares growing up in Reading, Pennsylvania, collecting bootlegs and books, and even creating a mock Springsteen biography, then traces his path through blogging, an MFA in nonfiction at Columbia, and a decade at Pitchfork. He recounts standout Wrecking Ball Tour memories, including receiving Bruce’s harmonica, singing “Waiting on a Sunny Day” at Jazz Fest, and briefly meeting Bruce and Jon Landau backstage in London. Sam also talks about his new record “Take Leave,” his interest in poetry, his thoughts on Tracks II, and answers the “Thunder Road” question. https://www.instagram.com/samsodomsky/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/4OvIlGI9oNdXSUBTggvQrC?si=qOxLiXqxRci2bWbMyG8zVQ 00:00 Podcast Intro 00:39 Opening Lyrics Montage 02:22 Meet Sam From Pitchfork 03:35 Growing Up In Reading 04:49 Why Bruce Hit Home 07:57 From Fan To Musician 09:40 Books Bootlegs And Obsession 12:08 Counting Shows And Setlists 14:50 Wrecking Ball Tour Stories 17:05 Onstage At Jazz Fest 20:39 Meeting Bruce Backstage 22:17 Pitchfork Writing Journey 25:08 Brian Wilson Tribute Essay 27:04 Beach Boys Mythos 28:49 Writing Beyond Journalism 30:11 Dream Interviews 31:25 Learning Songcraft 33:17 Springsteen Album Lessons 36:41 New Album Take Leave 40:20 Tracks II Deep Dive 45:30 Future Music Plans 47:23 Thunder Road Mary 50:59 Wrap Up And Plugs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's week one of the NFL season and Jean Marie's Giants are feeling good, Jesse's hand is hovering over the panic button and Wendy is enjoing the Music of David Bryne from The Talking Heads but still had time to share her thoughts. IF you want to get into the action where you know you will have a winning ticket, send in your thoughts at 972-591-1460 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesse and his Perfectly Good Podcast cohost Sylvan Groth sit down to talk with her friend and neighbor, Vermont songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Bow Thayer. Bow shares his journey from growing up in Massachusetts to finding a home making over 30 albums in the small town of Vermont. He shares stories of connecting with Levon Helm, touring, having a family and his latest venture of a campground and concert venue called KnowTown. Bow also discusses his upcoming album. Inspired by both Vermont’s remote Lake Ninevah and the ancient city of Nineveh, Ninevah explores nature, division, transition, and rebirth. After spending nearly a year recording the project alone, Bow scrapped much of it, took the songs on an Alaskan tour with guitarist Krishna Guthrie and percussionist Steve Ferraris, then returned to Vermont to record the album’s core live. The record also features Val McCallum, James Rohr, Chazz Canney, Jabe Beyer, and Tyler Bolles and was mixed by three-time Grammy winner Justin Guip. Here's the bandcamp link https://bowthayer.bandcamp.com/album/ninevah Spotify and the others just have the single out for now https://open.spotify.com/album/2fG9WNXw1pstyyDUuPG7KH?si=HVpkGWrIRRiZMQ_xqP5Zyg&utm_source=copy-link https://music.apple.com/us/song/old-news/6804823311 https://amazon.com/music/player/albums/B0HGDJM38Q?marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER&musicTerritory=US&ref=dm_sh_bIfpT9jWrxbAoYjKXLquDmv3k Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Texas songwriter Bob Blumenfeld to discuss his recording projects Welcome to the 21st and The Disappearing Act, both featuring longtime collaborator alim Nourallah and John Dufilhoo. Bob shares growing up in El Paso, discovering Springsteen’s Born to Run, and seeing Bruce live in the Bay Area, plus early influences from his brothers and his mother’s music. He explains his path from band and guitar lessons to constant songwriting, a DIY El Paso label (Tortilla Records), and his former band Low Dog. Bob outlines recent and upcoming releases including The Disappearing Act’s Proof of Existence (vinyl) and concept albums under Welcome to the 21st (Dyatlov Pass, coffee, UFO/UAP), plus a forthcoming rock-only album Chamberino 99, future cover and instrumental plans. https://palosantotx.bandcamp.com/ https://www.facebook.com/WT21ST https://www.instagram.com/wt21st/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/6ZhEgzxJQbrh7JGyWtVogi?si=10VizqnlRpeoZEwumDG2GQ https://www.dallasnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/article/disappearing-act-new-album-dallas-musicians-22318500.php Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesse Jackson launches “Set Lusting Football,” a seasonal spin on his Bruce Springsteen podcast where music fans representing different NFL teams gather for weekly football talk, friendly rivalries, and laughs. Guests share their fandom origin stories: Wendy Hembrock (Bills), Jean Marie Anderson (Giants), Holly Mac (Packers), and Joe K (Commanders/Packers), while Jesse recounts becoming a Cowboys fan after moving to Dallas. The group gives season record predictions and Superbowl picks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

William John Titus Bishop performed orchestral works and other musical genres before learning to play the guitar and perform at smaller venues on the London circuit. He has gone on to play international festivals and tour widely. In a breakaway from his stifling classical background, he went on to writing his own songs.
He then recorded three full-length studio albums and amassed a following of over 1.5 million on social media and his last album gained 4 million Spotify streams in its first week. His music is used on degree courses at The Universities of York and Sussex. His music has been featured on BBC Radio 3 in the UK.In late 2025 his essay on Early Modern libertinism was published in an international academic journal. He has showcased at Live at Heart festival in Sweden, Tallinn Music Week in Estonia, the Brighton and Edinburgh Fringes and Focus Wales and 2000 Trees festivals in the UK.
