Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

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 lyrics took on new meaning afterward, citing songs like “Darkness on the Edge of Town,” “Trapped,” “Living Proof,” and “Two Hearts.” He credits Bob Dylan’s “It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue” line “He not busy being born is busy dying” as pivotal, discusses chasing songs live, recounts meeting Bruce several times, and answers the “Mary” question.

00:00 Pride in Bruce Intro

01:48 Meet Jesse and Jason

02:21 Jason’s Music Roots

03:18 Family Soundtrack Growing Up

06:43 Wrestling Detour and WWE

11:45 Concerts That Sparked It

14:59 Finding Bruce Springsteen

17:29 First E Street Show Magic

19:34 Counting Shows and Fandom

20:48 Static Setlist Debate

24:25 Health, Travel, and Missing Shows

26:27 Bruce and Coming Out Journey

27:01 Coming Out With The Boss

29:32 Lyrics Hit Different Now

32:07 Gay Icon Podcast Picks

34:23 Forever Favorites Playlist

38:18 Born Or Busy Dying

41:04 Songs Still Chasing Live

43:24 Meeting Bruce Stories

48:25 Thunder Road Mary Debate

50:39 Gratitude Pride Month Wrap
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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 another listen.

https://open.spotify.com/show/33BxEoWfbSJ22NWap9pxhU?si=0bad4f80e3364f20

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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 life—initially misreading Born in the U.S.A.—and connecting deeply to Bruce’s earnestness, storytelling, and songs like “Dancing in the Dark,” “Thunder Road,” “Drive All Night,” and Nebraska tracks. Nico discusses their book, The Dad Rock That Made Me a Woman, a memoir-mixtape where “Dancing in the Dark” becomes a pivotal catalyst for coming out, and shares where to find their work online.

Find out more about Niko here - https://www.nikostratis.com/

Amazon Link for The Dad Rock that Made me a Women - here https://a.co/d/0git0VZh

00:00 Pride in Bruce Intro

01:48 Meet Jesse and Nico

02:10 Tattoo and Cancer Talk

02:46 Nico Background Story

04:03 Music in the Yukon

09:35 Reading and Escape

11:13 Comics Marvel vs DC

13:56 Becoming a Writer

17:02 First Op-Ed and Lawsuit

18:01 Discovering Springsteen

20:56 Why Bruce Hit Home

22:58 Dancing in the Dark Deep Dive

27:10 Writing the Dad Rock Book

29:14 Mixtape Memoir Blueprint

30:55 Springsteen Awakening Moment

32:34 Impostor Syndrome and Belonging

35:57 Good Tired Dream Work

37:59 Never Seen Bruce Live

38:55 Songs That Shaped Me

42:49 Queer Icon Bruce Debate

44:58 Why Read the Book

49:56 Does Mary Get In

53:24 Where to Find Nico

55:08 Pride Month Signoff
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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 songs develop at different speeds, how albums reflect a specific time period, and how collaboration shapes unexpected recording outcomes, including working with her husband Colby on Forever and their project Domestic Bliss. Lilly shares early memories touring with her dad, favorite venues, thoughts on Napster’s impact on making a living through touring, and influences like Pearl Jam and Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska. She discusses personal songs “Ray,” “Thoughts,” and “Impostor,” then plugs upcoming Texas-area shows and encourages fans to support by buying merch and records at gigs.

00:00 Cold Open Dialogue
00:53 Podcast Intro And Guest Reveal
02:12 First Meeting And Fan Story
03:11 Early Guitar And Stage Nerves
05:46 Writing Songs And Poetry Roots
06:56 Songwriting Process And Tools
11:33 Building Albums And Collaboration
14:51 Domestic Bliss With Husband
15:41 Growing Up On Tour
16:35 Backstage Hello From Linda
17:52 Tour Life And Favorite Venues
23:50 Napster Era And Music Business
25:27 Touring Economics And Team
27:15 Touring Help Needed
27:45 Pearl Jam Origins
29:27 Eddie Vedder Shoutout
30:15 Writing Ray for Sister
31:15 Family Bonds and Aunt Life
33:43 Thoughts Voicemail Choice
34:57 Producer Magic Explained
37:25 Nashville Identity and Genre
39:24 Creative Goals Abroad
40:32 Springsteen Nebraska Deep Dive
43:02 Impostor Verse Backstory
47:27 Shows Merch and Farewell

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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 realities of freelancing (busking, weddings, improv), and how COVID ended live work and pushed him into a USC master’s program that led to greater stability and new opportunities, including producing for the podcast Switched on Pop. He explains why he shifted from the Drunken Logic moniker to releasing music under his own name, introduces his album Idling High, performs “We All Look the Same,” and talks songwriting, storytelling, and favorite Springsteen albums, ending with the classic Thunder Road question.

https://www.jakecassman.com/music

00:00 Welcome and Guest Intro

02:00 Teaching Music in LA

03:00 TeachRock and Music Education

04:27 Writing and Community Programs

05:35 Growing Up With Rock

07:32 Finding Bruce Springsteen

09:14 Early Music Obsession

10:31 Dueling Pianos Stories

12:31 Requests and Deep Cuts

15:10 Freelance Music Career

17:38 Rebranding as Jake Kassman

19:17 Pandemic Shock and Pivot

22:41 Freelancing and Saying Yes

25:52 Better Paying Gigs

26:32 Idling High Origins

28:15 We All Look the Same

33:33 Storytelling Gets Universal

36:19 Bruce Road Trip Deep Dive

39:28 Next Creative Steps

40:40 Pop Podcast Tangent

44:00 Thunder Road Debate

47:53 Where To Find Jake

49:34 Final Wrap And Thanks
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