Set Lusting Bruce: The Bruce Springsteen Fan Podcast

Some fans aren’t thrilled with the Land of Hope and Dreams setlist — and Jesse has thoughts. He shares his HBO (Hot Bruce Opinion) and invites anyone who disagrees to send their counter‑take to [email protected].

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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes London-based journalist Maddie Fry to a “timey wimey” episode of Set Lusting Bruce to discuss how she discovered Bruce Springsteen through a 2006 BBC broadcast of The Seeger Sessions, then worked backward through albums like Devils & Dust, Magic, and The River, becoming a deeper fan after a powerful 2013 London show and later attending the Liverpool concert where Paul McCartney joined Bruce onstage. Maddie also traces her lifelong devotion to U2, sparked in early-2000s adolescence by All That You Can’t Leave Behind and The Joshua Tree, and explains how music by Springsteen, U2, and Johnny Cash shaped her political awareness and led her into writing about religion, spirituality, and culture. The conversation explores faith’s relationship with power, modern politics, and ends with Maddie’s answer to the “Thunder Road” question and where to find her Substack, U2 and Us.

https://www.premierchristianity.com/culture/faithless-the-story-behind-bruce-springsteens-soundtrack-to-a-lost-spiritual-western/20448.article

https://u2andus.substack.com/

00:00 Podcast Welcome

00:45 Meet Maddie Across Timezones

02:00 Growing Up and Early Music

04:07 Finding U2 First

06:23 Seeger Sessions Lightning Bolt

10:33 Working Back Through Bruce

12:40 Devils and Dust Deep Dive

14:12 2013 Show Turns Superfan

18:54 Concert Counts and Uncle Andy

20:45 U2 Origin Story

23:20 U2 Shows and Fandom Culture

24:52 Writing Religion and Politics

25:02 Music Sparks Meaning

26:24 Faith Through Lyrics

28:00 Reading Toward Belief

29:29 Faithless Research Journey

32:37 Religion And Power

36:13 Radical Gospel Ethics

41:01 Privilege Luck And Myth

44:03 Liverpool Show Reverence

46:06 Facing Cultural Mortality

48:24 Mary Gets In The Car

49:48 Where To Find Maddie

50:53 Podcast Wrap And Plugs
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In this episode of the Stephen King podcast, Lou is joined by co-hosts Jesse and Karen to discuss Edgar Wright’s 2025 adaptation of The Running Man, the second film version after the 1987 Schwarzenegger movie. They outline the near-future premise of an authoritarian media network running a lethal televised manhunt and share reactions to the film’s tone as a “popcorn thriller” with on-the-nose social commentary. The group highlights cast standouts (including Glen Powell, Josh Brolin, Michael Cera, and Lee Pace), discusses themes like violence as entertainment, AI/deepfakes and propaganda, and critiques the movie’s weak, videogame-like hit squad villains and altered ending versus the book. They finish by ranking The Running Man among 2025 King adaptations, placing it below The Life of Chuck and The Long Walk, and often behind Welcome to Derry.

00:00 Welcome Back and Big Question
01:24 Plot Setup and Dystopian World
02:44 First Impressions and Tone
04:30 Cast Highlights and Cameos
11:12 Adaptation Tone Versus Book
13:08 Opening Act and Ben Richards
17:31 Early Chase and Media Spectacle
22:40 Desensitization and Reality TV
27:25 Why Anyone Joins the Game
33:33 Deepfakes and Rigged Narrative
39:50 Villains and Hit Squad Critique
40:53 Hit Squad Problem
42:33 Popcorn vs Satire
43:41 NPC Villains Critique
45:43 Fixing Lee Pace Arc
46:52 Book Ending Debate
48:42 Hopeful Ending Defense
54:56 Adaptation Expectations
57:49 Ratings and Rewatch
59:07 Ranking King 2025
01:04:40 The Monkey Rant
01:06:36 Wrap Up and Plugs

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Host Jesse Jackson welcomes returning guest Kathy Durham to discuss Bruce Springsteen news and Kathy’s decision to run for Congress. Kathy shares how she uses Steven Van Zandt’s TeachRock curriculum in her classroom, connecting music to U.S. history and innovation through lessons on Bad Bunny, imperialism, and Jimi Hendrix, with upcoming units for Women’s History Month. They talk about the Nebraska-related movie, box sets, and plans to see Springsteen on the new tour, with Jesse noting his prostate cancer diagnosis. The conversation shifts to politics as Kathy explains her “aha moment” to run after tax and healthcare changes impacting rural Nevada and frustrations with an unresponsive representative. They discuss immigration, due process, inequality, monopolies, and threats to democratic institutions, then offer practical civic actions like staying informed, supporting local news, engaging locally, and volunteering.

https://www.kathydurhamforcongress.com/

00:00 Welcome Back Kathy

00:40 TeachRock in the Classroom

03:09 Nebraska Movie Talk

05:22 Tour Plans and Life Updates

07:20 Bruce and Politics

09:27 Why I’m Running for Congress

14:29 ICE and Due Process

17:25 Top vs Bottom Economics

19:45 America Built by Immigrants

21:05 From Servants to Slavery

21:34 Immigration Waves and Division

22:10 Fixing Legal Pathways

22:46 Farm Labor and Work Visas

23:49 Punishing Workers Not Bosses

25:19 No Consequences for Elites

26:06 Top Versus Bottom Politics

27:07 Trickle Down and Offshoring

28:51 Privatization Playbook

29:49 What You Can Do Locally

33:36 Civic Action Beyond Voting

36:19 Trust Grace and Better Angels

37:10 How to Reach Kathy

38:04 Final Thanks and Sign Off
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Sylvan and Jesse spend a few moments sharing their joy and pride in the way the podcast's own Jake Thistle.

Please check out Jake's music and watch him on American Idol!

https://jakethistle.com/
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