Social Media and Streaming:
https://www.Instagram.com/williamjohntitusbishophttps://www.Facebook.com/williamjohntitusbishophttps://www.Twitter.com/WJTBishophttps://www.TikTok.com/@williamjohntitusbishophttps://open.spotify.com/artist/1kZEr9lsH0f57fqofUiiUN?si=QPjnntbjSZeDkYNojv26xw Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Set Lusting Bruce celebrates its 1,500th episode with congratulatory messages from fellow podcasters, friends, and listeners, praising Jesse Jackson’s consistency, kindness, interviewing skill, and the community he’s built. Jesse is joined by Chris Jackson for a milestone conversation covering Jesse’s regrets about guests he hasn’t booked, how his signature opening question helps people share their music origins, and why storytelling is central to the show. They discuss podcasts they enjoy, parallels between Bruce fandom and WWE—including “hate watching,” nostalgia, and escapism—and how music functions as a time machine tied to life memories. Chris shares favorite Springsteen songs like “Highway Patrolman,” and Jesse reflects on early country influences and his dream guests, including Bruce and E Street members. Jesse closes by recounting key Springsteen eras, albums, films, tours, and guests featured across the show’s run. 00:00 Congrats From Podcasters 01:14 More Listener Shoutouts 02:32 Welcome To Episode 1500 03:15 Regrets And Milestones 05:51 Pride In Community 08:48 Ireland Congrats Message 10:05 Favorite Podcasts Today 12:24 Why Music Matters 15:04 Rediscovering Wrestling 20:15 Bruce And WWE Parallels 25:31 More Congrats Voicemails 27:24 Becoming A Bruce Fan 29:54 Highway Patrolman Emotions 33:51 What The Podcast Means 36:38 Final Round Of Shoutouts 37:44 Listener Congrats Montage 42:21 Guest Booking Confidence 46:13 Dream Bruce Interview 48:32 Early Music Memories 55:23 Beverly Questions Prophet 01:00:01 Worst Songs Debate 01:04:40 E Street Favorites Stories 01:09:56 Wrap Up Reviews Guests 01:11:36 1500 Episode Reflection Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesse welcomes JB and Rob back to Set Lusting Bruce to discuss their return to podcasting and the relaunch of Bruce Springsteen Sings the Alphabet. JB shares updates on life in North Georgia, while Rob explains his transition from pastor to banker during COVID, personal struggles, and how reconnecting with JB revived their creative spark. They outline the show’s new format: covering Springsteen album-by-album (collections included) in alphabetical order while discussing tracks in sequence, breaking up Tracks by recording sessions, and adding occasional mini-series, with “Episode Zero” planned for September 4 and the first new episode on September 7 starting with American Beauty. The conversation also touches on adult friendships, tracking media, the film Sinners, mixed reactions to Delivery From Nowhere, Springsteen’s activism, and shared music interests including Jason Isbell and Brandi Carlile. - https://alphabeticalspringsteen.substack.com/ - @alphabeticalspringsteen on instagram - And in your podcast catcher/apple podcasts. 00:00 Welcome to the Show 00:39 Meet JB and Rob 02:42 Rob’s Career Pivot 04:40 Friendship Needs Projects 06:55 Sinners Movie Detour 10:56 Bruce as a Poet 12:52 Where the Podcast Went 17:33 Reboot Plan and Schedule 19:00 New Format Explained 25:12 Can You Go Home Again 28:15 Delivery From Nowhere Review 38:19 Missing the Mic Moments 41:45 Backstage Isbell Story 42:38 Live Shows and Covers 44:00 Brandi Carlile Vocal Magic 44:56 Tracking Movies and Books 46:41 Missing Ministry Work 51:46 Odyssey and Flower Moon 53:22 Isbell Divorce Parasocial Talk 01:01:30 Bruce Career Parallels 01:07:30 Therapy Ending and Nitpicks 01:09:05 Where to Find the Show 01:14:19 Austin Show and Politics 01:16:54 Obama Center Chicago Trip 01:19:53 Final Thanks and Signoff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes returning guests Brian K. Pagels and Stephen Russ of Brian K and the Parkway to discuss their musical partnership, their preferences for live performance versus studio work, and the creation of their second album, “Roses and Kerosene,” out September 4. They recount how the project evolved from demos into a full band after a 2021 trip to Asbury Park, then detail recording most of the new record in four days at The Brink studio in Richmond with Kat Popper on bass and Rob Flores on keys, mixed by Sean Sullivan. Brian explains writing the duet “Roses and Kerosene” and how they enlisted Lily Hiatt via Instagram, plus making a video built around her brief availability. They outline the album’s relationship-focused themes, vinyl side sequencing, and announce tour plans, lineup changes, and release shows beginning September 18 at Jammin Java. https://www.briankandtheparkway.com/ https://briankandtheparkway.bandcamp.com/merch 03:09 Meet The Guests 04:15 Band Origins Story 07:03 How They Became Friends 10:24 Live Versus Studio 13:37 Making The New Album 17:50 Recording Approach And Mix 20:02 Lead Single With Lily Hiatt 26:41 Discovering Lily Hiatt 27:12 Shooting the Mock Live Video 29:10 Recording Timeline and Overdubs 29:39 Why Make a Video 31:18 Video Story and Chemistry 34:29 Album Themes and Through Line 36:49 Roses vs Kerosene Sides 39:54 Release Shows and Tour Plans 42:12 Lineup Changes and New Members 47:35 Wrap Up and Housekeeping Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices