Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

Host Jesse Jackson welcomes pop-culture lecturer and illustrator Arlen Schumer back to Set Lusting Bruce to discuss his three passions—Bruce Springsteen, comic book art history, and Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. Arlen explains what drew him to Twilight Zone imagery and storytelling, its influence on modern creators, and its early diversity and social themes, then connects Serling’s dramatic voice to Springsteen’s writing and speeches. The conversation shifts to Bruce fandom and live performance, including Arlen’s deep focus on the September 19, 1978 Capitol Theatre broadcast and rare early footage like the Gaslight performance and “Wings for Wheels.” Arlen promotes a March 31 New York Adventure Club webinar on Springsteen live history and a planned June multimedia event tied to a New Jersey exhibit. They also discuss Springsteen’s politics, “Streets of Minneapolis,” and Arlen’s critiques of unreleased/altered outtakes like “Roulette.”

https://arlenschumer.com/

https://www.nyadventureclub.com/event/1984298328717

00:00 Welcome and Arlen Returns

00:39 Arlen Background and Passions

03:00 Why Twilight Zone Matters

05:53 Twilight Zone Legacy and Influence

12:05 Connecting Twilight Zone to Bruce

16:23 Greatest Bruce Shows and 1978

19:44 First Bruce Show and Fan Journeys

22:01 Bruce Live Ethos and Spanish Harlem

23:54 Promoting the Bruce Webinar

26:15 Gaslight Footage and March 31 Plan

29:15 Rare 1975 Footage

30:00 Wings for Wheels Magic

31:50 Desert Island Thunder Road

32:34 High Hopes Show Memories

34:15 Dream Baby Dream Debate

35:27 Webinar and Links

35:57 June Exhibit Plans

37:30 Bruce and Politics

42:09 Roulette and Outtakes

45:40 Release Decisions Rant

48:32 True President Finale

50:16 Wrap Up and Goodbye

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Host Jesse Jackson opens a B-side episode of Set Lusting Bruce that steps outside the Springsteen universe to spotlight guest Cece’s creative joys, blending their shared love of Hallmark movies with music fandom and community. Cece, who grew up near Washington, DC, describes her family’s listening (ZZ Top, Southern rock, blues/R&B, show tunes) and how she gravitated instead to Prince, Michael Jackson, politically driven rap, and alternative/punk discovered through WHFS, MTV’s 120 Minutes, and films like Suburbia. She studied political science at Virginia Tech, attended law school at Temple, passed the New Jersey bar, but left legal work due to culture fit. Cece recounts becoming obsessed with live music—especially seeing Barenaked Ladies about 80 times, later following Steven Page’s solo work and Zoom concerts—and discusses the Avett Brothers fan song-tracking database, concertgoing community, and her current perfume hobby.

00:00 B-Side Detour Intro

00:37 Hallmark Meets Music

01:31 Cece Finds Hallmark Comfort

05:05 Growing Up Near DC

08:26 Finding Her Own Sound

10:33 Politics And Punk Identity

13:33 Films Over Books

14:57 Law School And Philly Bruce

19:17 Workplace Conformity Clash

21:55 Live Music Obsession Begins

22:29 Bare Naked Ladies Era

29:11 Setlists And Fan Databases

32:54 Chasing Rare Songs

33:24 Why See Bands Repeatedly

34:35 Concert Community Bonds

37:31 Music Recommendations Swap

39:54 Bruce Politics And Tours

41:35 Finding The Avett Brothers

43:39 Solo Shows And Fan Culture

47:11 Meeting Musicians Up Close

53:15 Where To Find Cece

53:35 Perfume Rabbit Hole

55:40 Final Thanks And Plugs
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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes back college professor Maryanne Janosik to discuss Bruce Springsteen’s newly released protest song, its rapid creative turnaround, and how it fits Springsteen’s history of politically charged music and themes of Catholic social justice. They compare the song’s naming of names to Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young’s “Ohio,” speculate about political expression at the Grammys, and reflect on concerns about free speech, polarization, and the shrinking space for teaching controversial art and history. The conversation shifts to film awards, including disappointment that “Deliver Me From Nowhere” received no Oscar nominations, debate about biopic fatigue, and Maryanne’s recommended under-the-radar films such as “Train Dreams,” Linklater’s “Blue Moon” and “Nouvelle Vague,” “Sorry, Baby,” and the baseball film “Eefus,” plus praise for “Sinners” and “Fruitvale Station.”

https://www.mjthemovies.com/

00:00 Welcome Back Maryanne

00:33 Meet Maryanne Janosik

01:50 Bruce Drops New Protest Song

02:55 How Artists Create Fast

05:26 Protest Music Context

07:38 Catholic Imagination Social Justice

08:45 Teaching Songs of Protest

11:07 Grammys Politics and Censorship

13:30 Academic Freedom Under Pressure

17:13 Reviewing the New Song

20:36 Super Bowl Halftime Culture

23:44 Oscars and Springsteen Films

24:37 Box Office vs Oscars

25:35 Deliver Me From Nowhere

28:36 Biopic Fatigue Debate

30:26 Good vs Great Movies

32:24 Why Sinners Works

36:48 Michael B Jordan Rise

39:23 Under the Radar Picks

45:08 Catherine O'Hara Tribute

47:02 Wrap Up and Farewell
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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes Holly Cantos, co-host of the mostly ’80s music show What Difference Does It Make? Podcast, for a wide-ranging conversation that moves beyond Bruce Springsteen into radio, fandom, and podcasting. Holly shares her early love of AM radio after moving from New York to Los Angeles, her career behind the scenes in radio syndication and production, and how her parents’ music shaped her broad tastes. She recounts discovering U2 on the 1983 War tour, seeing them across every tour, and a highlight at the Sphere, plus taking her son to Bono’s Stories of Surrender. Holly and Jesse discuss how her podcast began in 2018, evolved through studio recording and pandemic-era Zoom access to guests, and the challenges of monetization and audience engagement. They close with Holly’s Springsteen memories and her view that Mary gets in the car in “Thunder Road.”

https://www.wddimpodcast.com/

00:00 Welcome and Setup

01:55 Holly’s Radio Roots

05:21 Parents and Early Music

08:28 AM to FM Era

12:52 Discovering U2 Live

20:03 Concert Memories and Family

24:02 Podcast Mission and Format

27:51 Starting the Show Fast

31:44 Podcasting Advice and Growth

36:23 Guests and Great Interviews

38:33 Money Downloads and Rejection

41:26 Respectful Declines

41:46 Springsteen Intimidation

42:40 Ranking 80s Icons

46:08 Barry Manilow Stories

47:38 Podcast Growth Goals

51:04 Community Over Downloads

54:11 U2 Sphere Highlights

56:31 Bruce Live Memories

01:00:22 Music Tied to Family

01:06:24 Thunder Road Debate

01:08:32 Plugging The Podcast

01:11:51 Wrapping Up Goodbye
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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes author and former teacher Sara Goodman-Confino to Set Lusting Bruce to talk Bruce Springsteen, fandom, and fiction. Sara shares her path from 21 years teaching to writing full-time, her Springsteen origin story rooted in hearing “Atlantic City” during a difficult college week, and her family’s deep reading culture. She recounts seeing Bruce live (including being pulled onstage in Charlottesville in 2012 with a “Can I dance with Jake?” sign), attending dozens of shows, favorite songs and albums (especially Born to Run and “Backstreets”), and sending Bruce a copy of her novel Don’t Forget to Write featuring a brief Bruce cameo. They discuss Sara’s focus on humorous, intergenerational stories with strong female characters and “Jewish joy,” including why she writes Jewish characters beyond suffering narratives and how her novels highlight the recentness of women’s legal and social limitations. Sara previews upcoming projects, including her June 9 release Off the Record about a young woman in a 1960s newspaper typing pool who uncovers a Cuban spy plot, plus a planned 2027 novel centered on the Beatles’ first U.S. concert after Ed Sullivan. Find more about her and her books here - https://saraconfino.com/

00:00 Welcome to Set Lusting Bruce + Meet Author Sara Goodman Canino

00:53 From Teacher to Full-Time Writer: Beyond the Palace Origins

03:54 Growing Up with Books & Classic Rock (and Early Bruce Memories)

05:24 The Springsteen Mix CD That Got Her Through Grief

10:13 Writing Strong Women & Finding Her Voice (Humor, Publishing, Historical Fiction)

13:29 Jewish Joy on the Page: Representation Beyond Trauma

16:28 Intergenerational Healing: The Mother-in-Law Story Behind Good Grief

19:24 New Release Spotlight: Off the Record—Jewish Romcom Meets Cold War Spy Thriller

23:00 Why the Early ’60s Still Matters: Women’s Rights, Research, and Remembering History

27:34 Why These Stories Matter (Especially for Younger Readers)

29:04 Next Novel Tease: The 1964 DC Beatles Show + A Photographer’s Big Break

31:12 Switching Gears to Bruce: The ‘Dance with Jake’ Sign & Getting Pulled Onstage

34:20 Counting Shows & Favorite Springsteen Songs (Born to Run, Backstreets, Sandy)

37:29 Have You Met Bruce? Mailing Him a Book + The New Jersey Cameo

39:27 Family Concert Memories: Dad, Uncle, and the Legendary Ticket Scores

42:46 What’s Next as a Writer: Secret Projects, Building an Audience & Future Horror Book

44:09 Thunder Road Debate: Does Mary Get in the Car? (Plus ‘Waves’ vs ‘Sways’)

44:58 Where to Find Sara: Socials, Website, Buying Options & Final Wrap-Up

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